George H.W. Bush: “The Environmental President”
In the late 1980s, the environment and climate change were no longer fringe concerns but were rapidly emerging as mainstream political issues in many countries. The increase in the frequency of global change warnings and events like the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Prince William Sound on 24 March 1989, underscored the urgency of the situation, and as a result, green political parties were sprouting in most democracies and the public was ready to listen. (Shabecoff, 1989).
It was against this backdrop that James Hansen, a scientist known for his integrity, made headlines. During his presentation to Senator Al Gore’s subcommittee in May 1989, Hansen boldly accused the Office of Management and Budget of altering his testimony about global warming. He indicated that the OMB had edited out language showing a strong link between human activities and climate change, stating instead that the cause of climate change was still unknown.
Later, Hansen recalled that NASA headquarters told him to either accept the changes or not testify at all. Hansen decided to testify anyway and made his case for the scientific consensus on climate change (Pielke, 2000). Hansen’s testimony remains a pivotal moment in the history of climate policy, not only because it demonstrated his scientific integrity but also for highlighting the political pressures that scientists confront when communicating their findings.
Recognizing these growing concerns, Republican presidential candidate George H.W. Bush made environmental policy a priority. In a stirring speech in Michigan on 31 August 1988, he pledged to be ‘the environmental president’, raising expectations for action on climate change. “Those who think we are powerless to do anything about the ‘greenhouse effect’ are forgetting about the White House effect. As President, I intend to do something about it.” Keith Schneider, 1991, Vig & Kraft,1993 , (George H. Bush 1988 Environmental Policy Speech 1988, 1988) [1]
Republican Presidential Candidate Vice President George Bush gave a speech on environmental policy as part of his 1988 presidential campaign on August 31, 1988.
Since then, environmental issues have been a recurring theme in the election campaigns of U.S. presidential nominees. In the past 40 years, almost all presidential candidates (Donald Trump excluded) and prime minister candidates across the world have never failed to tell us how much they care about the environment and our planet, at least during their election campaigns.
Upon entering office as the 41st President of the United States, in January 1989, Bush made good on his promise. He established a working group on energy, environment, and natural resources within his Domestic Policy Council which was tasked with developing a comprehensive strategy to address global change, including the daunting challenges of climate change.
He appointed William K. Reilly to lead the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Under Reilly's leadership (1989–1993), the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 were passed - a significant achievement of the Bush presidency. This legislation set stricter standards for air pollution control, particularly targeting coal-fired power plants to reduce sulfur emissions, a major cause of acid rain. When sulphur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOX) react with water, oxygen, and other chemicals in the atmosphere, they form sulfuric and nitric acids, which then fall to the ground mixed with rain, snow, fog, or hail, causing acid rain. This phenomenon can have harmful effects on plants, aquatic animals, and infrastructure. The impact was profound: between 1990 and 2004, sulphur emissions from coal-fired plants in the United States decreased by 36% despite a 25% increase in output. It was an environmentally successful story, which, ironically, is now pilloried by most Republicans.
A significant initiative of Bush’s administration was the introduction of a program for the buying and selling of emission rights for sulphur dioxide, a key provision of the new Clean Air Act. This concept aimed to harness the power of American free market principles to achieve reductions in acid rain. [2] Additionally, Reilly was instrumental in launching the Energy Star Computers Program, promoting energy-efficient personal computers and thus reducing air pollution associated with power generation. [3]
On the international stage, Reilly introduced Debt-for-nature swaps, (Bove, 2021), a financial arrangement where a portion of a developing country's foreign debt is forgiven in exchange for the country's commitment to invest in conservation efforts, such as the protection of rainforests and wildlife habitats. [4] The program has been successful in influencing conservation over the long term by providing a continuous source of funding for the implementation of conservation programs with long time horizons. However, the effectiveness of these swaps compared to alternative measures like conditional grants and comprehensive debt restructuring remained a subject of debate. Despite this, debt swaps for climate and nature are seen as a potential solution to debt distress, providing an incentive for creditors to participate in debt relief in exchange for environmental investments. [5]
Bush also created a National Security Council Policy Coordinating Committee on Oceans, Environment, and Science, chaired by the professor of chemistry and physics Frederick Bernthal. While not directly involved in climate change policy, the committee laid the groundwork for future initiatives and policies in this area, reflecting the interconnectedness of environmental issues, including climate change, with national security and foreign policy. However, its impact was hindered mostly by bureaucratic barriers. (Nitze, 1991; SCFR, 1989).
One of the central figures in Bush's administration was his chief of staff, John Sununu, a conservative politician and climate denier. An MIT-educated engineer, Sununu, an intelligent and abrasive man, was an early supporter of Bush's presidential candidature as governor of New Hampshire. His influence was significant, often opposing initiatives proposed by the EPA. For instance, when Reilly pressed for a U.S. diplomatic initiative on global warming in 1989, Sununu rejected the move as premature and costly. Sununu’s scepticism and influence represented a major internal challenge to Bush’s environmental agenda.
However, its impact was hindered, mostly due to the structure of bureaucracy, which imposed barriers and limited its ability to shape policy. Climate change was under the control of the high-ranking administration, particularly the President's chief of staff, John Sununu, who emerged as Bush's single most important advisor on climate change policy. An
Despite these challenges, Bush supported the creation of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change ("IPCC") as a means of addressing the scientific division among scientific viewpoints on climate change. He also supported the formation of the Framework Convention on Climate Change ("FCCC"), which led to the development of the Kyoto Protocol. These initiatives marked significant strides in the international response to climate change.
