On Jan. 28, President George W. Bush gave his final State of the Union address, hoping to leave his presidency on a positive note. Acknowledging the problems that will face this country, Bush sought to present an optimistic tone focusing on making his tax cuts permanent and the military surge’s effectiveness in Iraq and Afghanistan. Global warming has been a rising issue in Washington, and having failed to sign the Kyoto Protocol, Bush proposed that Congress draw up a new international global warming treaty. Yet, according to CNN News, he failed to elaborate on the details of such a treaty.

According to the State of the Union transcript provided by the White House, this agreement “will be effective only if it includes commitments by every major economy and gives none a free ride. The United States is committed to strengthening our energy security and confronting global climate change. And the best way to meet these goals is for America to continue leading the way toward the development of cleaner and more energy-efficient technology.”

The President also called for Congress to pass legislation to reduce oil consumption, stating that “our security, our prosperity and our environment all require reducing our dependence on oil.”

Brennan Aberle, senior and Senate Treasurer, said “(Bush) only solidified his position as a lame duck president, as he failed to reach across the aisle during this last address.”

Bush proposed that Congress do more than just reduce oil consumption by trusting in the creativity of American scientists and engineers.

“Let us fund new technologies that can generate coal power while capturing carbon emissions,” Bush said. “Let us increase the use of renewable power and emissions-free nuclear power. Let us continue investing in advanced battery technology and renewable fuels to power the cars and trucks of the future.”

Security and the war on terror dominated the end of his speech, as he described the present state of the war as “the defining ideological struggle of the 21st century.”

“The terrorists oppose every principle of humanity and decency that we hold dear,” Bush said. “Yet in this war on terror, there is one thing we and our enemies agree on: In the long run, men and women who are free to determine their own destinies will reject terror and refuse to live in tyranny.”

A major theme in his speech was trust, trust in people, trust in science, trust in politics, trying to keep an optimistic and hopeful tone to his final State of the Union address.

“By trusting the people, our Founders wagered that a great and noble nation could be built on the liberty that resides in the hearts of all men and women. By trusting the people, succeeding generations transformed our fragile young democracy into the most powerful nation on Earth and a beacon of hope for millions,” Bush said. “And so long as we continue to trust the people, our nation will prosper, our liberty will be secure, and the state of our Union will remain strong.