Well, here's what he said yesterday:
In the White House, only hours after that old elm had fallen, Bush was addressed by a reporter, thus: "I know that you are not planning to see Al Gore's new movie, but do you agree with the premise that global warming is a real and significant threat to the planet?" "I have said consistently," answered Bush, "that global warming is a serious problem. There's a debate over whether it's manmade or naturally caused. We ought to get beyond that debate and start implementing the technologies necessary ... to be good stewards of the environment, become less dependent on foreign sources of oil..."
I bet Bush smirked while he said this. I hate repeating myself, but this "debate" is really over except in Bush's mind. But that's not the most important point to recognize here. Instead, I'd like to highlight the president's inconsistency. At the time of the G8 last year, Bush endorsed the mealy-mouthed Gleneagles communique, which said that greenhouse gases are "associated with the warming of our earth's surface." Apparently Bush is not even willing to say that any more. So this is a step backwards from an already tentative position, as well as a flip-flop for Bush on the question of a human role in global warming.
