Weekly Address: Meeting the Global Threat of Climate Change

[cal04]

Source: White House

In this week's address, the President spoke about his upcoming trip to Alaska, during which he will view the effects of climate change firsthand. Alaskans are already living with the impact of climate change, with glaciers melting faster, and temperatures projected to rise between six and twelve degrees by the end of the century. In his address, the President spoke to ways in which we can address these challenges, including the transition away from fossil fuels to more renewable energy sources like wind and solar, an effort in which America is already leading.

And he stressed that while our economy still has to rely on oil and gas during that transition, we should rely more on domestic production than importing from foreign counties who do not have the same environmental or safety standards as the United States. The President looked forward to his upcoming trip, and promised that while he is in office, America will lead the world to meet the threat of climate change before it’s too late.

Read more: https://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2015/08/29/weekly-address-meeting-global-threat-climate-change

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https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2015/08/29/weekly-address-meeting-global-threat-climate-change

[Cha]

1. Mahalo President Obama! thanks cal

[cal04]

6. You're very welcome Cha

[Cha]

7. Kick!

[jtuck004]

2. "...Alaskans are already living with..." > Note: We are all living with it. That's just

a couple of shiny things you can see up there. We are all living with it, but perhaps too smart to comprehend what we are looking at. Or too scared.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

3. KICK. REC!!!!!!!

[JDPriestly]

4. I am grateful that President Obama is taking this trip to bring to the attention of Americans

the damage already done to our environment by our use of fossil fuels.

But, the President's support of the TPP and the courts that and other trade agreements entail could mean that companies like Shell could sue us and obtain damages if we in the future refuse to make good on promises made in the past about the ownership of the right to drill in vulnerable places like the Arctic.

President Obama pointed out that he did not give or sell the right to drill in the Arctic to Shell. Presumably some other administration did that. But if a past president promised that to Shell or some other company and, for environmental reasons, President Obama refuses to allow the company to drill, it is my understanding that the company that is refused the right to drill could sue our country for the imagined, speculative damages that it would suffer because of the refusal of its right to drill.

If someone thinks I am wrong, please provide a link and proof that I am.

But this is my understanding. And it is one of the reasons that I oppose the TPP.

We should not have to compensate a company because it will lose money due to our protecting the environment or due to any decision we make that we believe to be in our national interest.

[daleanime]

5. +1

[PaulaFarrell]

9. He granted the permit for Shell to drill

He could have blocked it. He has always supported drilling in the Arctic. So, sorry he is a hypocrite coming very very late to the climate change table.

"promises" aren't legally binding, only contracts are. And even if a valid contract had been signed, the amount of money they could potentially sue for is ridiculously small compared to the US budget and also ridiculously small compared to the devastation a spill will cause - even though the white house acknowledge a 75% chance an oil spill will occur.

I think Obama wants to be remembered as having done something, but when he had the chance he didn't, and that's a fact.

[BumRushDaShow]

8. K&R and thanks for posting!

The weather this year having been influenced by a persistent high pressure ridge over Alaska, has caused not only unseasonable and record warmth there but has rippled across the CONUS causing persistent amplified troughs over the central and eastern U.S. The rapid loss of the Alaskan permafrost is troubling due to this pattern. Anything that can help to stabilize the jet stream away from these amplified extremes is welcome!