Obama: Time to “Redouble our Efforts” on Climate Change Before Copenhagen
EmailABC's Sunlen Miller and Z. Byron Wolf report:
President Obama today said that efforts need to be redoubled in order to make progress at the Copenhagen climate change summit next month in December.
"And all of us agreed that it was imperative for us to redouble our efforts in the weeks between now and the Copenhagen meeting, to assure that we create a framework for progress in dealing with what is a potential ecologic disaster."
The President spoke today at the end of the U.S.-European Union Summit in the Cabinet Room with the Prime Minister of Sweden Fredrik Reinfeldt, President of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso, and the European Council High Representative Javier Solana.
The leaders emerged from their hour-long meeting today confident about the status of the climate change negotiations that will culminate next month in Copenhagen. The summit will attempt to replace the Kyoto Protocol which expires in 2010.
"Regarding climate change I want to tell that I am more confident now than I was in days before," Barroso said, "President Obama changed the climate on the climate negotiations because with the strong leadership of United States we can indeed make an agreement. We are working toward a framework agreement in Copenhagen that will be an important agreement for the world."
Domestically the President is facing an uphill battle on climate change.
Today Republicans boycotted a Senate committee debate on climate change legislation arguing that the EPA has not sufficiently modeled exactly what the effect of cap and trade legislation championed by the Democrats will have. Committee Democrats carried on with the session anyway, skirting committee rules, which would seem to require two minority party members to reach a quorum.
Senator Barbara Boxer, D-Calif, who chairs the Senate Environment Committee, touted a letter released today by the US Chamber of Commerce.
In the letter, the Chamber endorsed a bipartisan approach to climate change legislation like the one recently endorsed by Sens. John Kerry, D-Mass, and Lindsey Graham, R-SC. Kerry is a cosponsor with Boxer of climate change legislation, but the Chamber wants to see it changed to reflect the views of Republicans and others. Boxer called the letter a "game changer."
The Chamber has come under fire from some of its members for not promoting climate change legislation. Apple recently left the organization over the issue.
The Republican boycott of the committee hearings will likely still continue, until the EPA has another examination of the Democratically proposed legislation.
-Sunlen Miller and Z Byron Wolf
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President Obama today said that efforts need to be redoubled in order to make progress at the Copenhagen climate change summit next month in December.
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Then he popped in his helicopter to take him to his 747 to fly him to his motorcade to drive him to talk about education in Wisconsin for an hour.
Posted by: MayBee | November 3, 2009, 6:55 pm 6:55 pm
If it costs billions Obama is for it, most scientists now believe its a natural cycle of the earth and universe so why in the last 10 years have we seen a cooling off of the earth and does that mean we have an ice age comming.
Posted by: earl | November 3, 2009, 6:56 pm 6:56 pm
Just what we need…more legislation. You can’t STOP climate from changing. Perhaps people should read Michael Crichton’s “State of Fear”. Although it is a work of fiction, it is heavy on facts and shows what can happen when you try to keep the climate exactly the way it is today… unintended consequences. But then our government is great at that. Everything they do has unintended consequences which are usually worse than what they were trying to fix.
Posted by: ellsbells930 | November 3, 2009, 6:58 pm 6:58 pm
“most scientists now believe its a natural cycle of the earth”
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Nonsense earl. Show us your ‘proof’ that ‘most’ scientists don’t believe in greenhouse gases and global warming.
Posted by: tierra | November 3, 2009, 7:02 pm 7:02 pm
pulease…create one private sector job. we dont need anymore pelosis or van jones. just put people to work and not on the govt payroll.
Posted by: catman | November 3, 2009, 7:09 pm 7:09 pm
Obama should stop polluting the air with his cigarette smoke.
And he should stop eating his expensive steaks and feeding his dog birthday cake made of baby cows.
Cow gas is more toxic to the air than CO2.
When are Al Gore and Obama going to stop eating meat? Hypocrites
Posted by: ollie | November 3, 2009, 7:13 pm 7:13 pm
“And he should stop eating his expensive steaks”
_____________________________________
Lots of people think it’s a very good idea to cut down on the amount of meat in one’s diet.
Posted by: tierra | November 3, 2009, 7:19 pm 7:19 pm
I would rather you did some research on your own the internet is quite useful for that also. Or you might check with Al Gore afterall He He He HE He did invent the internet.
Posted by: earl | November 3, 2009, 7:29 pm 7:29 pm
“I would rather you did some research on your own the internet is quite useful for that also.”
IOW, earl was just repeating a right wing talking point and has no idea how to prove it.
Posted by: Ryan C | November 3, 2009, 7:37 pm 7:37 pm
“most scientists now believe its a natural cycle of the earth”
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Nonsense earl. Show us your ‘proof’ that ‘most’ scientists don’t believe in greenhouse gases and global warming.
earl you should learn to back up your statements with facts and references . .. proof.
