Bush climate-change plan draws immediate criticism

WASHINGTON — President Bush called for a halt Wednesday in the growth of greenhouse gases by 2025, acknowledging the need to head off serious climate change.

The plan came under fire immediately from environmentalists and congressional Democrats who favor mandatory emission cuts, a position also held by all three presidential contenders.

Bush in a Rose Garden address for the first time set a specific target date for U.S. climate pollution reductions and said he was ready to commit to a binding international agreement on long-term reductions as long as other countries such as China do the same.

"There is a wrong way and a right way to approach reducing greenhouse gas emissions," Bush said, making clear that he opposes a Senate measure that would impose mandatory limits on greenhouse gases beginning in five years, followed by annual reductions.

"Bad legislation would impose tremendous costs on our economy and American families without accomplishing the important climate change goals we share," the president said.

He said he envisions a "comprehensive blend of market incentives and regulations" that would encourage clean and efficient energy technologies. And he singled out the electric utility industry, saying power plants need to stabilize carbon dioxide pollution within 15 years and reduce them after that.

While characterized by the White House as a fresh strategy to attack climate change, the president gave no new proposals for achieving these pollution reductions.

He cited, instead, measures already enacted such as a 40 percent increase in auto fuel economy, a requirement for a huge increase in use of ethanol and other biofuels, and some efficiency standards, as well as a push for developing clean energy technologies.

Environmentalists said the Energy Department's own forecasts have shown that even with those advances — encompassed in energy legislation approved last year — U.S. carbon dioxide emissions are expected to increase by about 10 percent by 2025.

"If this is President Bush's idea of 20/20 vision he needs to get his eyes checked," said Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., calling the new White House climate initiative "late, insufficient and insincere."

Rep. Edward Markey, D-Mass., said Bush's remarks showed that "he has no intention of cooperating" to get climate legislation passed this year. "He's basically saying take two aspirins and call President Obama, Clinton or McCain next January," Markey told reporters.