Bush doesn’t want US emissions reductions

The U.S. Senate will this week debate a bill to cut greenhouse gas emissions that President George W. Bush has already threatened to veto.

The upper house decided to begin the debate by 74 votes to 14, despite opposition from the White House and Republican leaders in Congress, who argue that the measures contained in the bill hurt the U.S. economy and not benefit the middle environment.

The bill intends to cut by 18%, emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases by 2020, and the long-term intention would be that by 2050, these cuts would have grown to 66%, a full two thirds reduction on greenhouse gas emissions.

The bill, if it went through in its present form, would provide in excess of $5 trillion in various subsidies and also additional tax allowances for the next forty years, all aimed at the reduction of emissions, as well as a massive amount of training for workers, and additional aid to consumers and other eco-friendly groups.

According to Bush the measure amounted to ‘a great bill’ but it could only be financed by an increase in taxes and if it was to become law it would impose six billion dollars in costs to the country’s economy.

For his part, White House spokesman Dana Perino said that Bush will defiantly veto the bill if it reaches his desk in its current version, but he also believes that it has little chance of approval in Congress.