Gore May Press For Climate-change Goals Beyond Obamas Targets

January 27th, 2009|David Hughes
President

Gore, who has lectured worldwide about the dangers of global warming and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007 for his efforts, has staked out an approach more ambitious than Obama proposed in his presidential campaign.

“Gore may be pushing the system to adopt measures that are scientifically necessary but politically challenging,” said Dan Weiss, director of climate strategy at the Washington-based Center for American Progress, in an interview.

Obama and Democratic leaders in the House and Senate have pledged to pursue legislation that promotes clean energy and reduces heat-trapping gases. Democrat Gores testimony tomorrow to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee will lend clout to efforts to reach a consensus on legislation, environmental advocates said.

“Having Vice President Gore out there leading the chorus of voices calling for swift action is only going to help build political momentum and give the Obama administration the backing it needs,” said Tim Greef, deputy legislative director at the Washington-based Natural Resources Defense Council.

Gore is more likely to praise Obamas efforts than to urge publicly that he do more, according to Greef.

“You could say Vice President Gore adds a bit of prodding, but at this point its more of a pat on the back to encourage them to keep acting,” said Greef.

Gore backed Obamas presidential bid, and Obama said during the campaign that he would ask the former vice president to be a key contributor in shaping U.S. climate policies. The two met for two hours in December to discuss the issue.

Pushing From Outside

Gores “role is to push from the outside and try to expand the political space of whats possible,” said Mike Feldman, a former political adviser to Gore. “Hes been really effective at that.”

Gore calls for the U.S. to produce all its electricity from renewable energy by 2018, while Obama aims at drawing 25 percent of U.S. electricity from such sources by 2025, in one example of their different goals.

Obama, in the second week of his administration, has already taken steps intended to fight global warming. The president opened the way yesterday for California and other states to impose new limits on emissions from cars and trucks, reversing a decision by former President George W. Bush.

“We are going to have to demonstrate that global warming legislation is not a job-killer and a coal-killer,” Geoffrey Brown, legislative director for the Pew Environmental Group, said in an interview last month.

Foreign Relations Panel

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which is led by Massachusetts Democrat John Kerry, has oversight over international treaties on climate change.

“The timeline is short for us to respond to the threat of climate change, and this hearing will examine what America must do to lead the world in crafting a truly global solution,” Kerry said in a statement last week.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton this week named Todd Stern as the administrations special envoy for climate change. Stern has worked with Gore and was President Bill Clintons senior White House official at climate talks in Kyoto, Japan.

The U.S. is the only industrialized country that refused to ratify the Kyoto Protocol, an international climate accord that expires in 2012.

Summit in Copenhagen

Source