Green Daily

"Somewhere up north, a polar bear, on a melting ice floe, is wiping its sweaty brow, thinking, 'Fewer than 80 days before these oil freaks are out of office.'" That's how Salon.com's article on Bush's environmental policies opens. I must say, the author has to be pleased with her wit. Unfortunately, polar bears are really grasping onto melting ice floes and are desperate for food. But on the 81st day, the day President Elect Barack Obama takes office, that polar bear will still be in trouble.

According to Salon writer Katharine Mieszkowski, outgoing President George W. Bush essentially gave developing nations the authorization to disregard environmental standards; he was all flirtation no action on cutting greenhouse gases; brought the word 'switchgrass' into common usage but failed to make any significant moves to develop alternative energies; and made forest 'healthy' by cutting them down.

Mieszowski's got a few more, and it is rather easy to take a punch at the current President (though not literally) after this election season and after W. came out. But, her real goal is to point out what President Elect Obama has to do to turn that polar bear's ice cube into an igloo.

To her mind, Obama needs to drop the federal court cases that challenge the restrictions on logging, and shift federal policy away from logging in sensitive areas. He needs to attend the international climate talks in Poznan, Poland, follow through on his campaign pledge to cut greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent by 2050 and get a buhzillion (an unspecified quantity meaning many billions) hybrid and electric cars on our roads. More public transportation might not be such a bad idea either.

[via Salon]