WORLD/US ISSUES - ENVIRONMENTAL

Bush Environmental Record - 20040925

The Bush environmental record is described in a 9/14 2004 New York Times article. It describes the Bush administration challenges to the status quo and their revisions of the traditional public-policy on environmental decisions. What struck me was the old Republican mantra that free markets often provide the best solution to pollution and that incentives for business to do more pollution control are required as opposed to incentives to avoid penalties for pollution.

Why isn't the free market providing those incentives? Why does the government need to get involved if the free market will provide the necessary incentives and penalties leading to pollution control? Maybe we don't have a free market. If we do, none of the competitors seem active to control pollution on their own. They seem more willing to litigate rather than comply with pollution requirements. Corporations hide behind their "fiduciary responsibility" to shareholders and a seeming obstinacy to being stewards of the environment. Where pollution is concerned it seems to me that corporations have a responsibility to benefit all society rather than just shareholders.

Another Side of North Korea - 20040826

The BBC report, North Korea's environment crisis, By Alex Kirby, BBC News Online environment correspondent, 2004/08/27, , indicates a readiness of North Korea "to work with the world community to safeguard nature."

Actions taken by North Korea include:

**recognition of enviromental problems,

**1998 revision of their socialist constitution designating environmental protection a priority and required for sustainable development,

**working with the UN Environment Program to present a report assessing the North Korean environment.

"The report lists a catalogue of neglect and over-exploitation of resources, and says time is short to put things right."

What a fertile area for cooperation with North Korea. But, then again, diplomacy is not a US strength. (See World/US Issues - Organizational.) And, yet again, I'm not sure the US could revise its capitalism to designate environmental protection as a priority and a prerequisite for sustainable development.

I'm looking for a report on US actions for sustainable development. It is certainly needed to reduce the US dependence on foreign oil and protect our own environment.