U.S. to lead world on climate change, Obama says

Tuesday 27th January, 07:10 AM JST

WASHINGTON —

President Barack Obama said Monday the United States will lead the world on climate change as he ordered reviews that could lead to tougher vehicle emission standards in states and more pressure on automakers to make more fuel-efficient cars.

“We will make it clear to the world that America is ready to lead,” he said at the White House. “To protect our climate and our collective security, we must call together a truly global coalition.”

Obama signed memoranda aimed to prod the struggling U.S. auto industry to design new fuel-efficient vehicles to lessen U.S. dependence on energy sources which he said bankroll dictators, and to spur the U.S. economy.

“The days of Washington dragging its heels are over. My administration will not deny facts—we will be guided by them,” Obama said.

Obama required the Environmental Protection Agency to reconsider whether to grant California a waiver to regulate car emissions blamed for contributing to global warming.

The Bush administration had blocked efforts by the vast western state and a dozen others to impose their own limits on carbon dioxide gas emissions.

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger reacted with delight. “With this announcement from President Obama less than a week into his administration, it is clear that California and the environment now have a strong ally in the White House,” he said in a statement.

Obama ordered the Transportation Department to produce guidelines to require U.S. cars to reach average fuel efficiency of 35 miles per gallon by 2020.

There was a generally positive reaction from the “Big Three” auto giants, several of which are dependent on government cash to survive.

General Motors said it was “working aggressively on the products and the advance technologies that match the nation’s and consumers’ priorities to save energy and reduce emissions,” and was ready to work with Obama and Congress.

The 11 member Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, which includes Ford and Chrysler said it was also ready to work with the administration.

While promising action at home, Obama also made clear he would ask for action from giant developing economies to do more to limit greenhouse gases.

“I’ve made it clear that we will act, but so too must the world.”

“That’s how we will deny leverage to dictators and dollars to terrorists, and that’s how we will ensure that nations like China and India are doing their part, just as we are now willing to do ours.”

Environmentalists praised Obama, after years battling the White House on climate change issues.

“It’s a terrific beginning,” David Yarnold, executive director of the Environmental Defense Fund said. “It fires the starting gun for millions of new jobs, and amplifying the stimulus package and welding it to environmental benefits—and it highlights how those issues are inseparable.”

Sierra Club Executive Director Carl Pope welcomed the California move. “This action deserves the loudest applause, President Obama is making good on campaign promises and sending yet another signal that global warming and clean energy are top priorities for his administration.”

In another sharp break from Bush, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton picked Todd Stern as her envoy for climate change, a State Department official said.

Stern is a “former Clinton White House official with experience at Kyoto and Buenos Aires climate change negotiations,” the official said.

Stern took part in the Kyoto Protocol negotiations from 1997 to 1999, before becoming an adviser to the secretary of the treasury from 1999 to 2001.

President George W Bush rejected the Kyoto Protocol in 2001 dealing a blow to global climate change efforts, warning it would deal damage the U.S. economy.

The Clinton administration agreed on the Protocol but the pact was never ratified by the Senate.

Wire reports

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Latest 15 of 49 Total Comments Show All

SushiSake3 at 05:41 PM JST - 27th January

wuzzademcrat - "I find it a little odd that with the US economy where it is, and consumption way down, and Europe now with 100 million more people than the US, non-Americans nonetheless instinctively expect and even demand America to lead on this issue as well."

The conservative American inferiority complex is still strong! :-)
wuzzademcrat at 05:45 PM JST - 27th January

"The conservative American inferiority complex is still strong!"

If I had an inferiority complex I wouldn't let people know where I am from, would I?

My point is this - let America do what it does best:innovate and create. Let Europe come up with the best ways to clean up after.
SushiSake3 at 05:58 PM JST - 27th January

wuzzademcrat - "My point is this - let America do what it does best:innovate and create."

I agree. I also agree the last U.S. president didn't let this happen - he stifled investment, creativity and innovation in the green sector.

That's why it's great to see President Obama, for the first time in nearly a decade, show some real leadership in this area.
wuzzademcrat at 06:06 PM JST - 27th January

"...the last U.S. president didn't let this happen - he stifled investment, creativity and innovation in the green sector."

