Amy Goodman of Democracy Now joins "Up" live from the United Nation's Convention on Climate Change in Durban, South Africa
We were lucky enough to get a live report from the global-warming conference in Durban, South Africa, from Amy Goodman of Democracy Now. Goodman was there covering the conference. And the US position came up for some debate on our program -- especially regarding whether President Obama is to blame for the current US position on global warming, or the Republican-controlled Congress is. Congressman Jerry Nadler (D-NY) was on-set with us for this discussion about an issue that it would be difficult to dispute is the most important of our time.
Jonathan Larsen is the executive producer of Up w/ Chris Hayes. You can follow him on Twitter @JTLarsen.
Leave a Comment:
Amy Goodman was right-on as usual!! I'm afraid the President has been co-opted by big Oil & Gas. The absurdity of our corporatist politics now (which is still in the carbon age), is that we have a choice between pretend know-things in the R camp, and corporatists (yes, I mean Obama) who admit the reality of the problem, but work against solutions and leadership from the Oval Office, for Big Oil&Gas. Leadership is urgently needed in this country!!
It is completely unrealistic for the extreme Left to believe that it is possible any global warming legislation will get through this congress. And for Amy Goodman to suggest that the Obama administration is in a conspiracy to thwart measures to address climate change is equally absurd.
Well I'm sure your grandchildren and great grandchildren will appreciate that political stupidity and greed for an artificial creation called money that destroyed the planet for them gave you and yours luxury and political victory. Your grandchildren and great grandchildren will certainly be appreciative of your efforts. At least for some of us, making the effort to preserve the species makes a lot more sense than re electing Barack Obama.
Hello paplanner version II
I can assure you that as a dyed-in-the-wool democrat and liberal I would be happy if we could pass legislation on global warming but I, like Barack Obama, am a realist and there is simply no way one could get such legislation through this congress. In the last election members of the Tea Party got out there and worked to elect people who represented their beliefs. Enough of them won that we now have a congress dominated by the GOP and mostly Tea Party congressmen.
Since you care so very deeply about it and feel that your children's and grandchildren's very future depends on it, I am certain that you are working tirelessly to elect someone from your area who would legislate in the manner you feel important and not just sitting behind a keyboard getting all worked up over an issue you have no intention of actually getting out of your seat to support.
Right?
"making the effort to preserve the species makes a lot more sense than re electing Barack Obama."
Well I don't think those are mutually exclusive. I do not believe that our choice is between the extinction of the human species or re-electing Obama. I think our choice in 2012 will be between someone who will allow the oil companies to do as they please, the GOP candidate, and someone who will do whatever is politically possible about global warming, Barack Obama.
All politics is local so if you truly believe as you say you do then if you want a representative who will do your bidding you should work locally to get one elected. And if that proves difficult you should try to convince enough people to switch from their candidate over to yours. That is how our democracy works.
I think it's naive to think that Obama will do whatever is possible about global warming. The amount of money his receiving from Big Banks with huge investments in Big Oil is testament to that. His foolishness on Keystone XL is testament to that. For that matter, it's naive to think that he'll do anything that he said he would in the campaign, as inspiring as it would. Gitmo is testament to that, as is Anwar Al Alawki. And the secret drone-wars.
Global warming, as much as I wish it was, isn't an issue that you can just "hope" for legislation for. It's urgent to say the least. Obama won in '08 with a progressive base - who he as completely turned on - and would be able to win in '12 with the same base if he hadn't betrayed them. Global warming legislation wouldn't mean losing in '12, but rather winning back the base that he won on in '08. More importantly (much more importantly), it would mean hope for the future, which right now is looking pretty dim to a 16 year old.
Sorry to say that unfortunately she is not suggesting but speaking the truth, after all it is THE OB AMA ADMINISTRATION. His Administration, is not even trying to full fill many of the important promises he made. She is not trying to hate on him at all but I know he also has taken money from Wall Street and other lobbyist. We are screwed as long as the same old people are in power, for the most part.
We need more news segments like this one. Obama and the DEMs are disappointing. We who care about the environment need to put more pressure on them.
It's becoming really tiresome to hear that President Obama doesn't have to advocate for what's right because it won't pass anyway.
