She said Bush had grown worried that restrictions on emissions would create more energy problems similar to those in California. Bush has said that new regulations on carbon dioxide emissions would increase use of natural gas, a fuel that has more than doubled in price in the past year and a factor in California's electricity shortages. Bush's decision earlier this month followed intense lobbying by the coal industry. It also seemed to contradict Whitman, who said in late February that Bush was concerned about global warming and could have an anti-pollution strategy that included emissions restrictions. Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas produced from burning fossil fuels.
Environmentalists believe curbing emissions is a key to reducing global warming.
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