Bush vs. Kerry Environment

1
Bush vs. KerryEnvironment

• Adam Miller
• Maggie McDermott
• Ashley Reynolds
• Tony Uzupus

2

• What specific environmental topics does each
  candidate value the most?

3
Bush

• Clear Skies Initiative-Secure the C.S.I. to
  reduce emissions from power plants with sulfur
  dioxide, mercury, and nitrogen oxide by 70. This
  will help states meet tougher new air quality
  standards.
• Clean Air Interstate Rule-The emissions cut by
  this rule are the steepest in over a decade.
• Mercury Rule-By finalizing the C.A.I.R. (stated
  above) mercury emissions will be cut by 70 and
  Bush will propose caps on mercury emissions as
  well. This rule protects pregnant women, children
  and can improve the health of the public overall.

4
Bush cont.

• Farm Bill Conservation Programs-Over a decade,
  40 billion will be given to restoring and
  protecting habitats, acres of wetlands, water
  conservation, and improving waterways near farms
  and ranches. The Conservation Reserve Program
  will be extended as well, to expand quail and
  wetland habitats.        
• Initiate Environmentally Safe Exploration-Bush
  will promote domestic oil production that is
  environmentally sound. Just one percent of the
  Arctic National Wildlife Refuge could provide
  enough oil for a million barrels per day, for
  almost 20 years to come.
• Ensure Greater Electricity Reliability-To
  prevent blackouts that affect 50 million people,
  Bush will modernize electricity grids, encourage
  new transmission investments, and establish
  mandatory reliability standards.
• Encourage Use of Efficient Technologies-Provides
  incentives for the deployment of efficient
  technologies for the transmission and storage of
  energy.
• Promote Conservation and Support Energy
  Technologies-In an effort to promote the use of
  energy technologies 4 billion in tax incentives
  will be provided.           

5
Kerry

• Create Cleaner, Greener Communities-To guarantee
  the children of America access to clean, safe
  parks and baseball fields Kerry plans to
  revitalize contaminated industrial sites and to
  get toxins out of the communities. Traffic
  congestion will also be an issue taken on in
  this category.
• Enact A Conservation Covenant With America-To
  ensure balanced protection of public land and
  resources needed to enhance national parks, a
  Conservation Covenant will be enacted.
• Protect Our Health By Reducing Dangerous Air
  Emissions-Jobs will be created to reduce
  emissions of mercury and other dangerous
  emissions. Plugging loopholes and aggressively
  acting towards acid rain will be done in an
  effort to reverse the slack in the Clean Air Act
  that Bush and Cheney allowed.
• Restore Americas Waters-Kerry will work to
  restore and protect the 45 of Americas water
  that is not drinkable, swimmable, and
  fishable, by the Clean Water Act set 30 years
  ago. Kerry will also work with states on projects
  such as water quality changes, protecting
  wetlands, restoring watersheds, protecting
  oceans and investing in coastal communities. 

6

• Where does each candidate stand on funding for
  environmental protection and companies that
  pollute?

7
Kerry

• Increased funding for climate change research
  (global warming)
• Voted YES to increase funding of EPA by 487
  million
• Voted against building forest roads and fish
  habitats (considered pro-environment)
• Voted to reduce funds for road-building in
  National forests
• Voted YES to continue desert protection in
  California
• Worked to end commercial whaling and the illegal
  trade in whale meat
• Signed a letter from 45 Senators to the EPA
  urging them to strengthen standards for mercury
  pollution cleanup at power plants.

8
Kerry cont.

• Funding for studies of diseases which harm
  aquatic life.
• Rated 53 by the LCV, which indicates a mixed
  record on environment (The League of Conservation
  Voters is the political voice of the national
  environmental movement. LCV scores votes on the
  most important environmental issues of the
  year.)
• Although he supports higher fuel economy
  standards, his family owns a Chevrolet Suburban.

9
Bush

• Natural resources environment funding for 2004
  is highest ever
• Clear Skies Initiative improves air quality
  faster and for more Americans.
• Supports stricter lead emission reporting
  requirements
• Supports a variety of initiatives designed to
  promote land conservation
• 450 million annually for wildlife and open
  spaces
• 4.9 billion to repair "crumbling" national parks
  
• 1.7 billion program will make hydrogen cars
  common by 2020

10
Bush cont.

• While governor, the air in Houston replaced LA as
  the worst smog in America.
• Supports oil drilling in the Arctic National
  Wildlife Refuge and on all public lands.
• Blocked implementation of a tighter limit on the
  amount of arsenic in water
• Suspended new cleanup requirements for mining
  companies
• Renounced a campaign promise to restrict carbon
  dioxide emissions

11
Conclusion

• Kerry's record appears pro-environment, although
  it is not perfect. Kerry has the support of many
  environmental groups, while Bush is considered
  anti-environment by many. Both candidates clearly
  have positive and negative sides to their
  environmental records. Because of his first term
  as President, there are more issues on Bush's
  record to consider.

