The President. He wouldn't be there if I—well, I don't know about—I was about to say he wouldn't be there if I didn't have confidence in him. I have confidence in his integrity and his honor. Last question.

Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Reilly and Environmental Policy

Q. Mr. President, the environmental groups that were very much in evidence here don't seem too happy with the results of the summit.

The President. They haven't seemed happy with me for a long time, and I'm not too happy with them. I think their grading system is absolutely, essentially absurd. But what's the question? [Laughter]

Q. Sir, the question is: They're calling your forestation initiative a figleaf to cover up your inaction on the environment. A second portion of this question is why did you leave Bill Reilly home when last year you brought him to Paris when you weren't even planning to put him in the Cabinet?

The President. Last year many of the Environmental Ministers were there, and including some of the people—you remember that was the Paris centennial. And many from other countries were there as well. So, he was not here for that reason, nor were other Secretaries whose counterparts were not here. So, that was the reason. This is predominantly an economic summit. But lest anybody have any doubt about it, Bill Reilly retains my full confidence and my full support. I have great respect for him.

What was the rest of your question?

Q. They call the forestation initiative a figleaf to cover up your inaction on global

warming.

The President. Look, come on, I'm not going to respond to those groups that have been attacking us every time we turn around. And you cannot appeal-I have to be careful because there were some reasonable people involved-but on the environmental extreme, they don't want this country to grow. They don't want to look down the road at the human consequence of men and women thrown out of work and families put into a whole new state of anxiety. And I, as President, have to be concerned about that as well as being a good custodi

an, a good steward, for the environment. And so but we cannot govern by listening to the loudest voice on the extreme of an environmental movement.

And I did not rely heavily on them for support in getting elected President of the United States, and I'm not going to be persuaded that I can get some brownie point by appealing to one of these groups or other. And the attacks that they made on some of my summit partners-I resent them, too, because it's not just the United States, in attacking the President or the policies of the Government, it's the attack on some of these other leaders. So, they're held just as high as others. And their rating entitled to their opinion. Their signs can be

systems can attract as much or as little attention as you care to give them. But I am not going to shape the policies-when I know we have sound environmental policies by the loudest voice or the biggest sign.

So, they're welcome to Houston. I hope they've enjoyed it. I hope they feel they've had an opportunity to get their message out. But I had a little cloakroom conversation with some of the participants, and I think most of them are disinclined to change policies in their countries that they think are sound because of some of the statements that I saw and perhaps some that you were referring to here. So, I'd say, welcome, and we'll listen and keep trying to do better. But I'm determined that we can find a sound environmental path—and I think we've found it-continue to be good stewards for the environment and still have some concern for the workingman and the workingwoman in this country. And that really is what it boils down to when you talk about no growth. And I'm not going to talk about no growth for the United States because I feel a deep concern about the human equation as well as the environ

ment.

I was very pleased with the mood amongst the summit leaders as a result of the common ground that we hammered out on the environment here.

Thank you all very much.

Note: The President's 54th news conference began at 12:59 p.m. in Assembly Hall at

George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, TX. In his remarks, he referred to the Kerensky debt, which was incurred by Russia's Kerensky government after the fall of the czar. The President also referred to the Group of 7 (G-7), the industrialized nations that participate in the economic summits, and the Group of 24 (G-24), the industrialized democracies that have pledged support for economic and political reform in Poland and Hungary.

White House Fact Sheet on the President's Proposal for a Global Forest Convention

July 11, 1990

President Bush today proposed to the leaders of the summit of industrialized nations that negotiations begin on an international convention on forests.

Background

The U.S. Forest Service estimates that the world is losing about 27 million acres of tropical forest each year. A recent study estimated even higher losses-in the range of 40-50 million acres per year. Severe and widespread forest declines have occurred in eastern and western Europe, and a body of evidence is accumulating that forests in North America and elsewhere are being damaged by stresses caused by air pollution.