Congratulations on your baby, Chris.
I completely agree and kudos to Heather from Demos for pointing out that there is a moral case for the President to be making about the issue whether legislation can pass or not. Movements like the civil rights movement and the movement for women's voting rights took many years of making the moral argument before legislation was ever passed.
Amy Goodman is as dumb as she looks. According to her, global warming only came into existence in 2008. Global warming has been a hot button issue for years prior to 2008. For her to openly accuse Mr. Obama for not doing what she thinks he should is as ridiculous as it gets. Hey Goodman, there is no such thing as should, simply because the word should is an absolute expression, the likes of which does not exist anywhere in the real world.
Amy Goodman is anything but dumb. You obviously have never heard of her so you should keep your ridiculous comments to yourself.
hazen, you are entitled to your opinion, no matter how asinine it is. I would venture to say that your bigotry and contempt for her are merely a reflection of your insecurity, and your disappointment at finally finding out that Obama is just another tool of the capitalist criminals on Wall Street. The only thing I can say to you is that Mr. Obama is going to be a one term president for precisely the reasons Ms. Goodman put forth, On the most important issues related to improving the condition of humanity Mr. Obama didn't even swing and miss, he kept the bat on his shoulder and struck out looking.
Amy Goodman has been an intelligent, well educated, well read well respected journalist from before you were born likely! It's really dumb to call her dumb, dumb she is NOT! I campaigned for Obama, and I tried to overlook things for years. But if is time to face it--as paplanner says we were naive to believe he was going to be able to change anything. I really tried to give him space, but it is too late. He has blown it too many times. I WISH I could keep supporting him but it's over. I give up. He's a lost cause and let us all down.
@Judi, I agree... but if it comes down to lesser of two evils at the voting booth?
It should be ''for him and his... '' not '' for he and his..."" . Let us raise the bar, please.
oh oh... the grammer police!
Good panelists. Good topics. Great show. I'm so glad you have the gumption to call out the administration on their lack of action. I wish you could air in prime time so that a wider audience could spectate, but I feel that might require more compromises with the substance of the program. While your show time is ridiculous, if it means you can maintain this level of clarity, then it's a worthy cost.
Congrats on the baby, and keep up the good work!
Global warming is just the fog covering your eyes.
The Earth is moving away from the sun.
If it wasn't for global warming we would be heading into anouther Ice Age.
What we need to do is find a ballance between them.
When are the scientest going to address that?
"When are the scientest going to address that?"
They're not going to because at 15cm it isn't anything to worry about for a least another billion years. You don't know what you're talking about. I suggest you educate yourself in basic 8th grade science and then work your way up.
Amy Goodman is the BEST!! And she is spot on about the oil/coal/nuclear power companies owning the U.S. government and therefore, POTUS, which is why Obama isn't able to go forward with his green agenda.
I believe the Bush v. Gore decision in 2000 was a coup d'etat not only by the MIC that wanted war in the ME, but also all the polluting companies who feared a President Al Gore would begin transitioning immediately to clean green energy, something oil, coal and nuclear power companies are working very hard to stop.
OCCUPY!! And vote-out all the corporatists—the GOPTea and Blue Dog Dems—who are working for the 1% that are destroying our planet.
We the people want peace in the USA, investment in infrastructure, education and clean green energy!
Earlier today I was flipping through the Sunday cable news shows--looked like the current chair of the republican party was sent out to minimize the ever-collapsing nature of their candidates such as Herman Cain. He said he didn't care, it didn't matter to him that Cain dropped out. Or that Time Mag is asking why his political party doesn't like Mitt. The art of dissembling--the word comes from the Latin, meaning to feign that a thing is not that which it is. Interestingly, it is the source of our word resemble.
Get that snorting, hacking, sniffing, cougher off the blessed air! Gross! Interferes with the message
Oh, Chris, to hear you say "little Ryan" again...
That was incredibly sweet!
What the hell are you talking about????
I'm glad Up with Chris Hayes had the courage to have Amy Goodman on the program and to discuss the Climate Talks. It shows the program has some integrity and because of it I will be watching more in the future.
That's great! I'm glad everything is fine. Hope to hear from you soon.
Kinda missed your programe when I was on vocation.
mp4 to mp3 converter