Climate Change Accord On Horizon in 'Hopenhagen'

After getting some attention during President Obama's press conference on Tuesday, climate change legislation that would cut greenhouse emissions 17 percent by 2020 looks likely to pass the House by the end of the week. But climate change plans for reducing greenhouse emissions are a little like playing baseball -- hard to do alone. Even as nations work individually on their own climate change policies, they're also looking ahead to a planned summit in Copenhagen in December.


For years, the United States dragged its feet on signing onto a plan for emissions reduction. Now, Russia has incredibly set a goal of actually increasing emissions by 30 percent from their present levels. Russian officials are still calling it a decrease, though, because they're using 1990 -- near the height of their industrialization -- as a baseline. (On a related note, I, too, have decided to set my personal accomplishment baseline at 1990. Everything just seems more impressive when compared against a time in which I couldn't tie my own shoes.)

As Obama was touching on climate change legislation at his press conference, the United Nations was also trying to strike a hopeful note on climate change with the launch of its "Hopenhagen" advertising campaign. Officials chose the name because they hoped it would inspire optimism -- although confusion or laughter also strike me as legitimate responses -- about the potential for ratifying a global agreement on reducing greenhouse emissions. They already have at least one high-profile supporter: French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who pledged his support Tuesday to come to an agreement in Copenhagen.