“If President Obama is to be a true Nobel Peace Laureate he must
reverse the United States current blocking role in the climate
negotiations to secure a fair, ambitious and binding deal for the
climate this December. He must use his power to avert future
climate conflicts and chaos.
“In accepting the award in Oslo on December 10th, President
Obama has an incredible opportunity, and responsibility, to then
travel to the UN Copenhagen Climate Summit, which is happening at
the same time, and help avert climate chaos and conflict.” said
Gerd Leipold, Greenpeace International Executive Director.
The announcement from the Nobel Committee comes as two weeks of
UN climate talks in Bangkok limped to a close this week. All eyes
are on President Obama’s administration to make the shift to the
deep emissions cuts that the world has been wanting for
decades.
“The US is trying to impose its own domestic limitations on the
international community – limitations driven largely by the fossil
fuel lobby. It is climate science and the needs of the most
vulnerable that should determine the Copenhagen outcome, not oil
and coal companies and their allies in Congress,” said Damon
Moglen, Greenpeace USA Global Warming Director.
“The Nobel Prize speaks to the desire, the hope of people around
the world who want our President to lead with vision and fairness.
In the next two months, President Obama must commit to ambitious
action if he is to be the climate leader the world is waiting
for.”
Other contacts: Joe Smyth, Greenpeace USA Media Officer, 831-566-5647
Damon Moglen, Greenpeace USA Global Warming Campaign Director, 202-352-4223