12

• What are the candidates positions on public park
  lands?
• What would the candidates do to ensure natural
  areas are maintained and financed for public
  enjoyment?

13
Bush

• Bush's FY 2002 budget request includes full
  funding of the Land and Water Conservation Fund
  which supports the Natural Resource Challenge. (A
  multi-year effort designed to restore and retain
  the rich natural heritage found in the National
  Park System.) 
• The budget will enable the NPS to continue
  conserving parks, monuments and historic sites.
• A key provision of the FY 2002 proposed budget
  for the NPS is full Funding of the Land and Water
  Conservation Fund (LWCF).  The proposed budget
  will fully fund the LWCF with 900 million.

14
Bush cont.

• Proposed raising the National Park Service budget
  30 million  to 2.36 billion in 2005 from 2.33
  billion in 2004
• Plans call to congress and pass this year "Clear
  Skies, Healthy Forests and the Hydrogen Fuel
  Initiative"   The key factors in this proposal
  are
• Reduce power plant pollution by 70 percent.
• Restore forest health, preventing catastrophic
  wildfires that devastate communities, wildlife
  habitat and the landscape.
• Promote energy efficiency and security, and
  improve and protect water quality, while
  encouraging economic growth.

15
Bush cont.

• Pledged to reduce the maintenance backlog at our
  national parks. Over the last four years, he has
  devoted 3.9 billion to maintenance projects,
  putting the Park Service on track to eliminate
  the maintenance backlog.
• Bush has compiled the worst environmental record
  in the history of the nation, earning him the
  first ever "F" on the League of Conservation
  Voters' (LCV) 2003 Presidential Report Card.

16
Kerry

• Helped organize the first Earth Day in 1970.
• Kerry strongly supported the LWCF which provides
  funding to buy land for national parks, forests,
  wildlife refuges and state parks. 
• Kerry said he'd raise the money by charging more
  for rights to drill or mine public land and use
  it to increase park service programs and staff
• Kerry's proposed 600 million increase, divided
  evenly over five years, represents an increase of
  120 million per year. "We'll end George Bush's
  wrong decision to give snowmobiles free rein in
  our parks, and we won't side with special
  interests trying to drill in our national parks."

17

• What are each candidates policies concerning
  pollution and waste?

18
Kerry

• Senates most outspoken environmentalist and was
  named an Environmental Hero by the League of
  Conservation Voters
• Very involved and cares very much about pollution
  and waste
• Cleaning up toxic waste and expanding the
  publics right to know about pollution in their
  neighborhoods
• Kerry also encourages the production of clean
  vehicles to cut down on pollution
• One of Kerrys main problems he is going to
  address is air pollution. An example of Kerry
  addressing this problem was this when his work
  led to the passage of tougher smog standards in
  the clean air act of 1990

19
Bush

• Bush and his administration are trying to put a
  new mandate on oil producers to reduce the sulfur
  in diesel fuel
• Will make the diesel engines on new trucks
  cleaner.
• Will make the air much cleaner and safer

20
And the winner is.

• Kerry

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Bibliography

• A Cleaner Healthier Environment. Retrieved
  October 11, 2004, from
• http//www.johnkerry.com/issues/environment/
• Bush's FY 2002 Budget Request Reflects Commitment
  to Park Restoration, Conservation Partnerships.
  (2001, April 9). Retrieved October 10, 2004, from
  
• http//data2.itc.nps.gov/release/detail.cfm?ID1
  18
• Environmentalists for John Kerry. Retrieved
  October 10, 2004, from
• http//s87058197.onlinehome.us
• George W. Bush on Environment. October 9, 2004,
  from
• http//www.issues2000.org/2004/George_W__Bush_En
  vironment.htm
• Improving Our Environment Meeting Our Energy
  Needs. Retrieved October 11, 2004, from
• http//www.georgewbush.com/Environment/

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Bibliography cont.

• Independents for John Kerry. Retrieved October
  11, 2004, from
• http//www.independentsforkerry.org
• John Kerry on Environment. Retrieved October 9,
  2004, from
• http//www.issues2000.org/2004/John_Kerry_Enviro
  nment.htm
• Kerry Offers 600 Mln Plan to Preserve National
  Parks. (2004, August 9). Retrieved October 10,
  2004, from
• http//www.johnkerry.com/pressroom/news/news_200
  4_0809b.html
• President Bush's Policy On The Environment.
  Retrieved October 11, 2004, from
• http//www.onnnews.com/Global/story.asp?S187695
  5
• President Highlights Environmental
  Accomplishments on Earth Day. (2003, April 22).
  Retrieved October 10, 2004, from
  http//www.georgewbush.com/News/Read.aspx?ID1968
  
• Press Room Profile George W. Bush. Retrieved
  October 11, 2004, from
• http//www.sierraclub.org/pressroom/presidential
  _endorsement/
• profile_bush.asp