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Bush, Kerry differ on environmental policies
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by Chantel Balzell and Ryan Masse
Thursday, October 28, 2004
This is the sixth in a series discussing the two presidential candidates’ stances on issues directly or indirectly affecting college students and university campuses.
From the deserts of Nevada to the country’s national parks, President Bush and Democratic presidential contender John Kerry offer different environmental policies, with the latter alleging Bush’s environmental record is less than impressive.
President Bush has made several revisions to the 1970 Clean Air Act during his four-year term, and environmentalists argue these revisions are taking a step backward in cleaning the environment.
Revisions such as Bush’s Clear Skies Initiative and Healthy Forests Initiative may not be so environmentally savvy, according to University of Wisconsin professor Stephen Born from the department of urban and regional planning.
“The first problem with the Bush administration is Bush’s appointment of either exploiters or opposers of environmental laws to positions of public lands management,” Born, former State Energy Director, said.
Today, almost every lake in Wisconsin has an advisory warning people not to eat too much fish as a result of high mercury levels, Born added.
Kerry has promised to repeal Bush’s revisions to the Clean Air Act and implement stronger caps on mercury emissions.
He also proposes increased resources for the National Park System. Kerry accuses Bush of severely understaffing the park system and allowing increased mining and foresting on public lands.
The Bush campaign, however, points to several under-publicized decisions beneficial to the environment. The President has pledged $45 million and appointed a task force to work on Great Lakes cleanup efforts.
In the area of wetlands preservation, Bush has worked to create additional protected areas, improving upon the country’s previous policy of merely ensuring no net loss of wetlands occurs. He has established an Everglades Restoration Plan aimed at restoring millions of acres of the South Florida swamp.
“Every president has had some sway over environmental policy,” Republican Party of Wisconsin spokesman Chris Lato said. “Bush has done a number of initiatives to clean air and water. In his term there have been fewer complaints about air and water pollution, including the Environmental Protection Agency, which is one of the hallmarks of his presidency.”
The storage of nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain repository in Nevada is another hot-button environmental issue. Experts predict by the year 2035, 84,000 metric tons of nuclear waste will be stored in the isolated desert mountain, which holds a carrying capacity of 70,000 metric tons.
The Bush administration has opened up storage to nuclear industries, claiming the repository is based on years of sound science.
Some are skeptical of this plan, though.
“As an ex-Nevadan that worked for the Desert Research Institute on the Yucca Mountain project, the Yucca Mountain repository would need 10,000 years of security,” Born said. “Billions of dollars have already gone into research and science-based study, but since the nuclear waste needs 10,000 years security, we will never have 100 percent scientifically sound data.”
Kerry has explicitly stated he would abandon Bush’s Yucca Mountain proposal allowing nuclear companies to store waste on the site.