The world's forests are the lungs of the Earth, absorbing carbon dioxide from mankind's activities and releasing oxygen critical to human existence. Forests serve as airconditioners and filters to protect us against heat, dust, and pollutants. They are essential in the protection of water supplies on which agriculture, industry, and cities depend. Not only are they a vital source of wood for fuel and shelter but we are increasingly learning of other resources which can be extracted in a way that provides economic benefits. And forests provide vital habitat for all manner of animal species. The Amazon Basin alone contains over 50,000 species of higher plants and a fifth of all the species of birds on Earth.

The U.S. Proposal

President Bush today proposed at the summit of industrialized nations to begin negotiations as expeditiously as possible on a global convention on forests. This would be a freestanding convention, similar to the highly successful Vienna convention on chlorofluorocarbons. The President proposed that negotiations be completed and the convention be ready for signing by 1992. The President expressed the hope that the convention would, to the maximum extent possible, emphasize market-based mechanisms and flexibility for achieving its goals.

The President outlined several areas in which international cooperation could help to address threats to the world's forests and could lead to positive action:

Research and Monitoring. The convention could accelerate cooperative research in programs to protect natural forests and to improve forest management practices, the development of more cost effective reforestation techniques, and the development of sustainable yield strategies consistent with each country's economic, environmental, and forest management objectives. The President suggested, as a first step, that the Tropical Forestry Institute in Puerto Rico be expanded into a full-fledged International Tropical Forests Institute.

The President proposed the launching of a worldwide network to monitor the world's forests to improve understanding of their health and vigor, the effects of pollution, and the rate at which they are being converted to other uses. The President called for cooperation in developing an inventory of the resources of the world's forests, as a tool for analyzing their potential for new products and uses.

Education, Training, and Technical Assistance. The convention could help establish vehicles for formal and technical training in forest conservation and forest practices, reforestation, and related subjects; for the provision of technical assistance, extension services, and project expertise.

Reforestation and Rehabilitation. The convention could be used to develop national and international strategies for reforestation, timber stand improvement, and restoration of the health of the world's for

ests. The President highlighted the commitment of the United States to reforestation through his proposal to plant a billion trees a year in America. That proposal is now awaiting funding by the U.S. Congress.

Noting the importance of economics and trade, the President reaffirmed U.S. support for the International Tropical Timber Organization.

Tropical Forestry Action Plan Reform. The President also reiterated U.S. support for the goals of the Tropical Forestry Action Plan and called for strengthening and reform of the programs contained therein, with an emphasis on wise stewardship and sustainable management.

Reduction of Air Pollution. International action is needed to curb acid rain and tropospheric ozone, which are believed to cause damage to forests. This is essential to relieving stress on forests in Europe and to ensure that the restoration and replanting of forests in eastern Europe will be successful. The President has proposed in his Clean Air Act legislation dramatic reductions in emissions which contribute to acid rain (sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides) and ozone formation (volatile organic compounds). The Clean Air Act proposal has passed both Houses of Congress and is awaiting final action by a House-Senate conference committee. The convention could lay the groundwork for bilateral and multilateral agreements with respect to air pollution.

Bilateral and Multilateral Assistance Program. The convention might also address the need for a review of bilateral and multilateral assistance programs to put greater emphasis on conservation of forest areas and sustainable use of forest resources. In addition, it could explore possible ways to promote sound forestry practices and reforestation and to ensure that such programs are not designed in ways which adversely affect forests.

Debt-for-Nature Swaps. The convention could promote sound use and protection for forests through debt-for-nature swaps, particularly with the support of the multilateral developments banks. In addition, it could encourage local currency environmental trust fund programs and similar devices to help finance environmental programs. The United States recently proposed to pursue

such arrangements in Latin America as part of its Enterprise for the Americas Initiative.

Removal of Harmful Subsidies. The convention could address itself to identifying and, where appropriate, changing subsidies and other market distortions which inadvertently encourage deforestation or discourage afforestation of lands which could be best used as forest. One possibility is the reduction of subsidies that encourage the conversion of marginal lands that are economically more productive as forest lands into crop or grazing lands.

