In case you missed the big news in the wake of your Thanksgiving celebration, President Obama is, in fact, planning to travel to Copenhagen next month to deliver a speech and participate in the United Nations Climate Change Conference! Armed with a tentative plan and an emissions reduction target for the US, Obama’s trip is a great sign of leadership and a chance to achieve a global commitment towards reducing the effects of climate change. Now this is truly something to be thankful for!
Obama plans to travel to Copenhagen on Dec. 9th near the beginning of the conference, where he will deliver a speech to the delegates about the US’s commitment counteracting climate change. The President will propose an emissions reduction target for the US of 17% below 2005 levels by 2020. This also includes a 30% reduction by 2025, a 42% reduction by 2030, and an 83% reduction in 2050. As the White House says, “This provisional target is in line with current legislation in both chambers of Congress and demonstrates a significant contribution to a problem that the U.S. has neglected for too long.”
After his speech to the delegation, President Obama will travel on to Oslo, Norway to accept the Nobel Peace Prize on December 10th. Some may argue that a 17% reduction target is not aggressive enough, but the fact that Obama is attending will spur on the talks and encourage the world to come to agreement quicker. The White House also says, “With less than two weeks to go until the beginning of the Copenhagen conference, it is essential that the countries of the world, led by the major economies, do what it takes to produce a strong, operational agreement that will both launch us on a concerted effort to combat climate change and serve as a stepping stone to a legally binding treaty.”
Additionally, a host of Cabinet secretaries and other top officials, like Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, Commerce Secretary Gary Locke, Energy Secretary Steven Chu, and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa P. Jackson, will attend the conference and give speeches, adding legitimacy to the efforts of the US as well as spurring on the discussions to achieve an agreement.
Via The White House
Photos from The White House
Barack Obama the best variant of the president for America. Soon elections and I will necessarily vote for it. Whatever spoke, but Barack one of the most influential figures in the world.
Barack Obama the best variant of the president for America. Soon elections and I am obligatory буде to vote for it. Whatever spoke, but Barackone of the most influential figures in the world.
Well. I like Obama, but it’s insane how many peoples he is going to bring over here to Norway. According to the Norwegian press, in addition to Air Force One, there will be 5 more planes to carry 700 of his people, helicopters and limousines. 200 of these people are bodyguards. That seems like a lot, since Oslo is a rather small city compared to an American city, and the police are going to put out about 1000 officers in addition. Here in Norway, which is a pretty rich country, people get angry if the prime minister has used like $10million in private jets during a year, talk about big brother huh?
One good think is that President Obama is making 2 stops in one trip. That is a reduction of carbon footprint vs. making two separate trips. I still don’t believe that showing up in person is necessary with today’s technology. Think of all the information we recieve on television or cable and over the internet without attending actual events. Teleconferencing is very affective and accepted in venues worldwide. The more we utilize this technology, the lower the carbon footprint.
Give him a break. The reason that Obama can’t do more about CO2 is that the economy is in the toilet, and any perception that he cares more about the environment than he does about the American Worker could doom his presidency in 2012.
In that case, you’d be stuck with Sarah Palin or Mike Huckabee. How much do you think *they’ll* pledge to reduce emissions by?
To restore his declining popularity worldwide (even he was surprised by winning the Nobel Prize), Obama needs to attend and deliver a convincng speech in Copenhagen outlining the US,s commitment to reducing the ffects of Climate Change.
If our climate changes, then our landscape also changes
I like Inhabitat reporting because it’s always positive, but this report really comes across as naive. The tardiness of Obama’s commitment speaks volumes and the strength of his commitment is far, far, less than what is needed. Shame.
Thinking about the bigger (carbon footprint) picture, wouldn’t it be great if President Obama could teleconference his speech in Copenhagen? And his acceptance speech in Oslo, Norway? They could email a PDF of his Nobel Peace Prize and ship it to him on a flight that’s already headed to the US. We would never see the actual award, only video or photos of it. This would have a huge impact regarding the seriousness of carbon reduction & global warming. Just think about the carbon footprint generated just getting Air Force One ready for flight.
Looking at the bigger (carbon footprint) picture, wouldn’t it be great if Obama could teleconference his speech in Copenhagen, and in Oslo, Norway? Then have Norway email a PDF of his Nobel Peace Prize? After all, we will never see the actual award. We will only see videos or photos of it. They could ship the award to him later on a flight that’s already headed to the US. What a huge message this would send about the seriousness of carbon reduction! Think about the combined carbon footprint generated just getting Air Force One ready for flight.
I’m sorry but, the reality is Obama is clueless. He talks a great plan but he dosen’t have one. He is being led about by others with private agendas and he just does not grasp the fallout of his action or inaction. The truth is somewhere between the extremes of what each group, pro and con global warming, is presenting. Follow the money.