Bush moots int'l fund to promote clean energy sources Website
Mooting a new International fund to help developing nations like India and China make greater use of clean energy sources, US President George W. Bush has favoured a new global deal on cutting greenhouse gases which "gives none a free ride." In his last State of the Union address, Bush, whose term will end next January, chose to broach on the issue of climate change which his administration has been accused of ignoring, and underscored the need to increase the use of renewable power and emissions-free nuclear power. "Let us create a new international clean technology fund which will help developing nations like India and China make greater use of clean energy sources. And let us complete an international agreement that has the potential to slow, stop, and eventually reverse the growth of greenhouse gases" Bush said to loud applause from the audience on Capitol Hill. He, however, warned that the agreement "will be effective only if it includes commitments by every major economy and gives none a free ride". "The United States is committed to strengthening our energy security and confronting global climate change, and the best way to meet these goals is for America to continue leading the way toward the development of cleaner and more energy-efficient technology." "Our security, our prosperity, and our environment all require reducing our dependence on oil," Bush told the Congress in his state of union address which was overshadowed by the presidential primaries ahead of the November elections. The US is the only industrialized country to reject Kyoto protocol on reducing greenhouse emissions by 2012 and White House had last month voiced serious concerns about a deal reached at the UN climate conference in Bali, contending that major developing countries should be included in emissions targets. Developing countries like India and China blame the developed for the climate change and contend that their per capita greenhouse emissions are far less. "Together, we should take the next steps. Let us fund new technologies that can generate coal power while capturing carbon emissions," Bush said. "Let us increase the use of renewable power and emissions- free nuclear power. Let us continue investing in advanced battery technology and renewable fuels to power the cars and trucks of the future," the President said.
Source: GNA
