The Selling of an Energy Policy
The New York Times
April 21, 2002
By AL GORE
NASHVILLE - Under the
presidency of George W.
Bush, the environmental and
energy policies of our government
are completely dominated by a
group of current and former oil
and chemical company executives
who are trying to dismantle
America's ability to force them to
reduce the extremely dangerous
levels of pollution in the earth's atmosphere
The first step was to withdraw from the agreement
reached in Kyoto to begin limiting worldwide emissions of
greenhouse gases. Then the administration cancelled an
agreement requiring automobile companies to make the
leap to more fuel-efficient vehicles.
Other acts of sabotage are taking place behind the scenes.
Just as Enron executives were allowed to interview
candidates for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
- and to veto those they didn't think would approve of
Enron's agenda - ExxonMobil has been allowed to veto
the United States government's selection of who will head
the prestigious scientific panel that monitors global
warming. Dr. Robert Watson, the highly respected leader
of the Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change, was
blackballed in a memo to the White House from the
nation's largest oil company. The memo had its effect last
Friday, when Dr. Watson lost his bid for re-election after
the administration threw its weight behind the "let's drag
our feet" candidate, Dr. Rajendra Pachauri of New Delhi,
who is known for his virulent anti-American statements.
Why is this happening?
Because the largest polluters know their only hope for
escaping restrictions lies in promoting confusion about
global warming.
Just as Enron needed auditors who wouldn't blow the
whistle when the company lied about the magnitude of its
future liabilities, the administration needs scientific
reviews that won't sound the alarm on the destruction of
the earth's climate balance.
How long they get away with it depends on how long they
can sow confusion and doubt. But with folks wearing
bikinis in Boston in the middle of April and with the
massive melting of ice at both poles and in nearly every
mountain glacier on earth, public awareness and concern
are growing rapidly.
At a time when the world needs enduring leadership from
the United States to rally all nations to join in a concerted
effort to stop global warming, the administration is
working overtime to block any progress whatsoever.
So tomorrow, on this Earth Day, more than ever before,
we need real, forward-thinking leadership and a renewed
focus on the environment. True leadership means
ensuring that we take the necessary steps to leave a
cleaner environment for generations to come - and that
means strengthening environmental protections.
Instead, this administration's so-called Clean Skies
initiative actually increases air pollution levels by allowing
more toxic mercury, nitrogen oxide and sulfur emissions
than does current law. Put simply, on the environment,
this administration has consistently sold out America's
future in return for short-term political gains.
True leadership means guaranteeing our national security
and role as a world leader - and one of the best ways to
do this is by decreasing our dangerous dependence on
foreign oil, so that America cannot be held hostage to oil
imports and tinhorn tyrants like Saddam Hussein. But
instead this administration is now investing less in energy
innovation and conservation and more in corporate
subsidies for oil exploration and extraction and nuclear
power.
True leadership means assuring an economy that rewards
innovation and productivity. We can do so by leading the
world in investments in technological innovations that will
result in environment-friendly products like more efficient
cars and renewable energy sources. Such investments
would open up the door for new economic growth. But
this administration is taking only those steps that
increase our addiction to fossil fuels and outdated and
inefficient technologies.
On all these fronts, this administration has walked away
from the tough choices and has instead chosen to
subsidize the solutions of the past. Instead of leading, it
has attempted to mislead. Instead of sharing a vision with
the people, the administration has given access to special
interests.
We can return to the path of progress, on which we value
economic growth that rewards innovation and productivity
and meets the needs of our families and of national
security. We can return to the days of record growth
coupled with record improvement in the air we breathe.
We can return to true leadership on the environment.
We ought to look at the environment as a critical piece of
the nation we will be. I urge Americans to re-engage in a
forward-looking discussion of how to secure our nation's
energy needs while pursuing environmental policies that
will make us safer, more efficient and more respectful
stewards of our planet and our nation's great potential.
Al Gore, vice president from 1993 to 2001, is a professor at
Fisk University and Middle Tennessee State University.
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