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File Photo:US President Barack Obama taking his Oath of Office - 2009 January 20

Just one year ago- today, Barack Obama was inaugurated as the President of the United States. Today is the first anniversary of the inauguration of President Obama. The night Obama was elected; relief was felt around the world. He inaugurated presidency not only as a new face on the same government’s body but also the victory of hope over fear. He is the most charismatic politician on earth and very famous in making speeches. Hopes were high but the things are going to get a lot harder. So what went wrong? I believe his biggest failure is not addressing the biggest issue everyone cares and hoped about- Climate Change. What do you think? Share your perspectives on Obama’s one year in the White House.

(Background: The inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44^th President of the United States took place on Tuesday, January 20, 2009. The inauguration, which set a record attendance for any event held in Washington, D.C.,  marked the commencement of the four-year term of Barack Obama as President and Joseph Biden as Vice President. Based on combined attendance numbers, television viewership and Internet traffic, it was among the most observed events ever by the global audience).

Carbon trading is unjust, it will not work, and it is a false solution

In the wake of a controversial outcome at the Copenhagen climate talks, a diverse crowd of scientists, Faith congregation, activists, students, and concerned citizens converged in confrontation and protest at the 2nd Annual Global Forum Carbon Trading Summit. The summit is the largest annual meeting place of corporations, banks, and lobby groups to further the agenda of a carbon trading scheme to address climate change. Activists rallied to oppose market-based trading of greenhouse gas emissions credits and call for real solutions to the climate crisis. Demonstrators engaged in nonviolent direct action and risked arrest in attempt to blockade a portion of the venue’s revolving doors to display a banner decrying carbon trading as a false solution.

“The same Wall Street bankers who gave us the global climate crisis are trying to own the sky,” stated Brian Tokar, director of the Institute for Social Ecology and an organizer of this week’s protest events. “Carbon trading is unjust, it will not work, and it is a false solution. It is a dangerous distraction from the urgent measures needed to prevent an ever-worsening destabilization of the climate.”

Speakers at the rally included Reverend Billy of the Church of Life After Shopping, who delivered a critique with the fire and brimstone of a televangelist; Bhaia Heller, Professor of Womens Studies at Mount Holyoke University and Father Paul Mayer, co-founder of the Climate Crisis Coalition and religious community leader.

Participants inside the Carbon Trading Summit will include executives from JP Morgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, Duke Energy and more.

“I don’t trust these people to make decisions about the future of humanity,” said one young participant, who wished not to give her name because she will be risking arrest today. “If we follow through with market-based solutions like carbon trading, everyone will regret it. We need to stop believing the corporations’ false solutions and put all our collective energy into getting this conversation onto a track that’s useful.”

Dr. James Hansen, renowned climate scientist, was present outside the Carbon Trading Summit yesterday to voice his opposition to carbon trading schemes.

“Cap-and-trade is not a smart approach,” wrote Hansen his book Storms of My Grandchildren. Hansen has stated that current US climate legislation is “worse than nothing” because it relies on risky and ineffective cap-and-trade. He also declared that the failure to reach an agreement in Copenhagen was a better outcome than adopting the carbon-trade-based approach that was being negotiated.

“Carbon trade, which includes cap and trade and offsets are a dangerous distraction, economically risky, and prone to gaming and speculation,” stated Dr. Maggie Zhou, from Secure Green Future and Climate SOS stated. “Offsets allow polluters to simply pay someone else somewhere else to reduce their emissions on your behalf, which in the end does nothing to actually reduce emissions. The climate crisis simply can’t wait!

“Carbon trade is an insidious threat to human rights,” stated Dr. Rachel Smolker from Biofuelwatch and Climate SOS. “It turns rights to pollute the atmosphere, as well as forests, soils and agriculture practices that store carbon into commodities to be bought and sold as excuses for polluters. This is the greatest corporate grab on the “global commons” ever! It is disastrous for most of humanity.

January is a special month, not just because of the Gaza crisis, but also because this is the month when Barrack Hussein Obama is swearing in as the President of America. This month we are going to post articles related to Obama.

-By Mathew Bruce

On Tuesday 4th November 2008, there was the moment when the fates of two men would be decided, with long excruciating campaigns, the two presidential candidates were tired and worn out. But they knew the extent of their work would be decided by the American public, would it be the republican candidate John McCain, or the much favourite Democratic candidate Barack Obama?

It would only take 270 Electoral College votes for one candidate to win, with 64% estimated turnout, Obama would go on to win over 349 of the college votes; with the votes so bias towards Obama, it was obvious the Americans were looking for change.

Since announcing the choice to run as President, Obama has gained much media attention and also the attention of the public, not just in America but in the world. People were surprised he would go for the post because of his ethnic race, being African American and the first Black President, which proved to be irrelevant when it came to voting with 43% of white people voting for Obama. But people were gripped by his speeches; he would speak of the troops in Iraq, the need for universal healthcare and the energy independence.

Obama used his strengths to his advantage, his compassion for America, the world and for his people. The charisma is his speech. But people thought it would all be talk and he would not know what to do in situations, people would question his views on climate change and since becoming the President -Elect, he has already started the ball rolling. With new policies already set in place, saying that America should be the leaders in Climate Change. In his policies he states that by 2012, 10% of America’s electricity should come from renewable sources, rising to 25% by 2025.

Another is providing short term relief for American Families facing pain at the pump, Obama is looking to help families on low income, so that they can live a sustainable life. But the question is what will Obama do for the world? In four years he plans to come up with a verifiable global plan, to stop the production of all nuclear weapons, as well as securing all loose Nuclear Material from terrorists. In the main interest of the people, Obama wants to renew the Diplomacy, willing to rebuild alliances, meeting nations, friends or foes in order to advance American interests.

People think Obama is just a pretty face, but in truth he is ready and willing for whatever task he is faced with, he will show us what he can do when he takes the presidency in January. Starting by tackling the economy, in order to help not just America, but all other countries in economic turmoil.

So here are the questions: Will he be able to keep up to the promise he has made during the campaign?Will he really bring ‘Change’ to the lives of people all over the world?Will he be able to lead the world as the 21st century Leader?