The Earth Summit and the Kyoto Protocol
The Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 was a landmark event. Here, world leaders of 154 countries signed the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), establishing a framework for international cooperation to combat climate change. The UNFCCC acknowledged that human activities had substantially raised the atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases, which in turn enhanced the natural greenhouse effect, leading to global warming and adverse effects on natural ecosystems and humankind. The treaty urged all countries to collaborate extensively and engage in an effective and suitable international response, considering their common but varied responsibilities, respective capabilities, and social and economic conditions. Specifically, Article 2 of the convention commits countries to stabilising “greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system."
The Rio Summit laid the groundwork for the Kyoto Protocol, which aimed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from industrialized nations before developing nations joined in. The Kyoto Protocol was adopted on 11 December 1997 but did not come into force until 2015, due to a complex ratification process. Currently, there are 192 Parties to the Kyoto Protocol. (What is the Kyoto Protocol? n.d.)
Two months after the Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit, presidential candidate Bill Clinton chose Al Gore to be his running mate. Their victory in November gave the new vice president a powerful platform from which to resume his crusade against climate change. The Global Climate Change Action Plan, unveiled by President Clinton and Vice President Gore, aimed to dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions while promoting economic development. Gore’s signature could be read in every line of this action plan.
Gore, as Vice President, played a crucial role in promoting global action on the climate crisis and helped broker the Kyoto Protocol in 1997. However, the Clinton administration did not submit the Kyoto Protocol to the Senate for ratification due to strong opposition and the Senate's prior approval of the Byrd-Hagel resolution, which warned the president against signing a climate treaty that would either economically harm the U.S. or exempt developing countries from participating. (Hovi, Sprinz, & Bang, G., 2012) (Aschwanden, 2015)
George H.W. Bush's legacy in environmental policy is a complex tapestry of achievements, controversies, and challenges, reflecting the difficulties of navigating the intersection of politics, science, and environmental stewardship. In retrospect, Bush's tenure as the 'Environmental President' was marked by a genuine commitment to addressing environmental issues, and while he took steps to address climate change, some members of his administration were less convinced of the need for action. The story of his presidency serves as a reminder of the complexities and significance of leadership in the face of global environmental challenges.
Notes
[1] In the past 40 years, most of the Presidential nominees in the United States, and prime minister candidates around the world have never omitted - during their election campaigns – to tell us how much they care about the environment and our planet.
George W. Bush, 2002, in a speech at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland, unveiled his clear skies and global climate change initiatives: “We must encourage growth that will provide a better life for citizens, while protecting the land, the water, and the air that sustain life. In pursuit of this goal, my government has set two priorities: we must clean our air, and we must address the issue of global climate change.” George Bush's global warming speech, The Guardian, 14 February 2002 https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2002/feb/14/usnews.globalwarming
Barak Obama, 2016, at a campaign rally in St. Paul, Minn., on the last night of voting for that primary season: “I am absolutely certain that generations from now, we will be able to look back and tell our children that this was the moment when we began to provide care for the sick and good jobs to the jobless; this was the moment when the rise of the oceans began to slow and our planet began to heal.” __ Juliet Eilperin, “Obama would have pushed through one of the most ambitious environmental agendas in the U.S. history. Is it helping?” The Washington Post, August 16, 2016 https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/national/obama-legacy/environmental-climate-change-policies.html
Boris Johnson speaking before the UN meeting in September 2019: “If we get this right, future generations will look back on climate change as a problem that we solved by determined global action and the prowess of technology.” Peter Walker, “Boris Johnson unveils £1.2bn for climate and endangered species,” The Guardian, 22 September, 2019.
Even Donald Trump in August 2019, after skipping the G-7 climate meeting, declared what he wanted: “I think I know more about the environment than most people, I want clean air. I want clean water.” __ Brett Samuels, “Trump says he's 'an environmentalist' after skipping G-7 climate meeting”, The Hill, 26 August 2019,
[3] https://www.epa.gov/archive/epa/aboutepa/epa-computer-manufacturers-launch-program-introduce-energy-efficient-personal-computers.html
[4] Amin U. Sarkar, Karen L. Ebbs, A possible solution to tropical troubles? Debt-for-nature swaps,
Futures, Volume 24, Issue 7, 1992, Pages 653-668,
https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-3287(92)90074-P.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/001632879290074P
[5] In 2022, an agreement – involving The Nature Conservancy and the Inter-American Development Bank – enabled the Barbadian government to convert $150 million worth of debt, again in exchange for a commitment to conserve approximately 30% of its maritime territory. And in 2023 under the world’s largest debt-for-nature deal, reached last month, Ecuador is converting $1.6 billion in debt into $12 million per year for the conservation of the Galapagos Islands.
Bibliography
Bove, T. (2021, February 16). What Are Debt-For-Nature Swaps & How Can They Address Countries’ Climate and Debt Crises? Retrieved from Earth.org: https://earth.org/debt-for-nature-swaps/
George H. Bush 1988 Environmental Policy Speech 1988. (1988). Retrieved from https://www.c-span.org/video/?c4777288/user-clip-george-bush-1988-environmental-policy-speech-1988
Pielke, R. A. (2000, April). Policy history of the US Global Change Research Program: Part I. Administrative development. Global Environmental Change, 10(1), 9-25.
Shabecoff, P. (1989, May 9). White House Admits Censoring Testimony. The New York Times.
What is the Kyoto Protocol? (n.d.). Retrieved from United Nations Climate Change. : https://unfccc.int/kyoto_protocol