Could climate prove a change too far for Obama?

Could climate prove a change too far for Obama?

From YahooNews, March 7, 2009

PARIS (AFP) – European enthusiasm for President Barack Obama’s ambitious programme of US renewal does not hide deep uncertainty over the likelihood of his delivering on measures to combat climate change.

Nine months from UN talks in Denmark, where world leaders will try to wrap up agreement on a new global climate change treaty to succeed the Kyoto Protocol that expires in 2012, there are real fears that events may conspire against Obama.

The depth of the disaster that has befallen the US economy in particular — witness Friday’s announcement of over 650,000 jobs lost in February alone — and the difficulties Obama has faced getting Congress to greenlight his rescue plans underscore significant obstacles ahead.

Besides, given the US failure to meet its Kyoto commitments — the protocol was signed by Bill Clinton’s administration in 1997 but subsequently rejected by Senate — European partners retain bitter memories of promises broken.

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