When you can’t provide facts to back up your claims, you come off as uninformed and not believable.
Again, an invitation for you to show your source for the claim ‘most’ scientists don’t believe in greenhouse gases and global warming.
Posted by: tierra | November 3, 2009, 7:37 pm 7:37 pm
It looks like Mr. Obama’s decision for the “necessary war” is almost official: Mr. Obama will give half of what General McChrystal requested, with a clear option to blame Mr. Bush if it fails.
Posted by: young_voter | November 3, 2009, 7:54 pm 7:54 pm
You go Obama! Keep listening to that waco Gore. That should solidify your one term presidency.
Posted by: fred | November 3, 2009, 8:11 pm 8:11 pm
America badly needs a carbon tax, or even a straight up energy tax as a matter of national security. It is disgusting that we have to grovel to the Saudis or play nursemaid to the entire middle east, but our utter dependence on oil requires it regardless of the party in power. The free market is the tool to get America off oil – levy a tax so the market price includes the TRUE cost of oil, including externalities. The entire Iraq war would never had happened if we hadn’t had to stabilize the region due to our dependence on oil; if not for oil we’d tsk about the tragedy and keep our boys home, just like Africa. Climate change, as defined by the actual data summarized by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change for over 30 years (the scientific community never called it global warming, and Al Gore is by no means a leading researcher), is real and also carries external costs.
The addition to oil is killing America and needs to be dealt with. A carbon tax is the best way to harness the free market to achieve that (as opposed to things like the government dictating nuclear is the way to go, or solar, or wind – cost in the externalities and let the market optimize).
Posted by: jhw539 | November 3, 2009, 8:33 pm 8:33 pm
“”I am absolutely confident that we are going to get health care done by the end of this year, and Nancy Pelosi is just as confident.”
–Barack Hussein Obama, October 27, 2009
Posted by: Fascist Hyena | November 3, 2009, 8:40 pm 8:40 pm
Virginia voters have just given the Republican party a thumping, humiliating sweep of all three statewide offices on the ballot: Governor, Lt. Governor and Attorney General.
Posted by: Fascist Hyena | November 3, 2009, 8:41 pm 8:41 pm
Virginia voters have just given the Republican party a thumping, humiliating sweep
Fascist Hyena | Nov 3, 2009 8:41:21 PM
Virgina voted Republican? Shocking!
Posted by: jhw539 | November 3, 2009, 8:44 pm 8:44 pm
MSNBC:
“Democrats should heed a warning inside the numbers in the Virginia gubernatorial race — independent drift and a significant drop off among young voters.
“In 2008, candidate Obama won independent voters in Virginia, 49%-48%, according to exit polls. But the exits in this year’s contest show that independents abandoned Creigh Deeds (D) and went overwhelmingly for the Republican, Bob McDonnell, 62%-37%.”
Gallup Obama approval among all adults, November 3, 2003: 50.0%.
Fifty point Oh Percent. Roll it around your tongue.
Posted by: Fascist Hyena | November 3, 2009, 8:44 pm 8:44 pm
Look around people. Drive past what use to be thriving factories and you’ll see empty parking lots and their workers eeking by with unemployment benefits.
Obama is taking care of any stuff we might send into the air or water by collapsing our economy.(No production=no pollution but plenty of fresh new Government dependents).
In the meantime, factories that belch smoke and taint the water are overseas in countries that WILL NOT cower to global warming alarmist.
Posted by: david | November 3, 2009, 8:48 pm 8:48 pm
Fifty point Oh Percent. Roll it around your tongue.
Fascist Hyena | Nov 3, 2009 8:44:49 PM
Oh panic – his rating is about as low as Reagan at this point in his first term and only five points higher than Clinton. Scary.
Posted by: jhw539 | November 3, 2009, 9:11 pm 9:11 pm
breaking news ..left wing media socialist and Odumba supporters getting dizzy from trying to spin something good out this election
TONIGHT: RESULTS…
REPUBLICAN TAKES VA: 856,844 McDonnell [R] 554,510 [D]
NJ: 207,647 Christie [R] 154,146 Corzine [D] 21,697 Daggett [I]
NY: 9 PM Hoffman [C] Owens [D]
ABCNEWS: Vast Economic Discontent Spells Trouble for Dems in 2010…
Posted by: mickey maoist | November 3, 2009, 9:13 pm 9:13 pm
To the state of Virginia
A huge Thank You
Posted by: bailey | November 3, 2009, 9:18 pm 9:18 pm
jwh..yeah right. carbon tax do you think China will institute such a stupid tax on themselves? absolutely not in fact they would welcome your stupid plan so we will have to outsource even more of our industrial commerce to them.
