Nobel Prize Recognizes Link Between Peace and Climate Action

For the second time in three years, the Nobel Peace Prize has highlighted the importance of U.S. leadership in curbing global climate change. The message is unmistakable: our friends and allies around the world are counting on us to lead, while there's still time to act.

In 2007, the prize went to former Vice President Al Gore and the United Nations climate panel for the work both did on climate change. And on Friday, the Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded this year's Peace Prize to President Barack Obama, explicitly citing his efforts to turn back climate change and deal with its effects.

"We cannot accept the growing threat posed by climate change, which could forever damage the world that we pass on to our children - sowing conflict and famine; destroying coastlines and emptying cities," Obama said this morning at the White House in his first public comments on receiving the Peace Prize. "That's why all nations must now accept their share of responsibility for transforming the way that we use energy."

After eight costly years of inaction, the United States has begun to lead.

Since taking office in January, Obama has moved quickly to put climate change near the top of his domestic and international agenda. He's ordered the Environmental Protection Agency to regulate carbon emissions as air pollution. He was instrumental in securing House passage of historic clean energy legislation in June; now he's rightly urging the Senate to pass a companion bill. And he's made climate change a central pillar of his foreign policy agenda, working with other nations on the issue and urging collective action at the important climate change summit in Copenhagen this December.

"Thanks to Obama's initiative, the USA is now playing a more constructive role in meeting the great climatic challenges the world is confronting," the Norwegian Nobel Committee wrote Friday in citing Obama for the Peace Prize.

The committee specifically endorsed Obama's appeal that "Now is the time for all of us to take our share of responsibility for a global response to global challenges."

Obama made those remarks in his Sept. 23 speech to the United Nations General Assembly in New York. He went on, in the very next passage, to identify those challenges, including "melting ice caps and ravaged populations," the sorry result of global climate change.

"The days when America dragged its feet on this issue are over," Obama declared, vowing to move ahead with cuts in carbon emissions, incentives for renewable energy and investments in a new generation of efficient homes, cars and workplaces.

That's exactly what the clean energy legislation before the U.S. would provide. Now the Senate needs to act. Not to please our friends and allies. Not to win a prize. But because passing this legislation will help to generate American jobs, reduce our reliance on foreign oil and create a healthier future for us all.

 

This post originally appeared on NRDC's Switchboard blog.

 

Comments

[rblackbird]

Sea-Ice Monitor shows that on October 11, 2009, Arctic ice extent was 6,379,063 sq. km. Since October 7, 2009 the ice had increased by nearly 500,000 sq. km.

On October 11, 2008, Arctic sea ice extent was 6,569,375 sq. km., less two days ahead of 2009. (10/09/08 = 6,352,344 sq. km.)

On October 11, 2007, Arctic sea-ice extent was 5,302,031 sq. km., over 1 million sq. km. less.

http://www.ijis.iarc.uaf.edu/seaice/extent/plot.csv

[sconehead]

If you accept, like most every other nation, that climate change is the potential catastrophe that it is, then the replacement of Bush with Obama has likely saved millions of lives around the world. His concrete commitment to fighting climate change is already evinced in moves such as the EPA regulation of carbon dioxide, and his participation in the international climate conference at Copenhagen - both are firsts for an American president.

Add to that the "first" of ending torture as a weapon of war, the agreement to end the US occupation of Iraq by 2011 (no different than Kissinger and Le Duc Tho, or Oscar Arias in "action"), and initiating a new era between America and the Muslim world (like Willy Brandt, only without the Ostpolitik name).

[guinganbresil]

http://www.newsweek.com/id/210665

[fumes]

''..saved millions of lives around the world.''

ahem..

it's because of overpopulation that we're in this fix lol..

[Pumpsie]

This article makes absolutely no sense as the Obama Administration has just pulled a Bush move as the Bangkok round ends up, derailing climate change and antagonizing the rest of the world in the process, by making an absurd set of demands at the 11th hour. Why isn't this being reported? Catch Naomi Klein on Democracy Now! with the facts. In action, Barack Obama has been a twin of George W. Bush. Bush was properly excoriated for his deplorable actions but Obama is getting Nobel Prizes...f­or the same actions! Time to wise up.

[Xihuitl]

Naomi Klein on Democracy Now.org --- " .... What I’m working on right now is a piece for Rolling Stone about the climate negotiations leading up to Copenhagen. And one of the things that the Obama administration is being rewarded for with this [Nobel] prize or what Barack Obama is personally being rewarded for in this prize is his supposed breakthroughs on international relations. What we’re actually seeing, as we speak, in Bangkok—this is the final day of two weeks of climate negotiations—has been extraordinarily destructive behavior on the part of the United States government, on the part of the Obama administration, absolutely derailing the climate negotiations in the lead-up to Copenhagen. Developing countries are absolutely shocked by what US climate negotiators have done. They have gone into these talks saying, you know, “We’re back. We want to reengage with the world.” What they’ve actually done is made a series of demands that would destroy the Kyoto Protocol and the binding emission architecture that was set up under Kyoto. So, to reward the Nobel Prize in the context of destroying the climate, where the US is destroying the climate negotiations, or threatening to, to me, is just shocking."
http://www.democracynow.org/2009/10/9/as_us_continues_afghan_iraq_occupations

[Javani]

100% correct this award is about climate change policies.

[S1m0n]

The US still isn't leading; it's catching up. It'll be a little while yet before you're in position to lead.

[andalou]

Some naysayers might say that Obama did NOTHING but attend a parade during his first 12 days of office. Here is a lost speech found that provides the reasons just why he got the prize.

“As your president, I may have a number of plan's that the American people might agree or disagree on, but let this be known; my plans for change are clear. I have been elected by the American people and the American people have spoken. That is to say that they want change. We will look to the future and there will be a change from the previous administration. There will be a thing called bipartisanship. Now to utilize the term bipartisanship appropriately, I would need to demonstrate a certain level of agreement between persons of involvement. From this position of agreement, a fairly clear plan of action and/or agenda would be discussed, constructed and implemented. Fortunately or unfortunately, I actually have no clear plan of action and no immediate agenda. About this point we do not agree. Please understand that this is not an agenda of no-agenda; a plan of no-plan. It is just that as your president for change, I have no idea. About this point we neither agree nor disagree.”

[S1m0n]

Obama had transformed US politics before he even took office. In any case, there are no qualifications required of a nominee. The decision committee can consider events up to the minute they decide to vote when deciding who's worthy.

[COPerez]

It doesn't take much imagination to see the link:

Rising oceans drown several of the world's largest coastal cities and refugees are everywhere; millions are sick from crowded, dirty exhausting conditions.

Desertification dries up several of the world's largest rivers and increased temperatures melt glaciers and millions die of thirst and refugees are everywhere; millions are sick from dirty water.

Etc.

Imagine what millions of hungry, thirsty, displaced refugees mean for borders around the world. Imagine what that kind of mass movement of people means to our security. Imagine...

[wizedollars]

It's scheduled to snow in Chicago on Sunday, October 11th. I guess that's a problem of global warming. Two, all throughout history there has been dramatic shifts in climate. If you want to acquiesce to energy police showing up to your home to inspect how much water you use to brush your teeth, that is your ridiculous problem. Cap and trade is an Enron developed scheme designed to extract funds from all citizens thru enviromentalism. You've been duped.

[Annirich]

Right on; This is ALL a farce and if Cap and Tax is passed we'll be right where the lefties want us. BROKE and under the all powerful Obama facists.

[RuthlessDictator]

If we are not part of the solution, we are part of the problem!