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November 15, 2012

Obama Vows to Tackle Climate Change in 2nd Term, With Caveat 
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President Obama appeared before reporters at the White House on
Wednesday for his first news conference since winning a second term.
During his remarks, Obama made some of his most extensive comments on
climate change to date, acknowledging that his administration had fallen
short in taking on global warming.

President Obama: "We haven't done as much as we need to. So, what I'm
going to be doing over the next several weeks, next several months, is
having a conversation, a wide-ranging conversation with scientists,
engineers and elected officials to find out what can — what more
can we do to make short-term progress in reducing carbons, and then
working through an education process that I think is necessary, a
discussion, a conversation across the country about what realistically
can we do long term."

Despite vowing to take action on climate change, Obama also said he
would not advance any environmental policy that overrides economic
concerns.

President Obama: "There's no doubt that for us to take on climate change
in a serious way would involve making some tough political choices. And
understandably, I think the American people right now have been so
focused, and will continue to be focused, on our economy and jobs and
growth, that if the message is somehow we're going to ignore jobs and
growth simply to address climate change, I don't think anybody is going
to go for that. I won't go for that."

President Obama is coming to New York today to view the damage in Staten
Island from Superstorm Sandy.

 

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