Bush's 2007 State of the Foggity

Bush pledged for 20% cut in US fossil oil consumption in the next ten years. A good thing, right? Not so fast. Quick analysis at Grist and Washington Post (oh my) show that the facts behind the rhetoric are not very environmental:

• Increase in corn ethanol production subsidies (corn ethanol is an energy loser and is probably likely to increase green house emissions). Main reason behind this is more subsidies to the farmers of the hinterlands.
  
• Supplanting oil with "alternatives" (not "renewables"), which means making dirty fuel out of coal (with more emissions).

Lesson here? When politicians speak about complex and heated issues like energy currently is, you'd better: read the details, follow the money to the beneficiaries and watch what is being done, not only what is being said.