President Obama -- America Honors Leaders Not Politicians: Stop Global Warming

This morning, Greenpeace climbers hung a banner on Mt. Rushmore challenging President Obama to show real leadership on global warming. The banner features an unfinished portrait of the President with the message: "America Honors Leaders Not Politicians: Stop Global Warming." We did this as President Obama meets with other G8 leaders in l'Aquila, Italy to discuss the global warming crisis in the lead-up to UN climate treaty negotiations in Copenhagen this December.

Let's be clear. President Obama has done some great things for the environment, including increasing mileage standards for cars and appointing officials to positions of influence who are serious about tackling the climate crisis. But as important as these steps have been to finally getting the United States moving on global warming, they fall short of what scientists say is needed, and thus undermine the international community's confidence in Obama's leadership on the issue ahead of key UN climate negotiations in Copenhagen this December.

Reducing Emissions Now
Obama's position on short-term pollution reduction targets has softened. The best available science indicates that the United States and the developed world must cut emissions by 25-40 percent below 1990 levels by 2020. But the House energy and climate bill, which the president supports, only aims for a 4 percent drop in that time frame, and there are enough offsets in the bill that the big polluters can buy their way out of meaningful action.

The 2020 goal is so important because scientists warn that global warming has already begun to trigger self-reinforcing feedback loops--such as the release of potent greenhouse gases from melting permafrost in the arctic and increased wildfires in southern latitudes--that threaten to damage the atmosphere beyond the point of no return if not addressed immediately.

In the United States, a new report from some 30 government scientists working across 13 agencies made it clear that global warming is a clear and present danger to the country's public health and economic stability. Already, they say the man-made disaster has forced Americans to cope with torrential downpours, rising sea levels, and blistering summer heat waves. If left unchecked, the impacts would be even more severe by the end of the century.

What Obama Can Do Now
The longer we wait to take real action, the harder it will be to slow and reverse the effects of climate change. Greenpeace is calling on the President to use every tool at his disposal, both within and outside Congress, to strengthen U.S. climate policy with scientific integrity, and to take that policy to Copenhagen in December as evidence the U.S. will do what it takes to solve the climate crisis.

Specifically, Greenpeace is calling on the President to commit to:

-keeping temperatures as far below a 2°C Celsius increase as possible, compared to pre-industrial levels to avert catastrophic climate change;

-peaking global emissions by 2015 and be as close to zero as possible by 2050, compared to 1990 levels;

-reducing emissions in the US at least 40% by 2020, compared to 1990 levels;

-and establishing a funding mechanism that will provide new money, which by 2020 needs to amount to US$106 billion per year, to enable developing countries to mitigate the effects of and adapt to climate change and for forest protection.

These steps may not be politically comfortable but that does not make them any less necessary. They will raise the ire of oil and coal corporations, and those who represent them in Congress. But as the President himself has said, the path to greatness has never been a path for the faint-hearted. For the sake of the future, our generation must follow that path. And we are counting on a leader with the courage to show the way.

Follow Daniel Kessler on Twitter: www.twitter.com/dkess

Comments

[marlovian]

After he stops global warming, BO and congress need to enact laws to forbid Yellowstone from ever erupting and prevent any further shifting of the San Andreas fault line. And maybe rename Death Valley to Paradise Meadows.

[MGhamma]

WWW.realclimate.org, and WWW.skepticalscience.com. Two websites that deal with the science of global warming. Note that there is not one scientist on this thread. Note that all the comments here are political, not scientific.

[Virgil Kane]

I can't believe people still believe the greatest scam ever perpetrated this century. This is all part of the natural warming and cooling cycle of the Earth, this is not a catastrophe, the sky is not falling, Florida and San Francisco will not be underwater by 2030.

I mean remember the other great catastrophes in the last 20 years....the honeybees, Y2K, Global cooling, bird flu, swine flu. They all turned out to be nothing but media hysteria.

[noneIn2008]

What if you are wrong and it really is cooling? Starving people will be a big problem for the world. Should we have some contingency plans? Are you willing to risk an all in bet?

[Javani]

"The 2020 goal is so important because"

Daniel, let me explain.

These years like 2020 or 2050 recur over and over again not because of what some gravy train scientist, I think you mean modeler, says.

These specific years coupled with specific reductions are necessary in order to price futures in carbon credit trading.

The year 2012 is invoked because that is the year Kyoto needs renewal. If Kyoto is not renewed, carbon credits held in 2012 become worthless. Also, as 2012 comes closer and there is no American assurances they will play the carbon credit scam game, European held carbon credits become riskier and riskier. That is why they are demanding more and more urgently American "action."

Also, one plan on their part might be that 2012 renewal is not in the cards. If so, they especially need American action now so they can quickly dump their carbon credits on America for dollars and drop out of the game.

The "loops," that is feedbacks, is sheer scientific witchcraft.

