Environment News Service: The end of the Bush administration can’t come soon enough for U.S. conservation groups, who believe that the election of Barack Obama has ushered in a “new era of hope” for the environment. “Eight dismal years of environmental abuse and neglect are now coming to an end,” said Betsy Loyless, the National Audubon Society’s senior vice president for policy. Loyless joined other conservation leaders in a telephone briefing with reporters on Thursday, outlining their commitment to …