EARTH SUMMIT : Clinton Blasts Bush for U.S. ‘Holdout’ in Rio : Politics: Democrat says he would have signed various treaties. He issues his own ecological position paper.

Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton said Friday President Bush has “abdicated both national and international leadership” on environmental protection, thus isolating the United States as “the lone holdout” at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro.

Referring to criticism from other conference participants that the Administration has been reluctant to wholeheartedly commit the United States to various environmental measures, Clinton said that as President, “I would be signing every one of those documents--proudly.”

At a news conference, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee also said: “George Bush is out of touch with this new era.”

Clinton accused Bush of not understanding that protecting the environment can lead to a “healthier and more prosperous planet.”

He added: “If I had been President over the past year, (Friday’s) ceremonies (in Brazil) would have capped a year of energetic United States leadership rather than a year of grudging participation and general denial of the problems that exist.”

As President, he said he would limit U.S. carbon dioxide emissions to 1990 levels by the turn of the century. Clinton said it is unacceptable for America, with 5% of the world’s population, to continue producing 25% of such emissions.

In a position paper released by his campaign, Clinton also said he would:

- Call on major banks and other multilateral institutions to negotiate “debt-for-nature swaps” with developing countries, allowing them to reduce their debts by setting aside “precious lands.”

- Expand acquisition of new federal parklands and recreational sites.

- Ban drilling in the Arctic National Wilderness Refuge.

- Encourage recycling and promote alternative energy supplies and conservation, including setting a 45 mile-per-gallon Corporate Average Fuel Efficiency target by the year 2000.