President George Bush’s environmental policies will be tested by natural and legislative obstacles at the beginning of his presidency, four Boston University professors said last night.
The event, held in the Stone Science Building at the College of Arts and Sciences, was organized and sponsored by Pugwash, a new campus student group aiming to address and meet the growing challenges of science and technology.
Professor Michael Baram, the director of the Center of Law and Technology at Boston University, addressed the three factors that will influence the environment during Bush’s presidency. First, the Environmental Protection Agency will change. In the past, the EPA hasn’t had to make its own decisions as it was primarily government regimented. Christine Whitman will run the EPA under the Bush administration.
“I think tougher enforcement will be seen by the EPA during the Bush administration,” Baram said.
The second influence on the environment will come from policies giving more power in environmental regulation to the states. This power, however, will lead to problems such as a lax enforcement of home state industries, an eagerness to exploit natural resources and less attention from the national government, Baram said. A potential energy crisis could also face the Bush regime, Baram said.
Baram also said several European countries are very progressive and the United States will be the beneficiaries of progressivism.
Cutler Cleveland, Boston University’s director of geography, spoke of Bush’s plans to combat potential environment and energy difficulties.
According to Cleveland, the main concern is “the United States’ oil production ‘gap.’” He said domestic consumption of oil is one-third less than in 1970, and because if this, the nation is put at risk with other Middle East nations according to Cleveland.
Cleveland also said the Bush administration is planning to tap oil, if Congress approves, from the 1002 Area of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
Drilling for oil there poses ecological concerns. “One of the most amazing places on the planet — it is a major migration route and there are over 180 bird species,” Cleveland said. In addition, the area is culturally important.
However, Cleveland assured the audience, “We consume 19 million barrels of oil a day. If it were decided to drill today, it would take seven to 12 years before a drill would even touch the ground.”
Conservative Republican representative Dr. Evan Slavitt said the speakers need not “talk about the silver lining in the Republican cloud.” He said people need to realize a great deal of environmental progress has been carried out under Republican presidencies, citing the creation of the EPA and signing of the Clean Air Act. Slavitt also suggested Whitman will be a strong leader atop the EPA.
The final speaker at the assembly was political science professor Betty Zisk. “I take seriously the laws of ecology,” Zisk said, adding she believes everything is interconnected and we have the capacity for mutual destruction.
She also expressed concern in the appointment of Gayle Norton as Secretary of the Interior. Zisk added that Americans need to cut back on their general level of consumption.
“I am dubious of Bush’s administration,” Zisk said.
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