A Green President?

Newsweek is highlighting George W. Bush's use of green building techniques on his ranch.

Before moving into the White House, George W. Bush built the kind of vacation home that Al Gore might have designed. His Texas ranch captures rain and wastewater for landscaping. Solar panels line the roof and an underground geothermal system provides heating and air conditioning. There's even a protected forest that is home to the rare golden-cheeked warbler....

But following his green-tinted State of the Union address in January, Bush now travels the country promoting both hybrid vehicles and solar power. Just last month he created a huge national monument around the remote northwestern islands of Hawaii.

I am glad to read that Bush is preserving some habitat for golden-cheeked warblers, and the creation of the marine reserve in the Pacific was a step forward. But for a president, public policy is a more important measure than private virtue. By the measure of public policy, Bush's presidency has certainly not been "green."

technorati tags:Environment, Bush