Enemies of the Earth – The Bush regime and the war against the planet

If George W. Bush is so concerned about the people of Florida and the suffering they've endured from the devastation of all those mega-hurricanes recently, why doesn't he do something about the problems that may well fuel such storms? Perhaps because it's easier to deliver empty platitudes in exchange for votes than it is to inspire and institute the kind of momentous programs needed to address the disastrous results of climate change.

Earlier this month, respected scientists informed Congress that they have "more confidence in the link between so-called global warming and increased intensity and precipitation during hurricanes". Additionally it was pointed out that higher ocean temperatures appear to influence the track of hurricanes, increasing the likelihood of their traveling through the Caribbean or striking the U.S. east coast. Perhaps more disturbing is what may well have been the most unusual weather event in 2004: the hurricane that hit southern Brazil in March. Hurricanes have never been recorded in the southern Atlantic before.

The connection between weather extremes and human-induced climate change is no longer a matter of speculation to be attacked by those in the service of corporate profiteering or far-right lunacy. While such attacks will no doubt continue to emanate from industry's perception managers and neo-conservative nay Sayers, few actual scientists doubt that climate change is one of the most far-reaching environmental threats of the 21st century. They predict that global warming will lead to rising sea levels, the spread of disease and hunger, species extinction, and increases in extreme weather events, caused primarily by power plant, industrial, and automobile pollution.

The Bush administration is, of course, all about corporate profits. Recall George W. Bush’s comment to the "haves and have mores" at a wealthy Republican fundraiser caught on film and reproduced for infamy in Michael Moore’s recent movie: Bush calls the obscenely rich his base. Base indeed. In keeping with this morally low, mean spirited approach to governing, the present occupant of the White House and his handlers have done all in their power to suppress and distort scientific analysis from government agencies and initiate more than 200 major rollbacks of U.S. environmental law, weakening the protection of the nation’s air, water, public lands and the wildlife living within it. Ecologically speaking, the Bush regime has twisted the United States of America into a rogue nation, turning their backs on the international Kyoto accord on climate change and transforming the White House into a clearing house for Big Oil.

That environmentalists have condemned Bush for having "one of the worst environmental records in the history of the United States" should not be surprising, what is surprising is that even some high-profile fellow Republicans are opposed to his policies. In addition, a group of U.S. Nobel laureates are now actively campaigning for John Kerry and growing numbers in the scientific community are signing on to a public statement criticizing the White House for "misusing and misrepresenting science". Given that scientists are usually a cautious lot, tending to shy away from the rough and tumble of the political arena, this is an interesting turn of events.

But, all this is probably of little comfort to you if you’re sitting amongst the debris of your former home in Florida wondering what you’re going to do with the rest of your life. But before you go blaming Mother Nature or God for your misfortune, be aware that the present occupants of the White House have done everything in their power to set the stage for your misfortune. What can you do about it? Well, there's always Election Day. However, even if the Bush regime should survive a well-deserved rout, be advised that the day after Election Day promises to be the beginning of a very powerful storm headed straight for Pennsylvania Avenue.