At Climate Talks, Obama Tries Distinguishing Paris From Copenhagen

As potentially historic climate change talks began in Paris Monday, the White House seemed determined to distinguish this gathering of 150 world leaders from the last time around — when efforts to produce a sweeping carbon emissions treaty in Copenhagen seven years ago failed.

 

“One of the enemies we’ll be fighting at this conference,” Obama declared during his remarks at the summit’s opening session on Monday morning, “is cynicism — the notion that we can’t do anything about climate change.”

 

As if to emphasize this pledge, the president’s remarks became the equivalent of a Congressional filibuster, running 11 minutes past the designated three-minute mark allowed for each speaker.

 

Afterwards, there was no desperate wrangling — as there had been in Copenhagen — to secure a meeting with, among others, India and China, the world’s largest carbon emitter.

 

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