I am the Environmental President

green text on a white button with a cartoon of George Bush with a long nose and a factory spewing smoke in the background

George Bush campaigned in 1988 saying he would be an environmental president and promising to pass the Clean Air Act that Reagan had allowed to expire, and he did. He also regulated wetlands and worked to decrease acid rain. Bush appointed the first environmentalist to head the EPA. Despite these efforts, he was criticized by environmentalists for an energy policy that supported the economy more than the environment. They were concerned that his policies might allow oil drilling in the Alaska wildlife refuge. Bush called for more investigation of Global Warming rather than acting to reduce Carbon emissions even though he had promised to take a strong stance on Global warming in his campaign. Despite his early efforts to protect the environment many environmentalists felt that Bush had betrayed his promise to them as this button indicates. By giving Bush a long nose they invoke the image of Pinocchio whose nose grew with every lie he told.