President Bush on Wednesday proposed new goals for U.S. greenhouse emissions. By 2025 the U.S. is to stop it's growth of greenhouse gas emissions. Can we do it? Should we do it? A point-by-point critique of President's speech on Climate Change.

The good news is President Bush didn't propose the same draconian emission cuts like much of Europe has done. The European Union has proposed to reduce their greenhouse emissions to 50% of 1990 levels by the year 2050. Before we start the critique of the President's speech here what some of the left leaning scientists are saying about greenhouse gases.

"Scientists tell us that we need to cut total emissions at least 15-20 percent by 2020 and 80 percent by 2050 in order to prevent the most catastrophic effects of global warming." - Carl Pope, Sierra Club Executive Director

"Only the total elimination of industrial emissions will succeed in limiting climate change to a 2°C rise in temperatures, according to computer analysis of climate change. Anything above this target has been identified as "dangerous" by some scientists....A warming of 2°C above pre-industrial temperatures is frequently cited as the limit beyond which the world will face "dangerous" climate change...They modeled the reduction of industrial emissions below 2006 levels by between 20% and 100% by 2050. Only when emissions were entirely eliminated did the temperature increase remain below 2°C." --- NewScientist.com

Do you see a trend here? One group of scientists proposals reducing CO2 50% by 2050, the next group says they can do that one better and state that we should reduce emissions by 80%, then the next one double-dog-dares and says we should reduce emissions 100% by 2050. We'll be installing filtering devices on volcanoes soon.

To deflect criticism in the history books and help John McCain get elected President Bush proposals a “realistic” compromise on reducing greenhouse gases. He's essentially hedging his bets. He must think that if CO2 emissions are a problem at least history will show he proposed measures to reduce emissions. Really the first American president to do so. If CO2 isn't a problem nobody will remember this little speech.

Much of the (4/16/2008) speech is quoted below with comments under each paragraph. Some of the speech has been edited out (to reduce carbon electron emissions) but you can read a transcript of the entire speech at Whitehouse.gov

Climate change involves complicated science and generates vigorous debate. Many are concerned about the effect of climate change on our environment. Many are concerned about the effect of climate change policies on our economy. I share these concerns, and I believe they can be sensibly reconciled.

Yes Mr. President "climate change" is a complicated subject. One that you obviously do not understand. But you're in good company because science doesn't understand it either. Every scientist you talk to, every computer model you review, has a different opinion. Yet we are to sink Trillions of dollars in to fighting nature.

Over the past seven years, my administration has taken a rational, balanced approach to these serious challenges. We believe we need to protect our environment. We believe we need to strengthen our energy security. We believe we need to grow our economy. And we believe the only way to achieve these goals is through continued advances in technology. So we've pursued a series of policies aimed at encouraging the rise of innovative as well as more cost-effective clean energy technologies that can help America and developing nations reduce greenhouse gases, reduce our dependence on oil, and keep our economies vibrant and strong for decades to come.

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