Bay Area Cracks Down on Greenhouse Gas

Air pollution regulators in the San Francisco Bay area approved new rules Wednesday. They are imposing fees on businesses for emitting greenhouse gas. The Bay Area Quality Management District will chare companies 4.4 cents per ton of carbon dioxide they emit. Experts say the fees are the first of their kind in the United States. Has anyone ever thought we could be taxing companies right out of business in the United States with all the new regulations? That means closings and jobs lost and often to other countries.

Bush Seeks Flexible CO2 Targets

President Bush has said every country must set its own targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.His comments at a meeting of the top 16 polluting nations, suggest the US may not agree to any internationally binding cuts. Combating climate change should not hinder economic growth either, he said. Critics say the US position could dilute attempts to reach a global agreement through the UN, ahead of the expiry of the Kyoto Protocol in 2012.