Greenpeace may really believe in them, but the corporate Environment groups like NRDC and EDF (old enron partners) know what the game really is. That is why they were at the lobbying table on the corrupt Waxman bill negotiations. Pew Center for Global Climate Change was their too, a group that has no history outside being an NGO front for cap and trade interests.

[noneIn2008]

You hit it, it is a cap and TRADE bill. The traders like Enron, will make billions on this scheme.

[Javani]

Exactly. It is a market scam.

To the best of my awareness this is the most unique market in terms of government influence. Take wheat or corn futures, for example. Government actions, say ethanol, has some effect on pricing, but mostly traders, tacitly, consider the big ones of supply and demand--how many farmers, weather factors, and the fact people are not going to stop eating corn and wheat. Prices are predictable on real world natural and human factors.

Carbon credits are unique in that they are 100% reliant on government intervention. There is no natural supply or demand for them. There is no industrial use for them, like iron, and they do not preserve value, like gold. Such is why Government action is necessary to create them, and price them. Like any market the players and investors want some certainty, whether in buying them or advising clients to do so. This is why these 2020 and 2050 years are bandied about. They are not arbitrary years, but industry accepted standards for pricing carbon credits.

[RichZ]

keeping temperatures as far below a 2°C Celsius increase as possible,

This is a new thing that keeps cropping up, it is interesting because it originates in an IPCC study which concluded that 2. something degrees was the point at which we sould START to see negative effects. I.E. everything up to that- was positive

longer more productive growing seasons
expanded tropical and temperate habitat.
less energy/def­oristation needed for heating
economic benefits of warmer temps etc.

Unfortunately this optimum temp is far above what Co2 is known to be able to achieve by the IPCC-
and the last 2 years cooling puts us back to zero temp increase since measurements began.
Is there any other way we know of to boost the planets temp that is a little more effective than Co2?

[Sumocat]

America Honors Leaders Not Politicians? Are you kidding? Lincoln was a superb politician, one of the best in history. Thomas Jefferson co-founded the first U.S. political party, the Democratic­-Republica­n Party, which as the name implies, planted the seed for the two-party system we have today. Roosevelt was a true leader, but that was back when Republicans were progressives, a situation that would eliminate much of our current political fighting. And Washington was appointed to the presidency, not elected, so he never had to engage in politics to become our leader.

[JamesA1102]

Well said. While well-intentioned the author is terribly naive.

[JEP57]

I believe some "leader" must have stopped global warming ten years ago because the average global temperature has stabilized over the last ten years and may even be going down. Let's just move on.

[Overtone]

Future cars can pay for themselves by becoming power plants when parked!

The continued use of fossil fuels increases the odds of catastrophic events and imported fuel hurts economic recovery.

Breakthroughs include the MagGen. These magnetic generators will initially make it possible to cut the cord on a plug-in hybrid so it no longer needs to plug-in. Later, they can replace the batteries in an electric car. Then, the MagGen can run when the car is parked and sell power to the utility. Prototypes are under development.

Next is a Self Powered Internal Combustion Engine - SPICE, which can power a hybrid. It will need no fuel and is another path to ending the need to plug-in. The engine can run when parked. Both systems can wirelessly transmit and sell power to the local utility.

The SPICE will be powered by hydrinos - which let a barrel of water equal hundreds of barrels of oil.
Scientists and engineers will doubt these technologies are possible until they have been validated by Independent Laboratories. That is an important step on the agenda.

Until now, car ownership has been an expense. Payments to car owners driving a hybrid with a SPICE, or powered by MagGen, are likely to be substantial.

The cost of many vehicles might be paid for by utilities, as they purchase power.

Parked cars each become decentralized power plants - a rapid, cost-effective path to a rebirth of the automobile industry and the world economy.

[noneIn2008]

But, the Feds continue to insist on implementing the second law of thermodynamics. Once that is overcome, unlimited power is ours.

[econ1]

Unfortunately the Chinese delegate left the meeting so no matter what they do it will be mute.

[noneIn2008]

Maybe time to learn to speak Mandarin?

[stillahippie]

It should be very clear by now unless you are brain dead that unnatural global warming is here now already effecting our climate. I believe we need the the strongest law possible as soon as possible. If any one is interested here is the phone number of the senate EPW committee nothing will get done unless the senate is deluged with calls, Majority Dems 202-224-8832 minority GOP 202-224-6176 there is also the senate energy committee at 202-224-4971 and you mightwant to call your senator

[seekingtounderstand]

President Obama should consider taxing those visting the USA for Vacations and those that want to be permanent visitors. We are talking about a large number of people and it would generate a lot of tax dollars that we could use towards green agenda. $20 per person would really add up.

[JanBjernfalk]

What is a "permanent visitor"? Don't we already have taxes that apply to them folks? Besides, last I checked, the govt fees associated with getting a green card were over $1000 ... and the card is already "green".