America Rejoins the World

Los Angeles -- Today, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is hosting a bi-partisan, international Governor's Climate Summit in Los Angeles, and I have just obtained a copy of the taped remarks that President-Elect Obama will deliver. In these remarks, Obama repeats his commitment to an 80% reduction in greenhouse gases by 2050, and an ambitious $15 billion-per-year investment in clean energy technologies and solutions. Thus Obama strongly signals that the U.S. will rejoin the world, stating that even though he will not be President when the international community meets next month in Poland, he will be there in spirit. "While the United States has only one President at a time, I've asked members of Congress who are attending the conference as observers to report back to me on what they learn there. And once I take office, you can be sure that the United States will once again engage vigorously in these negotiations, and will help lead the world toward a new era of global cooperation on climate change."

Obama goes on to make clear to the Governors, business leaders, and international delegates present in Los Angeles today that the era of federal resistance to their leadership on climate and energy is going to end on January 20. "When I am President, any governor who's willing to promote clean energy will have a partner in the White House. Any company that's willing to invest in clean energy will have an ally in Washington. And any nation that's willing to join the cause of combating climate change will have an ally in the United States of America."

See the President-Elect's remarks here.

Follow Carl Pope on Twitter: www.twitter.com/CarlPope