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Skriven 2007-02-07 23:31:16 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (0702075) for Wed, 2007 Feb 7
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Open Letter on the President's Position on Climate Change
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For Immediate Release
February 7, 2007

Open Letter on the President's Position on Climate Change

Following last Friday's release of a new report by the U.N.
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change, a number of media reports perpetuated inaccuracies that the
President's concern about
climate change is new. In fact, climate change has been a top priority
since the President's first
year in office.

Beginning in June 2001, President Bush has consistently acknowledged
climate change is
occurring and humans are contributing to the problem. Consider the
following statements by the
President:
  ū >First, we know the surface temperature of the earth is warming_There
    is a natural
    greenhouse effect that contributes to warming_And the National Academy
    of Sciences
    indicates that the increase is due in large part to human activity._ _
    June 11, 2001
  ū >My Administration is committed to cutting our Nation's greenhouse gas
    intensity_by
    18 percent over the next 10 years. This will set America on a path to
    slow the growth of
    our greenhouse gas emissions and, as science justifies, stop and then
    reverse the growth
    of emissions._ _ February 14, 2002
  ū >America is on the verge of technological breakthroughs that will
    enable us to live our
    lives less dependent on oil_.they will help us to confront the serious
    challenge of global
    climate change._ _ January 23, 2007

President Bush committed the United States to continued leadership on the
issue and since 2001
has dedicated nearly $29 billion to advance climate-related science,
technology, international
assistance, and incentive programs. This is far more than any other nation.
Since 2002, the
Administration has spent more than $9 billion of this amount on climate
change research and,
under his direction, agencies developed a 10-year strategic research plan
for climate science that
was endorsed by the National Academy of Sciences. Further, federally funded
scientists have
conducted an abundance of research, published their findings in peer
reviewed papers and
journals and talked with colleagues, policymakers, and media around the
world about their
findings.

The President is firmly committed to taking sensible action on climate
change that will, as the
President said in 2002, >harness the power of markets, the creativity of
entrepreneurs, and draw
upon the best scientific research._ He also has set ambitious goals. In
2002, he announced plans
to cut our Nation's greenhouse gas intensity -- how much we emit per unit
of economic activity --
by 18 percent by 2012.

Between 2003 and 2006, the President committed nearly $3 billion
annually_more than any other
country in the world _ to climate change technology research and deployment
programs. His
administration is carrying out dozens of federal programs, including
partnerships, consumer
information campaigns, incentives, and mandatory regulations. These
programs are directed at
developing and deploying cleaner, more efficient energy technologies,
conservation, biological
sequestration, geological sequestration and adaptation. The U.S. is also
the global leader in
promoting the production and use of biofuels _ consuming more than any
other nation last year _
and commercial deployment of highly efficient advanced coal technology _
moving forward with
a multi-billion dollar private sector commitment to build nine projects in
nine states, qualifying
for a billion dollars in new tax incentives, with more on the way this
year.

Our unparalleled financial commitment and responsible policies are working,
and we are on
track to meet the President's goal. Our emissions performance since 2000 is
among the best in
the world. According to the International Energy Agency, from 2000-2004, as
our population
increased and our economy grew by nearly 10%, U.S. carbon dioxide emissions
increased by
only 1.7%. During the same period, European Union carbon dioxide emissions
grew by 5%,
with lower economic growth.

Internationally, the President is working closely with his G-8 counterparts
and other key world
leaders to address the serious, long-term challenge of global climate
change, recognizing that
energy security, clean energy, and climate change go hand in hand and must
be tackled in an
integrated manner. Since 2001, the U.S. has established 15 bilateral
climate partnerships with
countries and regional organizations. In addition, there are multiple
multilateral climate change
initiatives. Among the most notable efforts is the recently established
Asia-Pacific Partnership
on Clean Development and Climate, which is a proactive approach to engage
developing
countries like India and China, which do not have targets under the Kyoto
protocol.

This year the President once again made clear in his State of the Union
Address his commitment
to confronting climate change. The policies he has in place, coupled with
his bold energy
initiative to cut gasoline consumption by 20% in 10 years, will continue to
yield results. The
President has been, and will continue to be, an international leader on
climate change by, in his
words, >advancing new technologies that will enable us to do two things _
strengthen our
economy, and at the same time, be better stewards of the environment._
Sincerely,
˙
James L. Connaughton
Chairman
Council on Environmental Quality
John H. Marburger, III
Director
Office of Science Technology Policy
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http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/02/20070207-5.html

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