Saturday, November 22, 2008

The Planet Warms To Obama

If what I found during my weekly jaunt over to Watching America is any indication, the rest of the world continues to be fascinated with President Elect Barack Obama. Everything from his family to his cabinet picks are being followed closely. Perhaps the one article that pleased me the most, however, came in France's Le Monde.

Barack Obama will not be present at the International Climate Conference in Poznan, Poland on December 1st, but the President-elect of the United States intends to radically change American policy on climate change.

Mr. Obama used the international summit held on Tuesday, November 18 in Beverly Hills, California, which was dedicated to this theme, to affirm, for the first time since his election, the United States’ change of heart to now “energetically participate” in international climate negotiations. ...

Barack Obama implicitly distanced himself from John McCain’s running mate Sarah Palin’s, remarks. Over the course of the campaign, she doubted the human causes of global warming. “Waiting is no longer an option. Denial is not an acceptable response. The stakes are too high, the consequences too serious,” he said.
[Emphasis added]

That simple yet dramatic announcement had to be good news for the rest of the world, which is still waiting to exhale. It's also good news for the United States because it means we will be getting some leadership from Washington on the issue, leadership which hopefully will also include some solid action in the form of incentives for alternative energy development and the regulation of carbon emissions on a rational basis. The states have been doing their part (particularly my home state, California), but a patchwork approach is not going to do the trick.

Nicely done, Mr. Obama.

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