Two reasons I'm posting today: I wanted to let our members know that the President took a question at his press conference in Germany today which illuminates his latest thinking on climate change solutions. I'm cutting and pasting the question and answer below from ClimateProgess.org, one of the most informative blogs on climate change and politices around.
Also -- Mt Vernon Citizens for Sustainable Energy has decided to reschedule our last Climate Action Wine and Cheese Event. We've had three great events this winter/spring -- starting with an excellent evening with speaker Amy Salzman of the White House environment office, and ending with two action nights at Mt. Vernon Unitarian Church. Most of our members are fully booked with end of school year events and parties, graduations, confirmations etc etc -- so we are going to reschedule our next event for September. Our wonderful and inspiring speaker John Passacantando has agreed to reschedule for the fall. We want to make sure that as many members as possible have the opportunity to come out and hear our national recognized speaker.
Now, here's the post from Climate Progress. Looks like we are still headed in the right direction!
Obama on climate action: “We’re going to have to make some tough decisions and take concrete actions if we are going to deal with a potentially cataclysmic disaster”
President Obama was asked a question today on global warming at his press conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel:
Q: And another political issue, if I may. Madam Chancellor, climate change. Germany, Europe are putting concrete targets on the agenda, concrete reduction targets. Will America in the post-Kyoto process be willing to commit itself to concrete reduction targets? Or are you pursuing a different kind of approach, Mr. President, similar to you predecessor in office?
Obama: In terms of climate change, ultimately the world is going to need targets that it can meet. It can’t be general, vague approaches. We’re going to have to make some tough decisions and take concrete actions if we are going to deal with a potentially cataclysmic disaster. And we are seeing progress in Congress around energy legislation that would set up for the first time in the United States a cap and trade system. That process is moving forward in ways that I think if you had asked political experts two or three months ago would have seemed impossible.
So I’m actually more optimistic than I was about America being able to take leadership on this issue, joining Europe, which over the last several years has been ahead of us on this issue.
As I told Chancellor Merkel, unless the United States and Europe, with our large carbon footprints, per capita carbon footprints, are willing to take some decisive steps, it’s going to be very difficult for us to persuade countries that on a per capita basis at least are still much less wealthy, like China or India, to take the steps that they’re going to need to take in controlling carbon emissions.
So we are very committed to working together and hopeful that we can arrive in Copenhagen having displayed that commitment in concrete ways.
Also -- Mt Vernon Citizens for Sustainable Energy has decided to reschedule our last Climate Action Wine and Cheese Event. We've had three great events this winter/spring -- starting with an excellent evening with speaker Amy Salzman of the White House environment office, and ending with two action nights at Mt. Vernon Unitarian Church. Most of our members are fully booked with end of school year events and parties, graduations, confirmations etc etc -- so we are going to reschedule our next event for September. Our wonderful and inspiring speaker John Passacantando has agreed to reschedule for the fall. We want to make sure that as many members as possible have the opportunity to come out and hear our national recognized speaker.
Now, here's the post from Climate Progress. Looks like we are still headed in the right direction!
Obama on climate action: “We’re going to have to make some tough decisions and take concrete actions if we are going to deal with a potentially cataclysmic disaster”
President Obama was asked a question today on global warming at his press conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel:
Q: And another political issue, if I may. Madam Chancellor, climate change. Germany, Europe are putting concrete targets on the agenda, concrete reduction targets. Will America in the post-Kyoto process be willing to commit itself to concrete reduction targets? Or are you pursuing a different kind of approach, Mr. President, similar to you predecessor in office?
Obama: In terms of climate change, ultimately the world is going to need targets that it can meet. It can’t be general, vague approaches. We’re going to have to make some tough decisions and take concrete actions if we are going to deal with a potentially cataclysmic disaster. And we are seeing progress in Congress around energy legislation that would set up for the first time in the United States a cap and trade system. That process is moving forward in ways that I think if you had asked political experts two or three months ago would have seemed impossible.
So I’m actually more optimistic than I was about America being able to take leadership on this issue, joining Europe, which over the last several years has been ahead of us on this issue.
As I told Chancellor Merkel, unless the United States and Europe, with our large carbon footprints, per capita carbon footprints, are willing to take some decisive steps, it’s going to be very difficult for us to persuade countries that on a per capita basis at least are still much less wealthy, like China or India, to take the steps that they’re going to need to take in controlling carbon emissions.
So we are very committed to working together and hopeful that we can arrive in Copenhagen having displayed that commitment in concrete ways.
