Interesting European perspective on President Obama's efforts in Copenhagen:
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/6f05c74e-edcf-11de-ba12-00144feab49a.html
Mr Obama has made tackling climate change a domestic priority, promoting clean energy technology in particular as a way to create jobs in the midst of a crippling economic recession.
He might have angered Europe by agreeing a hasty deal with key developing countries and disappointed environmental activists calling for bold action but, by coming home with even a wishy-washy agreement, Mr Obama has deftly given a boost to congressional efforts to limit the US's carbon emissions.
"If anything was clear at the Copenhagen talks it is that the world is waiting for the US to act," said Fred Krupp, president of Environmental Defense Fund, a think-tank. "When it does, President Obama can knit together the historic breakthroughs obscured by the end of the Copenhagen meeting."
Mr Obama had a tricky balancing act to conduct in Copenhagen. He wanted to show the world that the US, after eight years in which the Bush administration ignored climate change, was committed to addressing the problem.
But with Congress a long way from passing legislation to cut carbon emissions in the world's second largest polluter, Mr Obama could not have signed up to any binding agreement.
The many opponents to climate change legislation on Capitol Hill would not be mollified without China and India making concrete promises to cut their own contributions to global warming.
Many analysts said the president skilfully balanced these competing demands.
"President Obama is like a wily gambler who has been dealt some very good political cards. By playing these cards right, he can parlay this hand into big winnings for all Americans," said Daniel Weiss, director of climate strategy at the Center for American Progress, a liberal think-tank.
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