As Obama Settles on Nonbinding Treaty, "Only a Big Movement" Can Take on Global Warming

As international climate scientists warn runaway greenhouse gas emissions could cause "severe, pervasive and irreversible impacts," the Obama administration is abandoning attempts to have Congress agree to a legally binding international climate deal. The New York Times reports U.S. negotiators are crafting a proposal that would not require congressional approval and instead would seek pledges from countries to cut emissions on a voluntary basis. This comes as a new U.N. report warns climate change could become "irreversible" if greenhouse gas emissions go unchecked. If global warming is to be adequately contained, it says, at least three quarters of known fossil fuel reserves must remain in the ground. We speak to 350.org founder Bill McKibben about why his hopes for taking on global warming lie not in President Obama's approach, but rather in events like the upcoming People's Climate March in New York City, which could mark the largest rally for climate action ever. "The Obama administration, which likes to poke fun at recalcitrant Congress members, hasn't been willing to really endure much in the way of political pain itself in order to slow things down," McKibben says. "The rest of the world can see that. The only way we'll change any of these equations here or elsewhere is by building a big movement that's why September 21 in New York is such an important day."

This video is an excerpt from the full 15-minute interview with Bill McKibben. Watch the full segment and see more reports on climate change in our archive:

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