Remarks at the Thank You Houston Celebration

July 11, 1990

Listen, Barbara and I really wanted to come over and say thank you to all of you. To Judge Lindsey and to Mayor Whitmire, to Ken Lay and George Strake, Fred Malek, and so many others, I am very, very grateful-and so is Bar-and to our entertainers for tonight, Randy Travis and Jaclyn Smith, Marilyn McCoo. You know, when Marilyn was last here with the Fifth Dimension, she sang a hit called "Last Night I Didn't Get to Sleep at All." Well, we understand that, and I expect that Secretary [of State] Baker and Secretary [of the Treasury] Brady—from the hard work they've put in in the summit-understand it. But let me tell you that, in the views of the United States delegation to this important summit, it has been a howling success. And much of the credit goes to Houston, Texas, and the thousands of volunteers that made all of us feel so at home.

And so, it's this celebration that tops off 3 days I would say 3 historic days-for the people of Houston and, indeed, for the people of the world. For decades, we've kept the face of freedom burning, we've borne the banner of liberty, and now the people of Berlin and Budapest and so many other parts of the world have lifted that liberty banner for themselves. And in Houston, the Presidents and the Prime Ministers who lead the largest industrialized democracies met to build a world beyond the Cold War; to uphold the Revolution of 1989; to

help liberated nations enter the 21st Century as enduring democracies; and to support a free world, free wills, and free markets for all mankind. So, you see, this hasn't just been a successful summit; in a broad foreign policy sense, it's been a celebration-a celebration on behalf of all nations and of all peoples, a celebration of their victory over barbed wire and concrete walls and discredited despotism.

The tone of this summit was set by the people of Berlin last fall. And the success of this summit is a tribute to my six colleagues from abroad. But it is also a tribute to you, those who made this summit work, the people of the city of Houston, Texas. I know that you've put up with a lot having us here closed streets, tail-bumper driving, nerve-racking regularity of helicopters, and constant security-and I know how tough this can be on a town. But even more to the point, I want to thank you, thank you all, for all you have done to make this summit such a success.

You know, Houston, in my view, has always been a clean city; but thanks to the people who have cleaned Houston, this volunteer effort, this city sparkled. And I wish I could go out there and just shake hands and thank each and every one of you thousands, literally thousands, of volunteers who pitched in during their spare time to make Houston a showcase for the world. And just look at what you've done: thousands of volunteers we call them Points of Light, Texas Points of Light-who scoured the streets and the alleys for litter, planting flowers in the parks, painting over graffiti. And by June 23d, Ken Lay and George Strake told me, 5,261 Houstonians put in 26,200 hours to remove 2.7 million pounds of trash and debris. And what a record. What an example for the rest of our country.

Bill, I really do believe that you've shown the world what Houston pride is all about. So, in closing, let me say that I know that Houston, our great city, had a rough go in the last few years; but as I travel around town, I see more and more signs of a city not just on the mend, which we all know is true, but a city totally rebounding, a city on the go, and not just a city with a future but a city of the future.

One other comment on today. I know that Barbara and I will never forget when the seven leaders and I moved through that downtown area how the whole city turned out. The newscast this evening said more than 100,000 people along the streets with the balloons and the bands and the welcoming signs and the friendly smiles. And you've turned this ordinary procession of motorcades into a parade, a moment of unforgettable international hospitality that the visiting Presidents, Prime Ministers, and Chancellor will take home with them. Every single one of them commented to me on that warm outpouring of hospitality and friendship.

So, in short, you've shown the world what Houston hospitality is all about. You set the background for a highly successful and very important meeting between these countries. And you made this Houstonian very, very proud of his hometown tonight. Thank you all very, very much.

