Obama to Copenhagen but No Berlin?
Nicolas Loris /
Proponents of cap and trade legislation and an international treaty to reduce greenhouse gas emissions are pushing for President Obama to make the trip to Copenhagen. For instance, Carter Roberts, CEO of the World Wildlife Fund affirmed, “We believe it’s fundamental for the president to go to Copenhagen, to look other leaders in the eye convey our commitment as a country, and secure theirs.”
President Obama has the left the plane door open for a trip to Denmark, saying, “If I am confident that all of the countries involved are bargaining in good faith and we are on the brink of a meaningful agreement and my presence in Copenhagen will make a difference in tipping us over the edge, then certainly that’s something that I will do.”
Granted, that’s a big ‘if’ since the hype surrounding Copenhagen has dulled a bit and the chances of an international agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions are dwindling. But the timing of the President’s remarks is interesting; his absence at the fall of the wall anniversary in Berlin drew much criticism both here and abroad.