"Greenhouse gases": Threat to human health

Is Obama set to make a difference?

In what appears to be a major step for environmental groups and a boon to the Copenhagen Climate Conference, the United States has declared that greenhouse gases are threatening to human health.

The announcement was welcomed by UN and EU officials who applauded the "degree of resolve" on the part of President Barack Obama to address climate change, as delegates from 192 countries met at the summit in Copenhagen.

The eyes of the world are currently on Copenhagen, which will hopefully see world leaders meet an agreement on measures to curb emissions and provide finance to help poor countries. The presence of so many leaders, including Prime Minister Gordon Brown, has raised hopes that countries are prepared to reach agreement.

Danish PM Lars Loekke Rasmussen has said the summit is an "opportunity the world cannot afford to miss". The environment minister for Sweden, which currently holds the EU presidency, has said the outcome of the summit depended mostly "on what will be delivered by the United States and China".

As such, the US declaration has given an indication of what the super-power could do at the conference.

EPA Vs Congress

As scientists have set a limit for temperature rises, which they say cannot go above 2C or the world will feel the effects of "dangerous" global warming, developed countries such as the US must deliver cuts of 25 percent to 40 percent on 1990 levels by 2020, or at least 80 percent by 2050.

With the US pledging to regulate greenhouse gas emissions, with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) confirming global warming threatens public health and welfare, is hoped the likes of China and India will follow suit.

More importantly for the US, the declaration that the EPA can order cuts in emissions without the approval of Congress, sends signals to Washington that the President is resolved to appear to do the right thing, even while legislation is pending.

In September, he said, "Our generation's response to this challenge will be judged by history for, if we fail to meet it boldly, swiftly and together, we risk consigning future generations to an irreversible catastrophe."

If the rest of the world, including Europe, can make similar changes in policy then the potential for change is huge.

Connie Hedegaard, conference president, said political will to address climate change has never been - and never will be - stronger.

"This is our chance. If we miss it, it could take years before we got a new and better one. If ever," she said.

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Copenhagen 2009: The carbon footprint | Copenhagen 2009: The lowdown | Green buildings

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