| Although in 2007 the IPCC Fourth Assessment | | | | as examples because they are creating green jobs, |
| Report provided new solid evidence on the large | | | | but is the European Union as a whole losing its role as |
| contribution of anthropogenic activities to climate | | | | a political leader on climate? Certainly new energy is |
| change, political leaders' decisions are still distant from | | | | needed from the other side of the Atlantic and, |
| what the scary results of science suggest: immediate | | | | listening to his speech in Michigan during the campaign |
| action. Last December at the 14th Conference of | | | | for the election, one can feel Barack Obama is calling |
| Parties (COP14) in Poznan IPCC chairman Rajendra | | | | for the same Green Revolution invoked by Jacques |
| Pachauri warned the delegates that "our actions have | | | | Chirac a few years ago. |
| been weak" while the entity and pace of climate | | | | Starting from his country the new President of the |
| change are dramatic. | | | | U.S.A. promised to meet the objective that, as he |
| The current task is hard: to deliver the post-Kyoto | | | | said, politicians in Washington failed to achieve for 30 |
| treaty. This implies an agreement among all the | | | | years from Nixon onwards: the country's energy |
| members States of the UNFCCC (United Nations | | | | independence. First of all Obama wants to give a |
| Framework Convention on Climate Change) on | | | | $1.000 energy rebate to every U.S. family to be paid |
| binding targets to consistently reduce our CO2 | | | | by means of a tax on current record profits of oil |
| emissions in the next decades. In March (10-12) the | | | | companies: this is really a big U-turn with respect to |
| International Scientific Congress on Climate Change | | | | George Bush's administration. Furthermore he called |
| will be held right in Copenhagen, where the important | | | | for a complete transformation of the economy |
| COP15 will take place on December 7th to 18th. This | | | | asking scientists, entrepreneurs, businesses, citizens |
| next conference can be a very good opportunity for | | | | to play their part, for example by buying green cars |
| scientists to give policy makers the best advice to | | | | that are going to be built in Michigan as he proposes. |
| draw an effective strategy to tackle "the greatest | | | | He clearly said: "We must end the age of oil in our |
| market failure ever seen" as Nicholas Stern defined | | | | time for the U.S. economy and security and for the |
| climate change. The Danish government seem very | | | | future of the planet." He also promised to create 5 |
| serious about the challenge and responsibility ahead | | | | million new good stable jobs indicating Michigan itself |
| and, together with the United Nations, acted | | | | as an example: there 50.000 jobs have been already |
| promptly to prepare the ground for the next round | | | | generated in the clean energy sector. To do this |
| of negotiations. | | | | Obama wants to invest $150 billion in 10 years. |
| After Barack Obama took office in Washington there | | | | Presenting the "New Energy for America" plan during |
| are high expectations on the new President of the | | | | the political campaign he asked himself and the nation: |
| United States' decisions on the climate change hot | | | | "What kind of future we want for this country and |
| topic. By ratifying the Protocol now the U.S.A. would | | | | for this planet?" His answer was radical: "We won't |
| have to pay high economic sanctions because their | | | | give Exxon Mobil $1.2 billion tax breaks like McCain |
| targets will most probably not be met (their | | | | would do to a company having scored a record of |
| greenhouse gases emissions increased by 19% from | | | | $1.500/second profits last quarter". Obama's vision of |
| 1990 to 2006, while a 7% reduction would be | | | | a new world is convincing in words but needs now to |
| required by 2012). Thus the best question to ask is | | | | become concrete political action and this is what the |
| not whether there will be a last-minute ratification of | | | | world is waiting for. Like in the 60s John Fitzgerald |
| the Kyoto Protocol, but rather whether Obama will | | | | Kennedy asked U.S.'s engineers and scientists to find |
| be able to lead the definition of a new and more | | | | a way to go to the moon Barack Hussein Obama is |
| ambitious international agreement to cut CO2 | | | | now asking his country and the world to follow him |
| emissions. It seems so since he said "We will establish | | | | to create a greener and safer future. This seems to |
| strong annual targets that set us on a course to | | | | be the only alternative to defeat man-made climate |
| reduce emissions to their 1990 levels by 2020 and | | | | change threats and the dangerous dependence on |
| reduce them an additional 80 percent by 2050". | | | | fewer and more expensive oil remaining. History will |
| The great challenge he is going to face is to address | | | | tell if he is the leader who is going to change the |
| the current global economic and political crises around | | | | present carbon-intensive economy or at least launch |
| the world with a constant look at the environment. In | | | | convincingly this global enterprise. Kennedy and the |
| fact his ambitious objective "to make the United | | | | human race won the bet to land on the moon in |
| States energy independent from the Middle East in 10 | | | | 1969 ... now it's Obama's turn to win his challenge to |
| years" is very much linked to the solution of the war | | | | stop the U.S.'s oil addiction. The consequences of a |
| in Iraq on one side and to the creation of the 21st | | | | success could represent a great benefit for the |
| new economy, the New Green Deal asked for by | | | | entire world. |
| more and more people in the global public opinion. | | | | Written by Luca Marazzi on behalf of Responding to |
| President Obama points at Spain, Japan and Germany | | | | Climate Change. |