The Toxic Texan

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http://news.excite.com/news/r/010413/17/news-bush-environment-dc

Greenpeace Dubs Bush 'Toxic Texan' in Hometown

CRAWFORD, Texas (Reuters) - In a first for President Bush's tiny hometown, protesters scaled Crawford's 80-foot water tower on Friday to unfurl a banner declaring him "The Toxic Texan" for his environmental record.

The Greenpeace vigil unleashed a furor in the central Texas town of less than 700, blocking traffic and drawing a firetruck, sheriffs from surrounding McClennan County, the Secret Service, a knot of local residents and its chief politician.

Mayor Robert Campbell interrupted his lawn mowing to hurry to the tower and shout up to the three activists that they were trespassing.

"They don't have any permit," said Campbell, who has lived in Crawford for 21 years. "Nothing like this has ever happened to us before."

Bush missed it all -- his ranch is several miles away -- as he spent the day with his family, taking a long walk and then clearing brush on the 1600-acre property, White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said.

But national television networks caught the drama across the street from a media center set up at the Crawford Elementary School for reporters traveling with the president on his Easter break.

"Greenpeace is here to dub Bush the 'Toxic President,"' said Andrea Durbin, campaigns director for Greenpeace USA.

As she spoke, the three activists who had climbed the water tower unfurled a yellow-and-black banner that said, "Bush The Toxic Texan Don't Mess With The Earth."

"In less than 100 days, (Bush) has undermined the efforts to stop global warming, improve our drinking water and protect public lands from oil development," Durbin said.

The Bush administration has been criticized for a series of decisions to suspend or ease environmental protection rules unpopular with the mining, oil, timber and other industries.

PEACEFUL SURRENDER

Environmentalists were most angry about Bush's reversal of a campaign pledge to limit carbon dioxide emissions by electric power plants, and his abandonment of the 1997 Kyoto treaty aimed at fighting global warming.

After about two hours, the protesters surrendered, climbing down the tower to be arrested.

Durbin said the protest was the first of a series leading up to Earth Day on April 22. Some of the protesters have been following Bush around in Washington.

A group of Texas environmental groups joined Greenpeace in sending a letter to Bush protesting his record, especially his decision to pull out of the Kyoto agreement.

Late last month, Bush said the 1997 pact was not in the best interests of the United States. The treaty calls for major industrialized nations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions blamed for global warming.

In his fiscal 2002 budget proposal, Bush also cut federal funding for environmental programs by about $2.3 billion.

-- (there ought to be @ limit. to freedom), April 13, 2001

Answers

Way to go, Greenpeace.

To the poster: What limits would you impose on Freedom?

-- Enlightenment (gone@away.now), April 14, 2001.


I think that the poster was referring to a statement that Dumbya made when someone created a satirical website in his honor. He is no doubt thinking the same thing about those who hung this banner, and will probably have them executed.

-- (toxic dictator @ destroying. our planet), April 14, 2001.

You are exactly right, toxic dictator@

-- (there ought to be @ limit. to freedom), April 16, 2001.

Demonstrators pose for a photo during a Greenpeace rally on the Ellipse in Washington Wednesday, April 18, 2001. Just in time for Eart Day on Sunday, President Bush issued good news to environmentalists. But as this protest shows, it will take far more than that to reassure conservation groups who say they've been steamrolled by a list of industry-friendly actions from the new adminastration. (AP Photo/ Hillery Smith Garrison) (AP)

-- (there ought to be @ limit. to freedom), April 18, 2001.


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