A Bush Legacy: Preserving The Oceans?

(CBS)  Rare birds and fish as well as unique geological formations are now under federal protection. President Bush designated three areas in the Pacific Ocean as national Marine Monuments - the largest marine conservation project in history, CBS News correspondent Jim Axelrod reports.

"For seabirds and marine life, they will be sanctuaries to grow and thrive," Mr. Bush said.

Nearly 200,000 square miles are covered: The Mariana Trench near Guam and waters surrounding a string of islands far south and west of Hawaii. And Rose Atoll, an Island east of Samoa.

The area is home to colorful deep-water fish, sharks, whales and dolphins.

The Mariana Trench is deeper than Mount Everest is tall, with gasses from the earth's core bubbling through. And the only bird known to incubate its eggs with heat from a volcano.

Mr. Bush had already set aside 140 square miles of Hawaiian Ocean in 2006.

"Long after this president is gone and after many of the edicts of his presidency are long forgotten, these places and the life they contain will still be there," said Josh Reichart of the Pew Environmental Group.

And so as George Bush leaves office, the president many environmentalists loathe will have protected more ocean than any other person in history.

[harbinger09]

So when did the US President, become President of the world? Don''t stop there Bush, designate certain solar systems as National monuments or parks too, make the world safe for asteroids, comets, metors and red suns--then really go down in history as a complete schmuck, with delusions of grandeur.

[realtruth5]

I think it is amazing that CBS can report about G.W. Bush being the President of an Environmental record, but, oh yeah, you have to report the truth!!! So you can give him that, right. Well than on his little award of achievements ( and I mean little) could you also remind the public of the gross mismangement of the EPA. The auditing of scientific data that changed the true findings of the scientists.
And the firing of scientific personnell and replacing them with oil lobbyist to fill positions, that make decisions about critical environmental concerns.
Let''s hope the people of this country do not forget about the facts and to honor people who deserves this award.

[specialty8]

How can you bring Bush into this without Gore. He wants all of us grunts to go green so it makes more for him. Always preaching go green. He uses enough electric to heat his pools than a city block.

[missingamerica]

"...the president many environmentalists loathe will have protected more ocean than any other person in history."

lolll...you know what that should tell you?

There ain''t no oil or minerals that are recoverable - and quite obviously no timber that can be harvested - "in the area comprised of the Mariana Trench near Guam and waters surrounding a string of islands far south and west of Hawaii. And Rose Atoll, an Island east of Samoa".

Bush "protecting" such an area is kind of like a child molester turning away in disgust from an 90 year-old woman.

[jsl45]

Shrub the Dumbnificent, the worst president in our history......trying to suddenly become an environmentalist is not going to change the disasters you were responsible for. Please go find a rock to crawl under and stay out of the American public''s view.....

[beach671]

The entire Marianas Islands in a National Monument? Local fishermen can''t fish the waters of their islands their families have fished for thousands of years? Coconut Crabs (land crabs) now a protected species? I have them in my backyard. I don''t see how this is ''saving'' anything seeing how the 3rd Marines are moving from Okinawa to the Marianas and will have live fire ranges for mortaring/shooting. They''ll be launching amphibious landings on our beaches. Japan is putting a military base on OUR island. 2 Aircraft battle Groups will soon be porting on Guam...more nuclear submarines, fighter squadrons, missile battalion..we are already a land and sea bombing range, Marianas Trench is a nuclear waste dump site.

I really don''t see any protection other than military firepower and now local fishermen losing their right to fish their waters. Thanks GW.

[smurfcrusher]

This is a watery smokescreen designed to make Bush seem better than his environmental record shows he is.

If Bush was so concerned about the oceans he would have lessened global warming via carbon dioxide caps. The acidification of the ocean and increased water temperatures are destructive to coral and harms marine life.
Instead, he protects remote areas that were not under threat of exploitation anyway.

It''s a bit like burning the Amazon Forest down to the ground so he can survey the land and protect it for the natives. No serious academic will be fooled by these moves. I''m just grateful he''s not intelligent enough to realize this.

[runningralph]

President Bush will go down in history as the Liberator of Iraq and Afghanistan, Great Resistor of Jihad, Prompt Succor of Africa, Saviour of UAW, and Paramount Protector of Marine Wildlife. Had I foreseen this I might have voted for him despite his poor record with the Air National Guard. I just couldn''t see voting for any presidential candidate without an Honorable Discharge to hie credit. Little did I know that now we would have one without an American birth certificate to his credit.

[wilytrax]

This is just as fishy as all his other "Good Deeds"

http://www.SayGoodbyetoGeorge.com"

[caornm]

I interpet this move by Bush as a way to rob Obama for the credit. Bush knows the country will be attemping a turn around on the environment as soon as he is out the door. It is unlikley the future readers of history won''t be able to put 2 and 2 together after learning about all the destruction he has done to the planet.