Vice President Al Gore will travel to Copenhagen next month for the climate change talks.
We reported earlier that President Obama will be going with the aim of giving “momentum” to the U.S. team’s negotiations.
TPMDC has learned that Gore, who won a Nobel Peace Prize in 2007 for his work on global warming, also is making the trip.
Late Update: Gore’s office released a full statement about the Obama visit:
President Obama took an important step today with the announcement that he will attend the global warming treaty talks in Copenhagen.
This action is another example of the significant change in policy on the climate crisis. It began in February with the inclusion of huge new provisions in the stimulus package, which are helping to jumpstart green jobs, energy efficiency, the building of a US supergrid and new incentives for the development of renewable energy.
Then, the administration announced historic new efficiency standards for cars and trucks, and encouraged the House of Representatives to successfully pass responsible climate legislation. President ObamaÂs EPA created a rule requiring reductions of CO2 emissions by firms representing 85 percent of US global warming pollution releases and created a global warming pollution reporting requirement which takes place 6 weeks from now on January 1st.
The White House has also worked to encourage passage by the US Senate of legislation matching the achievement of the US House of Representatives.
Those who feared that the United States had abdicated its global responsibility should take hope from these actions and work towards completing a strong operational agreement next month in Copenhagen and guidelines for negotiators to complete their work next year on a comprehensive treaty.
It is my hope that the Senate will support the President and move quickly to pass climate and energy legislation early next year in order to ensure that the world moves toward speedy solutions for the climate crisis.
