President Obama talks climate change
President Obama addressed the controversial issue of climate change in a press conference on Wednesday, his first since wrapping up his re-election campaign.
The President called himself a ‘firm believer’ in climate change, stating that carbon emissions have resulted in rising temperatures and play a role in generating catastrophic storms like Hurricane Sandy. Many parts of the Northeast suffered terrible flooding and remain without power weeks after Sandy dissipated.
Although President Obama noted the importance of the US remaining an international leader when it comes to addressing global issues, he declared that addressing climate change can not come at the cost of losing jobs as the economy emerges from one of the worst recession in history.
Environmentalists were pleased to hear that the president had not dismissed climate change from his agenda since the topic received little coverage during his re-election campaign.
However President Obama acknowledged that America is facing other pressing issues such as tax reform, international security and energy independence that need to be addressed before climate change can be tackled.
Over the next four years President Obama vowed to shape his agenda to gather bipartisan support for an effective action plan to increase renewable energy generation and reduce national carbon emissions.
(11/14/12)