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Obama, Schwarzenegger pledge to fight global warming

November 20th, 2008, 4:43 pm · 9 Comments · posted by Pat Brennan, green living, environment editor

YouTube Preview ImagePresident-elect Barack Obama called for cuts in greenhouse gases and even outlined a plan that includes a market-based approach in a videotaped speech to an international climate summit meeting this week in Beverly Hills.

“The science is beyond dispute,” Obama said in the video statement. “The facts are clear. Sea levels are rising. Coastlines are shrinking. We’ve seen record drought, spreading famine and storms that grow stronger with each passing hurricane season.”

Left unaddressed, he said, climate change and dependence on foreign oil would weaken the economy and threaten national security.

Obama called for a federal cap-and-trade system for reducing emissions, and said his goal was to reduce emissions to 1990 levels by 2020, and another 80 percent by 2050.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger was there, and the group of Republican and Democratic governors, along with leaders from Mexico, Canada, Brazil and Indonesia,  signed a statement pledging cooperation among states and provinces on efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

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Schwarzenegger, who also has called for greenhouse gas reductions, said he organized the meeting to show leaders in other nations that cutting greenhouse gases is possible without harming the economy.

A majority of climate scientists say humanity’s emissions of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, are driving climate change, and even in a struggling economy, cutting these emissions could emerge as a top priority for the new administration.

(The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

Kevin Kelleher on Earth2tech wonders if Obama can really fight global warming in a “tanking” economy.

The Heritage Foundation sharply criticized Obama’s proposal, calling it fearmongering and suggesting it could worsen economic troubles, according to Dave Eberhart on a site called “Climate Change Fraud.”

And on the Natural Resources Defense Council’s Switchboard, blogger Peter Miller said Obama looked very presidential as he demonstrated an “unambiguous commitment” to greenhouse gas reductions.

We’d like to hear your comments.

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 9 Comments

  • Marc960 says:
    November 20, 2008 at 6:50 pm

    I keep referring this web address below) because a real climate scientist writes his opinions in a fair manner. This is what is needed, not some politico politicking on the back of fear mongering.

    When I heard that Obama promised to lower the rising sea levels I thought he was referring to another parting of the Red Sea or to give polar bears dry land to hunt seals on.

    Silly me. He is just another politician promising everything to almost everyone with no chance of doing much of anything. There hasn’t been one hint of change yet, except for talk which is the politicians stock in trade,. and carries no value at all.

    Yep change is coming to Washington, the talk is the same and Obama is even hiring all the old Clinton staffers and advisers. Now Al Gore’s speeches are being recycled too. Only the dates are changing so far.

    http://www.phillymag.com/articles/science_al_gore_is_a_greenhouse_gasbag/

  • Joe1 says:
    November 20, 2008 at 7:40 pm

    “The science is beyond dispute,” Obama said in the video statement.

    Onama is an idiot and the news media is complicit and incompetent.

  • MICHAEL says:
    November 20, 2008 at 8:34 pm

    “global warming?’

    what a bunch of bull…

    the clowns who have been hawking “global warming” are the same clowns who were hawking “global cooling” in the 70’s!

    “climate change?”

    Yea, it gets hot in the summer and cold in the winter!

    If RINOld spent half as much time using that line item veto pen in the top drawer of his desk as he spends blathering on about non-existent “global warming”, he’d be doing something constructive.

    Man! Did we get screwed by this guy in 2003 claiming to be a “fiscal conservative” …he’s about as conservative as my cat!

    The only difference in this Lefty and the last Lefty we recalled is his party affiliation.

    And as far as Hussein is concerned, the only “change” anyone is going to realize in four years is the “change” left in their pocket from the higher taxes he and his fellow Lefties in Congress impose on those of us who actually pay taxes…which amounts to only half the population!

    Now, Hussein, about your birth certificate? The Supremes are gonna wanna see it before January 20…if you have nothing to hide, then you shouldn’t have a problem coming up with one! LOL

  • Robert Bobby G says:
    November 20, 2008 at 9:31 pm

    Global warming has been proven to be a farce. That is why the elite left is now calling it climate change. And we have two idiots who believe in this These two clowns are going to spend our tax payer money on wasted science. Follow the money both are after money our money What ever they do will cost the taxpayer money lots of money.

  • ocmom says:
    November 20, 2008 at 10:13 pm

    Obama’s a joke.

  • LMFAO says:
    November 21, 2008 at 4:30 am

    I think we need to focus on global cooling first!! What a bunch of nonsence. Now we can fund Al Gore on more of his BS.

  • Frank Knapp says:
    November 21, 2008 at 6:58 am

    Arnie sucks and so does B.Hussein! Two idiots that fell for the “Global Warming” BS!

    And can anyone tell me why the media has been so silent regarding the Birth Certificate issue with B.Hussein? Fox news is the only one the even mentioned it. More media bias , obviously.

  • Makesnosense says:
    November 21, 2008 at 7:23 am

    If they want to curb gobal warming, shut up the liberal media and the Debtocrats.

  • X-DEM says:
    November 21, 2008 at 7:40 am

    Obama and Arnold better be quick with addressing Global Warming since the Earth is starting to cool and in a few years the battle will be fighting “Global Cooling”! The warming cycle is transitioning to cooling. How arrogant can humans be? Claiming influence over Mother Nature.