BANGKOK, November 14 (IslamOnline.net) - Greenpeace group Friday, November 14, labelled U.S. President George W. Bush's administration as the worst performer on the history of environmental policy.

"The Bush administration is the worst in terms of the environment ever since there was something like environmental policy," Greenpeace chief Gerd Leipold was quoted by Agence France Presse (AFP) as saying in a press briefing in the Thai capital.

The world's increasing consumption of fossil fuels was mostly due to the habits of the western world, particularly the United States which is responsible for one quarter of carbon dioxide emissions, said Leipold.

He warned that the U.S. refusal to sign the Kyoto protocol would have disastrous effects on the rest of the world, while domestically it had enthusiastically embraced an "anti-environmental" course.

"It just shows the huge discrepancy between taking advantage of a natural resource, but not taking responsibility,” continued the Greenpeace chief.

He cited that the U.S. government, under President Bush, had clearly said that they would not sign the protocol because “the American way of life is not up for discussion”.

"Well, that's easy for him to say... The consequences, however, will be first and mostly felt elsewhere," he said, adding that large parts of Bangladesh along with Pacific islands were threatened by an expected rise in sea levels.

Leipold said these consequences do rather pose a serious question of justice.

“Is it fair that the rich exploit a natural resource... and that others pay the cost for it?" he wondered.

Kyoto is the only international accord that aims at reducing volumes of "greenhouse gas" pollution, the carbon by-product of burning fossil fuels that builds up solar heat in the atmosphere.

Scientists say this is causing Earth's air, land and oceans to warm slowly but steadily.

The protocol's framework was decided in 1997, but it took five years to decide on its complex rulebook.

The agreement was almost destroyed in 2001 after it was abandoned by Bush, who contended it was too costly for the oil-dependent U.S. economy and unfair because it does not bind developing countries to emissions cuts.

Leopold said the high levels of consumption in the developed world were putting severe strain on the global environment.

"It's a very serious question of what level of wealth is affordable worldwide, and I think certainly the U.S. level of wealth and consumption if expanded to the whole world would lead to environmental catastrophe," he said.

Many groups across the world voiced concerns over the issue. The organizers of fourth annual "Oscar" award show on the environment held this week in Austria said they wanted to create publicity for projects that seek to conserve energy to protect the environment by combating global warming and the depletion of the earth's natural resources.

The ex-U.S. Naval reserve vessel Canisteo joined the Caloosahatchee at Able UK's Hartlepool yard on Thursday, where they will spend at least the next few months according to the BBC NewsOnline.

Able UK, which decommissions oil rigs, has won an £11m contract from the U.S. authorities to decommission the disused vessels and has said the future of the site depended on being allowed to complete the contract, the BBC NewsOnline added.

Environmentalists on both sides of the Atlantic have criticized the deal, saying waste should be dealt with at source.

campaigners staged an "unwelcoming party" in protest as the 15,000 ton Caloosahatchee arrived off the mouth of the River two days earlier.

The protestors said the vessels contained asbestos and other toxic materials.