The United Nations will hold President Obama to his promise that the United States will reduce carbon emissions even if the Senate cannot pass climate legislation, U.N. climate chief Yvo de Boer said this morning.

In his first public comments since the Copenhagen climate summit last month that produced a nonbinding promise from major-emitting countries to cut greenhouse gases, de Boer noted that Obama vowed the United States will slash carbon about 17 percent below 2005 levels in the coming decade.

Yesterday's special election in Massachusetts, in which a Republican won the Senate seat formerly held by the late Democratic Sen. Ted Kennedy since 1962, calls into question Congress' ability to pass a cap-and-trade bill, but it does not alter the U.S. commitment, de Boer said.

...

"Whatever route is taken, the president of the United States committed to a 17 percent emissions reduction in Copenhagen," de Boer said. "The president of the United States committed to more ambitious emissions reductions for 2030 and 2050. And it is those statements to which the international community will hold the government of the United States accountable."

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ORIGINAL: FirmhandKY

"Whatever route is taken, the president of the United States committed to a 17 percent emissions reduction in Copenhagen," de Boer said. "The president of the United States committed to more ambitious emissions reductions for 2030 and 2050. And it is those statements to which the international community will hold the government of the United States accountable."

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ORIGINAL: philosophy

...none of the above. Just the rest of the world suggesting that the word of the Democratically elected US head of state ought to stand for something.

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ORIGINAL: luckydawg

Philo, your comment falls under ignorance, we don't elect kings. His comments have no bearing on US policy at all. Thats how our Republic works. He can negotiate a treaty and get the senate to ratify it, then it means something. Otherwise his comments have no more force than mine.

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ORIGINAL: philosophy

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ORIGINAL: luckydawg

Philo, your comment falls under ignorance, we don't elect kings. His comments have no bearing on US policy at all. Thats how our Republic works. He can negotiate a treaty and get the senate to ratify it, then it means something. Otherwise his comments have no more force than mine.

..so what you're saying is that the US should never be held accountable for what the people it sends to international meetings say. That the words that come out of the mouths of US diplomats are worthless. Seriously? The word of a US diplomat means so little? And you wonder why there is such a thing as distrust of Americans?

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ORIGINAL: BamaD

I expect Obama to try, it will make it easier for third workd nations to catch up with us economically and that is much of his agenda, global spreading of the wealth.

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ORIGINAL: BamaD
I expect Obama to try, it will make it easier for third workd nations to catch up with us economically and that is much of his agenda, global spreading of the wealth.

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ORIGINAL: Thadius
*FR*
Hell you can't even take UN reports at their word, they had to recant another flawed portion of their Nobel winning report yesterday... So much for trusting diplomats and their cronies, eh?
Yeah I guess that got snuck through the news cycle yesterday like a few other things.... Search for IPCC recants glacier warning.

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ORIGINAL: luckydawg

Philosophy. YES!! Words and promises from people who have no authority to make them are worthless. What do you not understand about that? Why are you confused about that? Obama (any US president) is not a king, he does not rule by decree.

How can you actually be confused about this?