Leaders Punt on Copenhagen Deal

Copenhagen summit yields basic deal to fight climate change

(NEWSER) - President Obama and the leaders of China, India, and South Africa reached a "meaningful agreement" tonight in Copenhagen on steps to curb greenhouse gas emissions, the White House announced. The deal requires the nations of the world to list their actions to curb emissions and sets up a framework for rich countries to pay poor nations in order to cope with the effects of climate change. The agreement is meant to limit global warming to 2° Celsius. More»

President addresses Copenhagen summit, urges action

(NEWSER) - President Obama took direct aim this morning at China's resistance to climate change monitoring, saying any deal that emerged from Copenhagen "would be empty words on a page" without such measures. They “need not be intrusive, or infringe upon sovereignty,” said Obama. The issue's been a sticking point for China, whose premier snubbed Obama today by sending an underling to a meeting attended by the US president and other world leaders, reports the New York Times . More»

Terrorism trumped health care over vacation, and there's more

(NEWSER) - President Obama is back at the White House after an 11-day vacation in Hawaii, and he has his work cut out for him. USA Today runs down the most pressing issues awaiting the president in 2010.

• Terrorism: The attempted bombing of Flight 253 returned security to the top of the list. Some heads may roll after the near-catastrophe.

It misses on emissions, financial aid, and the roadmap for the future

(NEWSER) - About the best that can be said of the Copenhagen talks is that they avoided "outright failure," complains the Guardian in an editorial. But that's not saying much. World leaders had three things to hammer out: emissions, financial aid, and a clear plan on what happens next. "On each of these counts, the accord fell woefully short." More»

Copenhagen deal creates 'league of super-polluters'

(NEWSER) - The Copenhagen climate deal President Obama struck with China, India and South Africa flies in the face of progressive values, environmental writer Bill McKibben rages. Here’s how:

• Obama made the UN obsolete: “The clear point is, you poor nations can spout off all you want on questions like human rights or the role of women or fighting polio or handling refugees. But when you get too close to the center of things that count—the fossil fuel that’s at the center of our economy—you can forget about it.”