In Wake Of Grim Oceans Report, Bush Creates New Committee For More Study

"In response to a gloomy assessment of the state of the nation's coastal waters, President Bush yesterday ordered the creation of a new federal panel to coordinate oceanic policy. James L. Connaughton, who as chairman of the White House Council on Environmental Quality will head the new committee, said that among its early goals would be to expand the use of fishing quotas "in appropriate settings" and to win ratification of the Law of the Sea, the international regulatory system that the Bush administration favors but that the Senate has long refused to endorse.

The steps were in response to a report issued in April by the United States Commission on Ocean Policy. The report said government action was needed to curb overfishing that has sharply depleted the world's fish stocks, combat widespread pollution from nutrient-rich runoff in coastal waters and better coordinate what is widely regarded as a complicated and inefficient regulatory system. Another report, released this year by the Pew Oceans Commission, a private group, drew similar conclusions.

Mr. Connaughton said the new committee would move quickly to consider the recommendations of the government report. "We will fully embrace most," he predicted. "We will modify some and some we may disagree with, but we'll see when we get there."

Ellen Pikitch, executive director of the Pew Institute for Ocean Science, said formal ratification of the Law of the Sea, an international treaty governing navigation, fishing and other oceanic issues, would be an important step. But she said she was disappointed that Mr. Bush's executive order did not press other actions to address coastal issues. "There is no shortage of recommendations for action," Ms. Pikitch said in an interview. "There were two reports, and in many areas they agree. This order leaves all that up in the air. The response to two reports recommending concrete changes has led to the development of another committee that will make its own recommendations."

EDIT

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/18/politics/18ocean.html?oref=login

Oh, yeah, and with Connaughton leading, you know bold action's on the way. Fucking lying greenwashing dissembling FUCKING WHORES!!!!!!!!!!!!1

he sure does enjoy creating more big government.

Administration will immediately implement the following actions:

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1. Ignore
2. Bury
3. Lie about how some piece of corporatism is already addressing the problem
4. Create Committee to further study
5. Make the right noises only to kill it subcommittee or appropriations
6. Conduct a political purge
7. Do something that might possibly be helpful*
8. Do the correct thing*

* Numbers 7 and 8 are hypothetical, since they've never actually happened.

and they will read the bible -- and wait for the second coming of Christ.

will create more and more committees to "study" the situation simply to stall doing anything on the subject. * while governor of my great state allowed industry to police themselves and did not require them to retrofit their factories to meet sticter air quality standards. The result: more air pollution than ever while at the same causing the consumer to pay over $40.00 to have their cars inspected for meeting emmissions standards. I don't mind doing this but I want industry to do the same!

gee whiz it needs more study. I know some of the people on the original committee. It has already been studied to death. I agree with the others that this is a way to keep from taking any responsible action.

1)Study to see if anything is happening.
2)Study what is happening.
3)Study what happened.