In December 2003, Bush signed legislation implementing key provisions of his
Healthy Forests Initiative. Another subject of controversy is Bush's
Clear Skies Initiative, which seeks to reduce
air pollution through expansion of
emissions trading.
Bush signed the Great Lakes Legacy Act of 2002 authorizing the federal government to begin cleaning up
pollution and contaminated sediment in the
Great Lakes, as well as the
Brownfields Legislation in 2002, accelerating the cleanup of abandoned industrial sites, or
brownfields, to better protect public health, create jobs, and revitalize communities.
During his first presidential campaign, Bush stated he supported the
Kyoto Protocol global warming treaty,[
citation needed] but once in office he reversed that position, saying it would harm the U.S. economy. However, Bush stated his reason for not supporting the Kyoto Protocol was that it unfairly targeted the United States while being deliberately lenient with certain developing countries, especially
China and
India. Bush stated, "The world's second-largest emitter of
greenhouse gases is China. Yet, China was entirely exempted from the requirements of the Kyoto Protocol."
Bush also questioned the science behind the
global warming phenomenon, insisting that more research be done to determine its validity.
[23]
Further information:
Kyoto protocol#United States