Bush warms to climate change action

Bush warms to climate change actionWashington - US President George W Bush - long known for his denial of the global climate crisis - is to propose a freeze on levels of US greenhouse-gas emissions by 2025 and signal his willingness to allow lawmakers to rein in pollution from power companies, the Washington Post reported Wednesday.

The policy, to be unveiled later Wednesday in a White House speech, does not make any specific proposals about how to meet the goal.

Rather, it reiterates Bush's long-standing opposition to mandatory emissions regulations without simultaneous agreements from large developing nations such as India and China, the report said.

Bush also is expected to continue to oppose mandatory "cap and trade" systems that would financially punish polluters while rewarding those that keep emissions down.

However, his advocating of a freeze was seen as significant since it reflected a White House estimation that legislation on the issue is inevitable.

Recent court cases have mandated the Environmental Protection Agency to regulate carbon dioxide, while the endangerment of polar bears and other Arctic species threatened by global warming means the Endangered Species Act could be used to crack down on major polluters.(dpa)

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