SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER

Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.

* indicates required
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
The Progressive

NewsWire

A project of Common Dreams

For Immediate Release
Contact:

Nick Berning, 202-222-0748

Obama's Commitment to Tackle Global Warming Welcomed, But He Must Go Further

WASHINGTON

President-elect
Barack Obama spoke via video to the bipartisan "Governors' Climate
Summit" in California today, announcing a climate change agenda
consistent with the one he outlined during his campaign.

Friends of the Earth
President Brent Blackwelder had the following response:

"After eight
years of failed leadership from an administration that did all it could to
stand in the way of progress, Barack Obama's commitment to tackle global
warming head-on is a welcome change. As his address today indicates,
Obama understands the gravity of the threat, knows that combating global
warming will strengthen our economy, and supports needed solutions, including
investments in clean energy and putting a price on carbon emissions. But
Obama must go further. His current timeline for reducing emissions must
be strengthened-scientists say the U.S. must reduce emissions at least
25 percent below 1990 levels by 2020 (and probably much more than that) if we
are to have a decent shot at avoiding catastrophic warming. In addition,
we must not waste precious resources by spending them on expensive and
inefficient dead-end or nonexistent technologies including nuclear power or
so-called 'clean coal.' Obama is demonstrating leadership on global warming from the get-go.
But the enormity of the task at hand requires him to be even more
aggressive."

Friends of the Earth fights for a more healthy and just world. Together we speak truth to power and expose those who endanger the health of people and the planet for corporate profit. We organize to build long-term political power and campaign to change the rules of our economic and political systems that create injustice and destroy nature.

(202) 783-7400