Note: The President spoke at 7:13 p.m. in Butler Plaza at the University of Houston. In his remarks, he referred to Harris County Judge John Lindsey; Kathryn J. Whitmire, mayor of Houston; Ken Lay and George Strake, cochairmen of the Host Committee of the Houston Economic Summit; Ambassador Fred Malek, Director of the Houston Economic Summit; and Gov. Bill Clements. A tape was not available for verification of the content of these remarks. Following his remarks, the President returned to Washington, DC.

Remarks Following a Meeting With
Greek Patriarch Dimitrios I
July 12, 1990

May I just say that it's a great honor for me as President of the United States to receive His All Holiness in the Oval Office. And as I survey the changes that are taking place in Eastern Europe and around the world, my thoughts go to the faith of individuals in so many countries, a faith that is sustained and strengthened by the church and by the leadership of His All Holiness. And so, it is appropriate to be received re

spectfully in the Oval Office, and that I have an opportunity to tell him that I see faith of people as a driving force for change in the world today and have an opportunity to salute him for his principles and leadership.

So, it's been a joy to have you here, a joy to have you here. And to have the various metropolitans [ecclesiastical officials] here, too, is special. Thank you all.

Note: The President spoke at 11:50 a.m. in the Rose Garden at the White House.

Remarks to the 30th Biennial Greek Orthodox Church Clergy-Laity Congress

July 12, 1990

Thank you all very much. Who would have thought that I would be introduced by Peter Jennings before a beautiful evening like this? It's just wonderful. Ted, thank you very, very much. Barbara and I are delighted to be here this evening. When Ted said that a person we hold in such reverence, I was ready. You see, I'm used to it now. I thought he was talking about Barbara, not the All Holiness. [Laughter]

I am so pleased to be with you. Your All Holiness, once again, welcome to the Capital of our great nation. It was an honor and, I think, an appropriate honor for us to greet you in the Oval Office today. And I was proud to be at your side in the Rose Garden. It's an extraordinary privilege tonight to be with you and your distinguished delegation, and also to be with our respected and revered friend, Archbishop Iakovos, who has distinguished himself in the 30 years that he's been the spiritual leader of your church in the Americas. I apologize for the order of the program and speaking before dinner, but Archbishop Iakovos said you were having broccoli, and I figure I have to get out of here. [Laughter]

But to more serious things, Your All Holiness, meeting with you earlier today was a rare and an inspiring opportunity. Once again, I want to express my profound respect. You are a holy man of great spirituality and vision and humility, a gentle and

revered pilgrim on this mission of peace. We are especially blessed to be part of this historic journey: the first time in the 1,400year history of the Patriarchate that the successor to St. Andrew has visited the Western Hemisphere.

Greetings to all of you, the members of the 30th Clergy-Laity Conference from 555 parishes across the sweep of the Americas. I still remember the outpouring of warmth that you gave me when I had the privilege of addressing you 2 years ago and 2 years before that. It is a delight to see you again because I feel that we do have a special bond. In particular, I cherish the GreekAmerican legacy of putting family values first. This is the finest example of what our country needs in order to be strong and wise and flourishing. We admire your unflinching devotion to the passing on of clear moral values and your emphasis on the importance of a good education.

I noted that in the census returns for the last three decades, you have ranked the highest of any community in education. And I'm not just saying that because John Brademas is here, either. Also, you stress hard work and the individual initiative that creates opportunity and, thus, have become the backbone of small businesses throughout this country. And statistics show that through your shining example of love and faith and, of course, family tradition, you've almost no crime and drug problems. And how wonderful that 3,000 of your young people this week took part in a forum about the bitter plague of drugs.

I also admire your strength as a community in which your Greek Orthodoxy means your deeply rooted spiritual beliefs, as well as the richness of your cultural life. In any age when so many challenges threaten the fabric of our society, your intense devotion to your faith and traditions have made you messengers of hope. You share the richness of your ancient, undivided faith. You've impressed us with the vibrant ethnic vitality of your immigrant parents and grandparents I love what Ted Koppel said about that earlier and with your commitment to Christian service both here and in the lands of your ancestors' birth. They were drawn here by the beacon of Liberty's torch. And now, you are shining your own beacon of