Obama to shift focus to climate change [View All]

[bananas]

Source: LA Times

Reporting from Washington - After months of almost single-minded focus on healthcare, President Obama is about to shift the White House spotlight to global warming -- first with a speech to the United Nations in New York on Tuesday, then later in the week at the G-20 economic conference in Pittsburgh.

The renewed emphasis on climate change and reducing carbon dioxide emissions comes at a crucial time: Negotiators are entering the home stretch in a drive to unveil a comprehensive international agreement to curb rising temperatures at a December conference in Copenhagen.

With key divisions remaining among the major industrialized nations, as well as with developing industrial powers and poorer nations, there is concern that negotiations leading up to Copenhagen could be bogging down. Obama administration officials, while admitting the seriousness of the challenges, hold out hope for a deal.

Here are nine hurdles facing Obama and his counterparts:

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Read more: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-climate21-2009sep21,0,7997842.story

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Photo with article:

Thousands of climate change activists gather in New York's Central Park to form a human sculpture depicting Earth trapped inside an hourglass. The event, organized by Oxfam, comes two days before President Obama and other heads of state meet at the United Nations to discuss climate change. (Afton Almaraz, Associated Press / September 20, 2009)

Via http://climateprogress.org/2009/09/21/energy-and-global-warming-news-for-september-21st-obama-to-shift-focus-as-climate-talks-approach/