[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/images/12/18/obama12-18-1.gi.jpg caption="Obama near climate change accord with China, others."]
COPENHAGEN, Denmark (CNN) - President Obama is in the final stages of closing a climate change deal with China and other key nations that is expected to be sealed before the president heads home from the Copenhagen summit late Friday, according to a senior administration official.
A second source, an administration official as well, adds that the president is about to announce a "meaningful agreement."
This official acknowledged that "it's not sufficient to combat the threat of climate change but it's an important first step."
The first official told CNN Obama was going over an "approved text" with Chinese officials that would set a non-binding goal of reducing the Earth's temperature by 2 degrees Celsius over the next decade.
The second official added: "We entered this negotiation at a time when there were significant differences between countries. Developed and developing countries have now agreed to listing their national actions and commitments, a finance mechanism, to set a mitigation target of 2 degrees Celsius and to provide information on the implementation of their actions through national communications, with provisions for international consultations and analysis under clearly defined guidelines."
The second official concluded: "No country is entirely satisfied with each element but this is a meaningful and historic step forward and a foundation from which to make further progress. We thank the emerging economies for their voluntary actions and especially appreciate the work and leadership of the Europeans in this effort."
Obama had to fly home early from the global warming conference due to a snowstorm.
Ouch.
no more spending!
Hopefully China realizes that OB isn't the KING OF AMERICA, as he apparently thinks he is. No way this passes congress especially in a year when the Dems are marching to their own slaughter in November.
It's sad that people from other countries have more love for our president that most Americans do. No wonder they hate us
Looks like china is smarter than obama – they know gorebal warming is a hoax!
you deniers need to spend sometime with the polar bears. CO2 is real!
With three trips to this area under his belt, Obama has not returned empty handed, so far he's 1-1-1 A no (olympics) A maybe (climate accord) A yes (Peace prize.) 2 of the 3 Americans lost money, the other cost the Nobel committee their reputation. Maybe if they put AF-1 up on blocks for awhile, we'd all be better off, and so would the climate.
And to those who say your President has no "testicular mass"... be advised that he personally authorized two successful airstrikes on Al Quaeda in Yemen!!! – I notice CNN is not carrying the story yet!
Here is how it works. China is a big polluter and needs $30 billion to clean the air. Then Obama borrows $30 billion from China and gives it back to China to fix clean. Then we still owe $30 billion to China of what we borrowed from China that we gave to China. This is new math for the congress and white house.
To Cancer Causing: we are not ignoring science– a lot of people who are researching this so called global warming are agreeing with us. So you are the one with your head in a cave if you think it anything more than an unproven theory that will cost jobs for Americans.
"equal rights for all which includes health care w/ public option"
So that includes the right to tax an individual 40% because his coverage is considered too good.
JT the Show Me State College Freshman
_________
Did I miss something here? I'm not sure what you’re talking about but...
OOOOH....the freshman! I see. I might have been a little rude. Sorry. Eagle Scout huh? My brother was the youngest one in IL. Me? USMC. College? Only up to a Doctorate, then I stopped.
I would never go on face book.
Good luck in school and don’t grow up to be SNIFFIT….real or fake.
Obama wants to borrow more money from the Chinese, then give it back to the Chinese for free........for bogus climate change projects.
Say goodbye to America the Superpower. I really feel sorry for anyone that has kids.
A Democrat on this board said:
"I think there is a difference between the radical right or left and the viewpoint of some of the rest of us. I acknowledge we might have it all wrong. Warming may not be real. Projections are always uncertain. But how much risk are you willing to pass to your grandchildren if global warming is real?"
Hey Dem! How much debt are you willing to pass onto your children? How much money are you willing to waste on something that cannot be changed. How much money are you willing to borrow from China, just to give it back for free?
Years ago they wanted to try to push another ice age down our throats, and when that didn't work someone bought a politician, and tried to push a global warming scare. But as the temperatures have started to drop and the feel of a global warming started to loose it's luster they subtly changed title once again to "climate change"!
It's now the new religion, and it's crazy how the science that's rebukes "Global warming/Climate change is being ignored. It takes more faith to believe in the scattered science of Global warming, than it takes for someone to believe in the Bible.
I pray for these people to wake up!
If you want to clean up the planet, then let's clean up the planet. But let's not let this agenda driven, political stricken Science take more of our money, and expand government even more than it is now. They are on the verge of controlling every aspect of our lives!
"the president is about to announce a "meaningful agreement. . . "
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So what else does he EVER do?
What a totally empty suit Obama is!!!!!!!
I'm nearly 70 years old, and I have NEVER seen a U.S. president this mixed up and ineffective!!!!!!!!!! NEVER!!!!!!!!!!!
Obama is awesome. I like that he has not backed down on trying to get health-care for ALL of us, (including Republicans who can say nothing positive about anything,) and I like that he has stayed the course, and not pushed a biased agenda through on anyone. The debate about health-care is healthy and needed, despite the lies and hysteria created by those who jerk their knees every time this country moves toward the center, much less the left. Obama is a centrist, people, not a liberal. Stop the name calling and start accepting change. And, as far as I'm concerned, it's about time.
What a load of crap. Obama has not achieved anything of importance.
Listen folks, a non-binding goal is better than no goal at all. Where is your environmental initiative? Where was Bush's? Where was Cheney's? Where is Sarah's, or Rush's? Cheney's non binding initiative was to torture people. If you don't have anything good to say, you should just shut up.
Talking to the world about cleaning up the mess we humans are making is a start.
It would be a great deal if tax payers have to just foot the bill for Obama's return ticket.
We're doomed. Robert Heinlein once wrote that the only crime in the universe is stupidity and the punishment is swift and terrible. If we continue to ignore the climate crisis we will understand what he meant.
The repos yell about leaving a big deficte for our grand kids but don't give a crap what the planet is going to be like. What a bunch of dumb turds. So long as the kids have money who cares if the cant spwend it because they are tied to an oxagen tank. Probably thinking it will be ok ol paline says so .Maybe Jesus will just sap them all up to heaven and then they will have clean air. So tired of the stupid repo retoric. About time these old geezers move on and take the wingnuts with them. What do we expect from peole who don't understand evolution.
ya right ,,, sounds like al gore and his majical mistic tour,,,i a sure china and india are in lock step,,,, to all the new jobs that america are shipping there... wake up america
"1. He has absolutely no authority to make."
POTUS is the only one with power to make treaties. Learn.
non binding well
why even discuss it.
And I hear the deal is "unprecedented", this Administration's favorite new word, right after "crisis".