If Bush Won't Lead, States Will

Because of Bush's disastrous environmental policy along side the Republican congress(and there is no way to say it has not been disastrous), the states are starting to tackle the issues on their own. While this is good from an environmental standpoint, it is terrible from an economic standpoint. Whenever you have different regulations by state when the sale of electricity of consumer goods is involved, it drives up prices. It makes producers of consumer goods either produce all of their products to the highest standards applicable, or it must have multiple production lines.

But, states have been left with little or no alternative with Bush's regressive environmental policies. If the federal government is going to fail on the national level to reduce our dependence on foreign energy and to keep the water and air clean enough for human health, the states are right to act individually.

A sound environmental policy is a win/win situation for American. It increases the health and economic productivity of its citizens, it reduces our need to ship our money overseas to buy foreign oil from nations like Iran, and it creates technologies that can be exported around the world for the economic benefit of the U.S.

But, Bush's short term gains for a few trump the overall benefit for the many.

'Blue' States Tackling Energy On Their Own
Federal Efficiency Rules Fall Short, Some Say
By Justin Blum
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, January 22, 2006; Page A01

Democratic-leaning states increasingly are regulating energy use and emissions, working around a GOP-controlled federal government that state officials say has not done enough.

The states are creating energy efficiency requirements for light bulbs and household appliances, limiting power plant and automobile output linked to global warming, and requiring the use of renewable energy, such as wind and solar.

Leading the effort are "blue" states that voted Democratic in the 2004 presidential election. Even some of those states that have Republican governors, such as California and Connecticut, are making their own rules.

"In a way, the left is controlling that agenda," said Amy Myers Jaffe, associate director of the energy program at Rice University in Houston. "They're just implementing it at the community and state level."
(Full Story)