Fears Obama Will Omit Climate From SOTU - Guardian

[hatrack]

Global warming – a signature issue for Barack Obama – is at risk of getting the short shrift in this year's State of the Union speech on Wednesday, further shrinking the already slim prospects of getting a climate change law through Congress, environmentalists say.

Obama is being lobbied hard to send a strong signal that climate change remains at the top of his agenda and issue a forceful call to Congress to move forward on legislation this year. "I think the president needs to underscore that climate and energy reform is a priority for 2010 as specifically as possible," said Senator John Kerry, who has been leading the effort to get a climate bill in the Senate.

Environmental organisations believe some Obama aides are advising the president to downplay or even avoid mention of the words "climate change" and keep the speech tightly focused on jobs and the economy, especially after last week's upset in Senate elections cost the Democrats' their super majority in Congress. Those organisations will be watching Obama's speech closely to see whether he comes out for "comprehensive" legislation – code for the sweeping energy and climate change proposals to cut America's carbon emissions that are now before Congress.

The uncertainty about climate change legislation spills over into the international arena, where US inaction could be used as an excuse by India and China to further delay action on global warming. "There has always been nervousness on whether the administration is playing an aggressive enough role," said Steve Cochran of the Environmental Defence Fund. " looking to see what he might say in the State of the Union to suggest the administration continues to move forward on this agenda, or that they are going to back off somehow because of a variety of political realities."

EDIT

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/jan/25/barack-obama-climate-state-union

[pscot]

1. Americans are tired of bad news

They need a hug.

[amborin]

2. sigh

[joshcryer]

3. Very likely.

Obama is a poll watcher.

[joshcryer]

4. He did, and his polls went from 40% to 70% on the CBS live poll.

He used the "clean energy" approach. He did mention the "overwhelming science behind climate change" though. And he teased the Republicans about their disbelief in AGW not being a good enough reason to be against clean energy.

Then he pimped offshore drilling, new nuclear plants, and "clean coal."

Footnoting wind / solar really.

[depakid]

5. Part of the laundry list...

with little cohesive narrative.

[Nihil]

6. "Change"? What does "change" mean in American?

It's obviously something different from its meaning in standard English
because this sounds just like what we've heard for many years ...

> Then he pimped offshore drilling, new nuclear plants, and "clean coal."
>
> Footnoting wind / solar really.

So much for "hope" too ...

:-(