Obama to shift focus to climate change

[bananas]

Source: LA Times

Reporting from Washington - After months of almost single-minded focus on healthcare, President Obama is about to shift the White House spotlight to global warming -- first with a speech to the United Nations in New York on Tuesday, then later in the week at the G-20 economic conference in Pittsburgh.

The renewed emphasis on climate change and reducing carbon dioxide emissions comes at a crucial time: Negotiators are entering the home stretch in a drive to unveil a comprehensive international agreement to curb rising temperatures at a December conference in Copenhagen.

With key divisions remaining among the major industrialized nations, as well as with developing industrial powers and poorer nations, there is concern that negotiations leading up to Copenhagen could be bogging down. Obama administration officials, while admitting the seriousness of the challenges, hold out hope for a deal.

Here are nine hurdles facing Obama and his counterparts:

<snip>

Read more: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-climate21-2009sep21,0,7997842.story

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Photo with article:

Thousands of climate change activists gather in New York's Central Park to form a human sculpture depicting Earth trapped inside an hourglass. The event, organized by Oxfam, comes two days before President Obama and other heads of state meet at the United Nations to discuss climate change. (Afton Almaraz, Associated Press / September 20, 2009)

Via http://climateprogress.org/2009/09/21/energy-and-global-warming-news-for-september-21st-obama-to-shift-focus-as-climate-talks-approach/

[Ian David]

1. Imma let you finish, but Al Gore gave the best Global Warming speech of all time. n/t

[NYC_SKP]

2. .!.

:P

[nyy1998]

4. LMAO

:D :rofl:

[lysosome]

3. Oh fan fucking tastick

If this goes the way the health care legislation goes, with compromise and bipartisanship, we'll give billions to the oil companies and make them burn oil.
Not that that would be too different from what we have now.

[zogtheobvious]

5. Yup.... and car ownership will become mandatory

[lysosome]

8. ROLF!! The blue dogs will chase it. But what will they do when they catch it.

[zogtheobvious]

11. They do get it in gear for their corporate interests, don't they?

(Dude... I totally made you rolf! ;) )

[NecklyTyler]

6. Global warming is a problem that has to be addressed.

The United States needs to show leadership in curbing this catastrophe that is assaulting our planet. Other countries will do nothing unless they see us go first.

[lysosome]

9. Better late than never, I suppose.

[PaulaFarrell]

12. Believe it or not, other countries ARE already doing things

Maybe not enough, but something at least. In the vacuum left by Bush's leadership, the entire world did not completely sit on its hands and say, oh well, I guess there's nothing little ol US can do....

The biggest issues are China and India, but let's be honest, the only reason their emssions are expanding so much is that the west has basically outsourced everything there.

[NecklyTyler]

7. K&R

[Earth_First]

10. Can we focus on one issue at a time?

I understand that each is just as important as the next. However, I'd prefer to see the healthcare debate cleared first.

[natrat]

13. ironic coming from someone named eart first

doesn't mean shit anyway because like the health care the environment is done and its not coming back. This country won't have enough money to bury its dead let alone trying to keep people healthy. What a fucking joke . On the verge of a cliff

[Skittles]

14. I don't think Obama has that luxury

everything was left in such a fucking mess