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Official: Obama to attend climate-change summit
Obama reaches out to China to solve global warming in Copenhagen.
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Background:
In December, the world's leaders will travel to Copenhagen to discuss global action to stop the devastating effects of climate change.
Learn more about what the states are doing.
Copenhagen could be the turning point on global warming.
We’ve got a chance to make the United Nations’ summit on global warming in Copenhagen this December a world-changing event—reshaping politics like the lunar landing, the Berlin Wall, or the end of Apartheid. But we’ve got our work cut out for us.
All the work we’ve done on global warming for the last 30 years is coming to a head. The research, public education and all our outreach will be put to the test as President Barack Obama and the rest of the world’s premiers, prime ministers, and presidents try to agree on a course to solve global warming.
Twelve years ago, we failed to get the job done in Kyoto—and the United States was a big part of that failure. We can’t get into the “who will commit first” game between the United States, China and India. We need to act swiftly and boldly.
President Obama gives us hope, but needs more support.
Luckily, we have the best environmental president we’ve ever had representing us in Copenhagen. He’s already directed the EPA to expand emission standards for cars to slash pollution—including carbon dioxide, and called on Congress to make bold steps to invest in clean energy and cap greenhouse gas emissions.
But unfortunately, the president’s progressive agenda has been stymied by partisan bickering and reactionary politics. President Obama’s visionary global warming and energy plan is getting bogged down by powerful special interests—coal and oil companies—as well as stick-in-the-mud politicians. Clearly, the president’s hand will be strongest in Copenhagen if we can pass a comprehensive energy and global warming bill in Congress, but it’s not the only way the United States can show progress on the fight against global warming.
