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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Down To Earth

Tuesday Video: President Obama says “we will respond to threat of climate change” at second inaugural address

When President Barack Obama gave his second inaugural address yesterday he seemed different. Perhaps emboldened after the election, he tipped the axis a bit towards a more powerful progressive embrace than I've seen in a while and he called for united action. In the "ask not what your country can do for you" mold, he then devoted time to climate change: 

We, the people, still believe that our obligations as Americans are not just to ourselves, but to all posterity. We will respond to the threat of climate change, knowing that the failure to do so would betray our children and future generations. Some may still deny the overwhelming judgment of science, but none can avoid the devastating impact of raging fires, and crippling drought, and more powerful storms. The path towards sustainable energy sources will be long and sometimes difficult. But America cannot resist this transition; we must lead it. We cannot cede to other nations the technology that will power new jobs and new industries — we must claim its promise. That’s how we will maintain our economic vitality and our national treasure — our forests and waterways; our croplands and snowcapped peaks. That is how we will preserve our planet, commanded to our care by God. That’s what will lend meaning to the creed our fathers once declared.

Watch the clip after the jump and you can read the whole address HERE



Down To Earth

The DTE blog is committed to reporting and sharing environmental news and sustainability information from across the Inland Northwest.