On the President's Announcement on Climate Change

After seven years of denying the seriousness of the climate crisis and delaying tough action to save the planet, President Bush finally will discuss the subject this afternoon. With just nine months left in his term, the White House has already made clear that the President's announcement today will not reverse his record on global warming before he leaves office.

The President should encourage the efforts of governors and mayors across the country who stepped into the void of leadership when the Bush Administration failed to act. His Administration has been obstructing efforts by states, such as California, to take tough action against global warming.

The President should support the efforts of the New Direction Congress to pass historic cap-and-trade climate legislation, which will begin to limit emissions and serve as a basis for global cooperation. Instead, he is expected to reject all legislative efforts currently underway.

The President should begin using his regulatory power to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Instead, he has failed to utilize these tools, even in the face of the Supreme Court's ruling that the Environmental Protection Agency can take action to prevent greenhouse gas pollution.

As we are honored by the visit of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI, the President should heed his warnings about our moral responsibility to act, calling for a 'strong commitment to reverse those trends that risk making the situation of decay irreversible.