OK Canie,
First, the post from the tree was mostly a joke...except, most plants probably do grow faster if there is higher CO2.

There could be an interesting discussion here about science, and sifting and evaluating information to make good choices on what to believe and what not to believe. I have to do that all the time in my work, in my field...there is a lot out there related to faults and folds that just is not correct (of course, everything I do or say is gospel truth).

You defending the Bush administration environmental record is very much like me defending president Clinton as an example of a faithful husband.

As far as point by point rebutal of your list...I'll try, but this is like discussing Creationism....I tried that once 23 years ago, and I lost, because I was not prepared...they have these talking points that can not be addressed. Does that mean that the creationists are correct? Well, this month's National Geographic says that Gallop polls ...about 5 of them over the last 20 years, have always shown that at least 44% of American believe that life was created by God in the last 10,000 years and that there has been no evolution since then. Amd, only 12% of people agree with how I think on this issue. So, they must be right and I must be wrong.

I try to not to believe what I hear or read as concerns science if I can figure it out myself. But, when I don't have time or expertise to figure it out, I have to rely on people that I think are smart, or some consensus. I think that there is an overwhelming consensus by people in the environmental field (and that does not include front groups funded by industry with environmental names...) that the Bush administration has been an environmental disaster.

There are comments on your list below:

I don't know how you can blame President Bush for a problem that started back in the 1700's...
**OK, I'll let that one slide

As for the last 4 years - here's what has been implemented to fight acid rain and other pollution
2000
EPA establishes regulations requiring more than 90 percent cleaner heavy duty highway diesel engines and fuel.
**Sounds good. Clinton was president in 2000, not Bush. Bush became president in January 2001.

2002
President George W. Bush signs the Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act to reclaim and restore thousands of abandoned properties.
**OK, that sounds good...and sounds like something that no one would argue with.

2003
President George W. Bush signs the Healthy Forests Restoration Act, helping to prevent forest fires and safeguard and preserve the nation’s forests.
**That is propaganda. This allows trees to be cut in areas where they might not otherwise be cut. It is a stretch to call this an environmental measure. I disagree with the Sierra club people who think no trees should be cut in any National Forest....I think there are places where it is OK to log, in certain ways...including the national forest land adjoining my father's property in the Sierra foothills..

2003
More than 4,000 school buses will be retrofitted through the Clean School Bus USA program, removing 200,000 pounds of particulate matter from the air over the next 10 years.
**Compare this to the effect of not increasing the fuel efficiency for the millions of cars and SUVs sold each year. It is a drop in the bucket...a good thing, but a drop in the bucket.

2003
Clear Skies legislation and alternative regulations are proposed to create a cap and trade system to reduce SO2 emissions by 70 percent and NOx emissions by 65 percent below current levels.
**You may or may not know more about this than me, but the clean air act is considered a huge step backwards by, for example, the Sierra Club. I think it allows mercury emissions for coal to be far higher than waht was on track. Mercury ends up in the oceans and is one reason pregnant women should not eat too much tuna,swordfish...etc. I'd like to see an impartial examination of the numbers you quote above...

2004
New, more protective, 8-hour ozone and fine particulate standards go into effect across the country.

President George W. Bush proposes the Clean Air Rules of 2004 that will make people healthier now and in the future. The result is more protection—faster—which ensures that clean air will be this generation’s contribution to the next.

**Where did you get this list? Did you compile it, or did you get it off of a website somewhere? In which case, what web site?

2004
EPA requires cleaner fuels and engines for off-road diesel machinery such as farm or construction equipment.

I would think Kerry has more responsibility since he's been a senator for the last 20 years and in charge of making the rules....he's had more control over the situation than Bush.. he'd have less control in the White House....
**I think that if an inpartial person looked at your list above and compared it to improvements over the last 20 years, you 4 year list would look pretty sad, so I am happy to give Kerry some credit (and, Clinton, and Bush Senior, and Reagan) for doing a good job.**