Posted by: marty | November 3, 2009, 9:19 pm 9:19 pm
Another product of woodshed politics, Chicago-style:
“Senator Barbara Boxer, D-Calif, who chairs the Senate Environment Committee, touted a letter released today by the US Chamber of Commerce.”
Youse don’ gud, Chamber, so youse can keep yer kneecaps awhile longer.
Posted by: TParty4USA | November 3, 2009, 9:21 pm 9:21 pm
Then he popped in his helicopter to take him to his 747 to fly him to his motorcade to drive him to talk about education in Wisconsin for an hour.
Posted by: MayBee | Nov 3, 2009 6:55:29 PM
Priceless.
Posted by: Visualize Whirled Peas | November 3, 2009, 9:27 pm 9:27 pm
Yes, President Obama! Please DO redouble your efforts to kneecap the economy so that voters can redouble their efforts to purge liberal Democrats from their jobs.
Posted by: Mary | November 3, 2009, 9:32 pm 9:32 pm
Posted by: jhw539 | Nov 3, 2009 8:33:32 PM
Carbon tax sounds simple enough in theory but if Congress is going to be in charge of distributing these taxes, I’m suspicious, especially if it goes into the general fund. Can we trust them after their track record with everything else?
Posted by: Visualize Whirled Peas | November 3, 2009, 9:44 pm 9:44 pm
earl. Show us your ‘proof’ that ‘most’ scientists don’t believe in greenhouse gases and global warming.
“I would rather you did some research on your own the internet is quite useful for that also.”
IOW, earl was just repeating a right wing talking point and has no idea how to prove it.
Posted by: Ryan C | Nov 3, 2009 7:37:07 PM
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Yes, and not a single right winger has come to his rescue with the supporting proof that ‘most’ scientists don’t believe in greenhouses and global warming.
Posted by: tierra | November 3, 2009, 9:55 pm 9:55 pm
A very stunning, thoroughly satisfying and humiliating rout of the Democrats occurred today.
Let the warning be heard. If necessary, the lesson will be repeated.
Posted by: Fascist Hyena | November 3, 2009, 10:23 pm 10:23 pm
A very stunning, thoroughly satisfying and humiliating rout of the Democrats occurred today.
Posted by: Fascist Hyena | Nov 3, 2009 10:23:29 PM
____________________________________
Not really. You’re wrong again Fascist. Not unusual.
ALBANY, N.Y. — Democrat Bill Owens has captured the special election for a New York congressional seat that became a fight over the identity of the Republican Party.
Owens defeated Conservative Doug Hoffman.
Hoffman has conceded the race.
Posted by: tierra | November 4, 2009, 12:34 am 12:34 am
Gallup Obama approval among all adults, November 3, 2003: 50.0%.
Fifty point Oh Percent. Roll it around your tongue.
Posted by: Fascist Hyena | Nov 3, 2009 8:44:49 PM
This is the ninth time Obama has been at 50% in the Gallup daily polls, and he has always surged back to 54% – 56% within a week. Let’s see if he pulls it off again.
Posted by: Numeros | November 4, 2009, 2:52 am 2:52 am
Pile on the bills Obama! Why not. AGW is a bunch of crap and everybody knows it. Tierra, yes there is global warming and greenhouse gases, but man-made global warming is BS and is making Gore and his buddies rich and nothing more. We are so arrogant that we believe man is actually changing our climate? Funny, maybe we should make it rain in Africa and begin growing crops there.
Posted by: lfrichar | November 4, 2009, 9:07 am 9:07 am
After all we have seen and heard in recent years, does anyone really think our health, happiness and well being depend upon which of two crime syndicates controls Congress or the White House? Politicians are inherently self-serving, and we are forced, under threat of violence, to pay for their largesse. The winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature, Harold Pinter said, “What surrounds us therefore is a vast tapestry of lies, upon which we feed.” My question is, aren’t you full yet?
Posted by: H5mind | November 4, 2009, 9:19 am 9:19 am
It’s good to see the President reclaiming a leadership stance on this issue. We should have a carbon cap in the United States; it will create incentive to invest in energy efficiency (which will save us all money in the long run) and sustainable, clean energy. I don’t understand why people insist on continuing to rely on dirty, finite fossil fuels which, in the case of foreign oil, are subject to huge price swings. We should implement a carbon cap, diversify our energy portfolio, and create more renewable energy right here at home. Plus, those billions of dollars that we send overseas for our energy could be invested in the US, and we can grow new sectors of the job market. A carbon cap isn’t rocket science; you just have to recognize the dangers climate change presents and the opportunities a clean energy economy would bring.
Posted by: PJ85 | November 4, 2009, 11:17 am 11:17 am
“We are so arrogant that we believe man is actually changing our climate?”
Do you also deny that the hole in the ozone layer was caused mainly by human activity? Or perhaps you even deny that the hole in the ozone layer is real?
Posted by: WWW | November 4, 2009, 1:33 pm 1:33 pm