"The wrecking crew"

E: The Environmental Magazine, Sept-Oct, 2004 by Katherine Hartley

George W. Bush's environmental agenda--demolition, deregulation and liquidation of environmental assets--has enraged voters from across the spectrum. Critics, including these authors, say the Bush administration has single handedly put the brakes on environmental progress after a century of steady growth. Strategic Ignorance (Sierra Club Books, $24.95), written by Sierra Club Executive Director Carl Pope and Sierra magazine senior editor Paul Rauber, provides detailed evidence that exposes the Bush administration for deliberate environmental negligence. One example among many they cite is the November 2003 decision to drop the investigation of 50 power plants for violations of the Clean Air Act, and the proposed "Clear Skies Initiative," which clears the way for power plants to emit more pollutants. The book also proposes 10 fundamental solutions to help the environment heal from the Bush aftermath.

A book with a similar theme, Bush Versus the Environment (Anchor Books, $12), written by veteran reporter Robert S. Devine, provides an in-depth look into why and how the Bush administration puts polluters in charge and refuses to enforce existing laws. Devine maintains that the administration's laissez-faire policies gouge the taxpayer, since they--and not the actual polluter--end up paying the bills for cleaning up the mess.