FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                 April 16, 2008

PRESIDENT BUSH'S GLOBAL WARMING PROPOSAL: AN UNREALISTIC COMMITMENT TO INACTION

Statement by John Passacantando, Executive Director, Greenpeace USA

“Instead of proposing decisive action and reversing a two-term legacy of obstructing any meaningful progress on global warming, President Bush has once again offered more voluntary and non-binding proposals rather than hard science-based targets to reduce this country’s global warming pollution. He talked about vague principles rather than taking principled action.

“Stopping growth in U.S. emissions by 2025 is completely inconsistent with what scientists say is necessary to stop catastrophic global warming. In fact, Europe has agreed to reduce its emissions 20 percent and pledged to 30  percent by 2020 if the U.S makes a comparable commitment. Instead, the President is proposing a 2025 target for the U.S. that does not reduce emissions, but simply halts its growth by 2025. This goal is far too little, too late and puts at risk commitments from other nations.

“The time has come to look beyond President Bush and towards the next occupant of the White House for leadership and vision on global warming.

“President Bush came into the office in 2001 as an oilman from Texas and he leaves office in 2009 an oilman from Texas.”

CONTACT: Jane Kochersperger, Greenpeace Media Office in the U.S., (202) 680-3798, cell