Yet another part of George W. Bush's legacy is his admittedly controversial environmental record. Like much else about the Bush presidency the record seems mixed, but here's one very significant part of it that you may not learn about from the six o'clock news:
In the largest marine conservation effort in history, President George W. Bush on Tuesday designated what he called "three beautiful and biologically diverse areas of the Pacific Ocean" as national marine monuments.
Bush cited moves by his administration to impose the strictest air quality standards in U.S. history and regulations on power plant and diesel fuel emissions; protect millions of acres of wetlands, habitats on farmland and federal forests; clean ocean debris; raise standards on fuel efficiency, lighting and appliances; invest billions in the development of alternative energy sources; and switch the global approach on climate change to one that includes developing economies like China and India.
"We have charted the way toward a more promising era in environmental stewardship," he said. "While there's a lot more work to be done, we have done our part to leave behind a cleaner and healthier and better world for those who follow us on this Earth."
It was be the second time Bush has used the law to protect marine resources. Two years ago, the president made a huge swath of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands a national monument, barring fishing, oil and gas extraction and tourism from its waters and coral reefs. At the time, that area was the largest conservation area in the world. The three new areas are larger.
This is an astonishing contribution to conservation, and I urge readers to take a time out from throwing shoes at his picture to read the article about the biological and natural history wonders that Bush has preserved.
RLC
