Originally posted by: naddicott
Environmental policy (or lack therof) aside, I rate Bush's performance in office as tolerable. Historians 20-30 years from now will have a much clearer perspective on the Bush/Clinton/Bush administrations. Still, I hope the Democrats can come up with someone who isn't a complete jackass to run in 2004 (Mondale, Dukakis, and Gore were pretty sad).
I'll be willing to concede on the environmental front - But at the same time, I believe that with our current economy, it's one of those issues that may need to be temporarily neglected. When the economy rights itself, then that can be fully addressed.
I personally think the following should be the first steps (in no specific order, because they all need to be done at the same time):
1. Offer large tax incentives on high-mileage hybrids/diesels. Give them a similar amount back that businesses have been recieving for purcahsing SUVs due to the current tax loophole.
2. Close the "truck under 5,000 lbs" tax loophole for businesses.
3. Take steps to encourage development of nuclear power plants. The less reliant we are on coal, the better.
4. Open up ANWAR. Even the EPA believes that the impact on the environment would be next to nothing, as the area needed for drilling is only 2% of the entire refuge, and current drilling techniques are much cleaner than those done in the 70's for the current oil systems. And anyone who has read the studies knows that the Caribou population in the area actually INCREASED since then, despite the so-called polluting "drilling".
5. Direct the proposed Fuel-Cell money towards the infrastructure research and development. The car companies can handle developing the engine technology, but shouldn't be concerned with developing the delivery systems.