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| A female polar bear and her cubs rest in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska. AP photo. |
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Global Warming
The world has been getting hotter. Earth, over hundreds of thousands of years, has gone through many temperature changes, but nearly all scientists agree that this recent trend in the weather is partly our fault.
Certain gases, like carbon dioxide, trap heat in Earth's atmosphere. Many of these gases are produced by the burning of fossil fuels, such as coal and oil. Fossil fuels are burned to power cars and factories, and heat homes. All of these elements release carbon dioxide into the environment as a byproduct of burning the fuel.
Here are some of the things that could happen if the world gets too hot: The ice caps could melt, causing the sea level to rise and flooding the coasts of continents; heat waves and droughts could dry out farmland and cause agricultural disasters; weather patterns could change drastically, making cold climates hotter, and hot climates colder.
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President Bush wants to protect the environment from harm, but he also wants to avoid regulations that would hurt industries and local economies. During the President's first 100 days in office, his policies have generally sided with businesses and drawn strong criticism from environmentalists.
Carbon-Dioxide Emissions
On March 16, President Bush announced that he would no longer support a limit to carbon-dioxide emissions (see sidebar for explanation). The announcement surprised many, since he had promised that he would support a limit during his presidential campaign.
Many environmentalists were outraged, accusing the President of breaking a promise and submitting to the pressure of the oil industry. Internationally, the decision went against the Kyoto Protocol, an agreement among several industrial countries to reduce their carbon-dioxide emissions. Many world leaders were angry at the U.S. for abandoning the Kyoto Protocol, since global warming affects the entire world.
Supporters of President Bush's policy argue that the Kyoto Protocol set impossible standards that the U.S. could not achieve anyway.
Drilling for Oil
During President Bush's campaign, he announced that he would allow oil companies to drill for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska. The area will provide the U.S. with vast oil reserves, so that we do not have to depend as much on other countries for this important fuel source.
Environmentalists oppose the plan to drill for oil in the Alaskan wilderness because it would destroy the homes of the many animals who live there. President Bush announced that if he could not drill in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, he would set his sights on the Rocky Mountains in Colorado.
"There's a mentality that says you can't explore and protect land," said President Bush. "We're going to change that."
Cleaner Air
Environmentalists cheered President Bush's decision to support ex-President Clinton's policy to limit the amount of mercury in the air. Exposure to mercury has been linked to brain and developmental damage in humans.
Dirtier Water
The Clinton administration reduced the amount of arsenic in drinking water by one-fifth. President Bush reversed the decision, arguing that it was too expensive, and that the effects of arsenic in water were unclear. Some studies link arsenic in drinking water to bladder, lung, and kidney cancer.