Compare Bush's ranch with Gore's mansion. And them come back and prattle about his stifling innovation.

http://www.cnsnews.com/public/content/article.aspx?RsrcID=7335

Bush's Ranch House 'Far More Eco-Friendly' Than Gore's
SushiSake3 at 07:36 PM JST - 27th January

wuzzademcrat - what have Gore and Bush's ranches got to do with this?

Please try and stay focussed.
SushiSake3 at 07:40 PM JST - 27th January

wuzzademcrat - OK, ok, I can see that you are just pretending you have a case. Sorry, I should have noticed your last post wasn't serious earlier - my mistake!
wuzzademcrat at 10:30 PM JST - 27th January

Wow. It's like Bush's eco-friendly ranch is an inconvenient truth or something. Sushisake runs away...
SezWho2 at 10:33 PM JST - 27th January

wuzzademcrat,

Obama has been in office for less that 7 days. You say he hasn't changed anything yet, but he has. He has changed America's orientation and he has done so fairly dramatically. Were you to say that he doesn't have a lot of results to show for it, that would be true. It isn't true that he hasn't changed anything.

One of the reasons that the US must lead on this issue is that we are 5% of the world's population using 25% of the world's fossil fuels. We are not expected to lead because we're America. We're expected to lead because if we are unwilling to do so, the whole exercise is rather pointless.
wuzzademcrat at 10:51 PM JST - 27th January

"One of the reasons that the US must lead on this issue is that we are 5% of the world's population using 25% of the world's fossil fuels. "

Is that that tired old factoid supposed to shame real Americans?

You know, I read Small Is Beautiful back in the day.And that sorta impressed me. Until I was about twenty five.

Yes, we are only 5 percent of the world's population, but look at what we produce. It is in that area we should be allowed to lead - by the rest of the world but first and foremost by our elected leaders.
SezWho2 at 11:02 PM JST - 27th January

No, that factoid is not supposed to shame Americans, let alone "real Americans"--whatever you fancy them to be. It is supposed to help motivate Americans to modify their life style. But that really isn't the point.

I believe you complained--or whinged, I can't tell which--that non-Americans expect us to lead. I'm afraid that non-Americans are always going to look at that "factoid" and ask for leadership. Alternatively, they might ask for a share of energy which was 5 times greater than their share of population so that they, too, could lead in production.
wuzzademcrat at 11:06 PM JST - 27th January

"Alternatively, they might ask for a share of energy which was 5 times greater than their share of population so that they, too, could lead in production."

What stops them? It isn't the United States.
FromEurope at 12:13 AM JST - 28th January

Yes, we are only 5 percent of the world's population, but look at what we produce.

What do you produce now ? CO2, Transgenic corns and sick cows? (and unemployment as well) China produces most of the goods for the wlorld. The problem for the climate change is this production of CO2, now China is approaching America with this "production".
Good_Jorb at 03:54 AM JST - 28th January

Reduction of C02 means using less oil and gas, using less oil and gas for both America and the EU, means importing less oil, importing less oil means less money leaves the country. Why some people seem to agrue that the they don't need to reduce the amount of oil they use and watch as their money leaves to create cities like Dubai is beyond me.
antiterrorperfo at 05:38 AM JST - 28th January

Obama is a little late. Before Obama wants the US to lead the fight against global warming he should be on par with Japan and the rest of the world. Learn to crawl before you walk. Is this the good old American big ugly mouth? All hype no substance?

Reducing CO2 means scrapping most of the US auto mobile and most ancient industries which reminds the world of former USSR industries in the 80s a reason for the collapse of USSR.
smithinjapan at 11:14 PM JST - 28th January

wuzzademcrat: "If I had an inferiority complex I wouldn't let people know where I am from, would I?"

Wrong-o! Having to point out where you are from or what you are made of it a sure-sign of an inferiority complex, my friend. And saying, "It's not an inferiority complex to say where I am from, so tell me where you are from (so I can ridicule you and make myself feel better)" isn't doing you any good, either.

Anyway, there's no reason why your 'good old American ingenuity and innovation can't work with environmental constraints thrown in; in fact, it's all the more chance to be inventive.