Abstract
U.S. Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham's Policy Forum “The Bush administration's approach to climate change” (30 July, p. 616) is founded on an error of omission and an error of economic understanding. The error of omission is to imply that President Bush's policy to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) intensity will meaningfully slow GHG emissions. GHG intensity naturally declines in the increasingly service-oriented U.S. economy. For example, even as actual GHG emissions increased by 22.5% from 1990 to 2000, GHG intensity decreased by 34.7% (1). The nonpartisan General Accounting Office (GAO) projects that between 2001 and 2012, GHG intensity will decline 14% even with no emission reduction policy in place. Bush's voluntary approach, if successful, will lead to an additional reduction in GHG intensity in 2012 of only 4% and an actual increase in GHG emissions of over 13%.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
