Bush Offers Greenhouse Gas Reduction Plan

Danielle Jackson

Washington, D.C. -- President George W. Bush has proposed tax incentives to encourage businesses, farmers and individuals to reduce pollution as an alternative to the Kyoto Protocol, an international global warming accord that he rejected last year because he said it would cost millions of American jobs.

Bush's goal is to reduce greenhouse emissions by 18 percent in 10 years by giving companies incentives, such as tax credits, to cut emissions by finding alternative forms of energy, increasing conservation, and increasing research and development for technology to reduce pollution.

The president also wants more companies to voluntarily report their greenhouse gas output to the government each year. Companies then would be able to trade newly created credits with each other. Currently, 222 U.S. companies report their emissions.

To reduce greenhouse gas emissions, Bush also is encouraging the capture of methane gas from landfills.

According to the White House, other nations think it is a positive idea and are willing to listen. But many environmentalists fear that the Bush administration is not doing enough to stop the cause of global warming.