Bush Can't Just Leave!

An article in Time titled, "George W. Bush's Last Environmental Stand," shares some of the changes that the Bush Administration feels must be done before they have no more power. These new changes are going to damage America's environment, and the article does not discuss the Bush Administration's purpose behind these changes. The article makes the Bush Administration look like their main goal is to upset people and hurt the environment. I think what the Bush Administration is doing is foolish and pointless. According to the article, the new changes will affect three major areas of our environment, power plant pollution, endangered species, and water quality.

For power plants, whenever an upgrade occurs, the Environmental Protection Agency reviews the plant to make sure it does not release too much pollution. If it does, it must make changes. The Bush Administration wants to change the rule so that plants focus on the hourly emission rate rather than the total amount of emissions. This will increase pollution in America's air.

For endangered species, when a development project is approved, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reviews the project to make sure it does not interfere with the lifestyle and safety of any endangered species. The Bush Administration wants to change the rule so that the federal agency in charge of the development project can determine if there will be a potential impact on endangered species. Of course the agency that is doing the project is going to say that there will be no impact on endangered species. This change will possibly make it easier for us to lose some of our endangered species.

For water quality, there is a 100-foot buffer zone around streams that protect the streams from mining operations. Although the Bush Administration want to put up more buffer zone so that lakes and wetlands will also have them, the Bush Administration is also reclassifying valley fills and other waste from mining as non-pollutant. This will increase water pollution overall.

I do not know what the Bush Administration was trying to accomplish with these last minute changes, but it does not seem like they put much thought into them. They definately were not trying to make Obama's life easier.

Bush, why can't you just leave?!

Comment on Yohannes' "Does race really matter?"

You are right! It disgusts me that so many people are still cursed with racism. I honestly do not understand it. Everyone is human, and that is what counts. If Obama was a horse, then he should stick out, but he is only a man. Obama received about 96% of the black vote on November 4. I would not be surprised if most of the people in that 96% only voted for Obama because he is black. It is a bit ironic if you ask me. I do not want to sound racist, but it seems to me like the black population is always the first group of people to bring up racism, and complain about it. But then we see 96% of African-Americans vote for the black candidate. All I am saying is, if Obama was white, he would have lost a large percent of the black votes.