Bush resists pressure on Kyoto

By Jonathan Beale
BBC News, Washington

On his ranch in Texas, George W Bush is in many ways a model environmentalist.

Bathwater at his Crawford home is captured, treated and reused.

Bush is "green" on his ranch but not internationally

Underground water cools the limestone walls instead of air conditioning.

And some of the vehicles run on propane gas - with low emissions of carbon dioxide.

Yet on the international stage President Bush is often seen as the villain who helped scupper the Kyoto treaty.

He is facing growing pressure from within the US to do more about climate change, but there is little evidence that he is willing to move beyond voluntary measures and inducements.

It's true to say that in office, Mr Bush has shown little enthusiasm for any international treaty on climate change, or even for mandatory limits for carbon dioxide emissions across the US.

The president and his supporters say there are plenty of good reasons why America turned its back on Kyoto.

The Bush administration said the treaty would hurt the US economy while rapidly developing countries like China and India would escape the new limits.

It also pointed out that a number of European countries that have signed up to the treaty will not meet their targets.

Grassroots efforts

But there is no doubt that President Bush is coming under strong pressure to do more.

And much of this pressure is coming from ordinary Americans and people within his own party.

Senator Chuck Hagel - the Republican who helped torpedo Kyoto in the Senate in 1997 - is now introducing his own bill to encourage cleaner technology.

Some Americans have decided to take matters into their own hands.

President Bush is facing pressure within the US to deal with climate change

There is a growing demand for hybrid cars.

They run on a combination of an electric motor and a small petrol engine. They have double the fuel efficiency of traditional cars and have very low emissions.

There are tax incentives for buying them, and some states allow hybrid cars to use lanes usually reserved for commuters with passengers during rush hour.

Some states have also decided to act. The Republican Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, has set a target of cutting carbon dioxide emissions by 30% over the next decade.

Some US companies such as Dupont have also set and met targets for cutting their greenhouse gas emissions.

But here lies the problem. All these activities - however welcome - are piecemeal or voluntary. It is all carrot and no stick.

While President Bush now talks about tackling climate change, he sees the way forward as offering companies and individuals incentives rather than binding international treaties.

Tony Blair is clearly hoping that he can persuade his friend to change his mind. He will have a hard task.