Obama begins reversing Bush Climate policies

U.S. President Barack Obama began reversing the climate policies of the Bush administration on Monday, clearing the way for new rules to force auto makers to produce more fuel-efficient and less polluting cars. The president told the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to reconsider immediately a request by California to impose its own strict limits on vehicle carbon dioxide emissions, blamed for contributing to global warming. Obama, a Democrat, took over from former President George W. Bush last Tuesday. Bush's Republican administration had denied the request, prompting California and other states to sue. "The federal government must work with, not against, states to reduce greenhouse gas emissions," Obama said at the White House, taking a stab at his predecessor's policies. "The days of Washington dragging its heels are over. My administration will not deny facts, we will be guided by them. We cannot afford to pass the buck ... onto the states."