Is U.S. doing enough for climate?
Robert Reich, professor of public policy, talks with Steve Chiotakis about what the U.S. will take to the climate-change conference in Copenhagen, and why we may have to cut a deal with China.
Robert Reich (Robert Reich)
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TEXT OF INTERVIEW
Steve Chiotakis: The United Nations sponsors climate change talks in December in Copenhagen, Denmark. And it'll take consensus from the world's biggest polluters to advance the issue and control the greenhouse gases that are affecting climate. Former Labor Secretary Robert Reich joins us this morning to talk about it. Good morning Bob.
Robert Reich: Good Morning Steve.
Chiotakis: So what does the U.S. take to Copenhagen?
Reich: Ah, that's the big question mark. The House passed a bill last June that sets an overhaul cap on carbon emissions. And the Kerry-Boxer bill is moving through the Senate. It's very similar.
Chiotakis: And it's just a matter or reconciling these two bills and then the president signs it before Copenhagen?
Reich: No quite that simple. The real politics here aren't domestic. They're between the United States and China -- the world's two biggest emitters of greenhouse gases by humans. China says these bills don't go nearly far enough to reduce carbon. A lot of the debate, Steve, is over the base year from which you measure how much progress you've made on pollution. China and most developing nations want to use 1990. But by that standard, we here in the United States are offering very little. By the year 2020, for example, the cap in the House bill would get us to just about 3 percent under where we were in 1990.
Chiotakis: And why are China, Bob, and other developing nations insisting we do so much more?
Reich: Well, so they can do less. They say they are developing, so their consumers should have the same rights to cars and appliances America and other developed nations have long had.
Chiotakis: But China is already the world's biggest emitter of greenhouse gases, right? From humans?
Reich: Yes, but that's because there are over a billion Chinese. Not because their average standard of living is close to Americans. I mean if the typical Chinese citizen had access to the same number of cars and appliances and everything as the typical American, well we could kiss the environment goodbye.
Chiotakis: So we're going to have to cut a deal with China?
Reich: Yeah, but it's not going to be ready by Copenhagen. Look, any cut in greenhouse gases is going to be expensive for American consumers, who are in no mood to bear additional costs.
Chiotakis: So what's in store then?
Reich: It may be awkward Steve. The president picks up his Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo on December 11th, and then he comes to Copenhagen a week later with very little to offer, except the audacity of hope.
Chiotakis: Former Labor Secretary and current professor of public policy, Robert Reich. Bob thanks.
Reich: Thanks Steve.
Comments
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From HI, 10/18/2009
"
Reich and Obama would be ripping the teams out of the hands of the citizens to be a part of the larger world.
By David Joyner
From TX, 10/16/2009
Reich is usually wrong.
"
But a professor does not tell you *what* you should think. He tells you *how much* you should think.
How much worse the world would be today had the professors of Albert Einstein told him *what to think*. Reich is not giving you Reichstag Dogma but encouragement.
What do you think about this?
There are roughly 7 species going extinct each week. Withing the Amazon Jungle their are 4 new species emerging each week. No! No that Amazon. The one is Brazil. How many specimens of the new species does it take to constitute a new species? 999? 99? Go back before 99. Go back to when there were only one female and one male of the species. That is where it starts. That is all you need to start human race.
If all we need is 2 human polluters, then why we got 6 billion of you jokers? Why you guys don't stop knocking up?
Grazia,
A
10/16/2009
I'm disappointed that Marketplace relies so much on Reich. He's on the show way too much.
Last night, it occurred to me that people don't understand what globalization and denigration of the US means to them. Lets use an example of the MLB. It's called the world series, but in fact it's just the US series. To make it the world championships, the US would have to give up some teams to Europe, Japan, and China. So, would Detroit, Milwaukee, and St. Louis like to give up their teams to share? I have a feeling that Reich and Obama would be ripping the teams out of the hands of the citizens to be a part of the larger world.
From TX, 10/16/2009
Reich is usually wrong. He is wrong on today's commentary. Please dump this naive former fed and now college prof. and replace him with economist and Nobel nominee Dr. Perryman of Waco, TX.
D Joyner, near PHD in finance, NSU
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