Obama speaks up on climate change26 June 2013
President Obama promises not to condemn future generations to a planet that's beyond fixing.
It was refreshing to hear a world leader speak with passion about the need for urgent action on climate change.
President Obama's speech on 25 June could signal important breakthroughs on:
- Regulating carbon dioxide from power plants
- Tackling tax breaks for fossil fuel companies
- Stopping the Keystone KL tar sands pipeline.
But we can't rest there.
We need more and faster
The speech was more a collection of actions than the joined-up and ambitious strategy we desperately need.
The actions don't go far or fast enough to tackle our planetary emergency. Friends of the Earth is particularly concerned by Obama's continued support for shale gas.
For more details, check out this blog from Friends of the Earth in the United States.
Any successful US climate plan must include:
- rejection of false solutions and dirty energy - including biofuels, so-called clean coal, natural gas, and dangerous nuclear power
- ambitious development of renewable energy, energy storage and efficiency technologies
- finance and technology for developing countries to help them grow cleanly.
The small but welcome steps taken today must be turned into giant strides if the United States is to play its part in tackling the threat of catastrophic climate change.
Friends of the Earth's Executive Director Andy Atkins
Cameron, were you listening?
One thing the speech has done is shine a spotlight on David Cameron. He's said and done little positive on climate change - despite using it to help get elected.
Since then he's encouraged a headlong dash for gas. And he's done nothing to censure growing anti-science, climate scepticism in his Cabinet.
Friends of the Earth is working hard to help Cameron and other world leaders commit to a fair and ambitious solution to climate change.
Got opinion on this story? Visit our international climate hub.
