Antinuclear

Obama might mention climate change – how embarrassing for Tony Abbott!

Obama describes climate change as ‘creeping national security crisis’ LAURIE OAKES   THE DAILY TELEGRAPH
MAY 31, 2014 WHILE Australian politicians continue to debate the Budget, Barack Obama has been talking about national security.In a speech to cadets at the West Point military academy, the US President outlined a new foreign policy doctrine based on more soft power diplomacy and less recourse to military might.

One section of the speech in particular would have attracted the attention of those involved in planning Tony Abbott’s visit to Washington in a couple of weeks.  Obama described climate change as “a creeping national security crisis”.

Politics watchers in Washington were already predicting climate change would be “the elephant in the room” when the leaders meet in the Oval Office.

The Washington Post reported the President “routinely brings up climate change in closed door meetings with world leaders”.

But with Abbott, there will be little common ground — and considerable potential for embarrassment.

Even if Abbott and Obama tiptoe around the issue, journalists might not co-operate at the customary joint media conference afterwards. One skilfully framed question could expose the deep differences between the Australian Prime Minister and his host on a matter that has become a key focus of the White House.

Now that Obama has made the problem of global warming part of America’s national security agenda, the subject will be even more difficult to avoid……..

The President and his advisers are all too aware that Abbott once described climate change science as “crap” — even though his public line these days is that “climate change is real”.

The White House is presumably well briefed on the way the Abbott government has been winding back action on climate change, including Budget cuts to research and renewable energy programs.

It would also know about the efforts of Australian diplomats to have climate change references removed from agendas and communiques at various international forums.

In the West Point speech Obama attacked political leaders who deny that global warming is taking place.

He was referring specifically to American politicians, but it is not hard to see why his view of Abbott is said to be unflattering.So even though it will be summer in Washington, the temperature could be a little cool when Abbott sits down in the Oval Office. “I don’t think we’d care,” a senior Liberal said yesterday — reflecting the fact that the Abbott government is not overly fond of Obama either……

Obama, as his West Point speech shows, is convinced that climate change is a factor in major fire, drought and flood events.In another speech on climate change a few weeks earlier he said: “It’s causing hardship now. It’s affecting every sector of our economy and our society — more severe floods, more violent wildfires.”

When a senior United Nations official suggested last year’s big NSW fires were linked to global warming, the PM accused her of “talking through her hat”.

If the subject comes up in Washington he’ll presumably be a little more diplomatic.  http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/opinion/obama-describes-climate-change-as-creeping-national-security-crisis/story-fni0cwl5-1226937966154

May 31, 2014 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, climate change - global warming