Is China (and the rest of the world) Waiting for Bush's Lead?

David Hawkins, head of the Natural Resources Defense Council’s Climate Center, spoke by telephone to the Reuters Global Environmental Summit in New York today. Hawkins told the Summit that it is his impression that China’s national leaders take Global Warming more seriously than do their counterparts in Washington.

Hawkins is based in Washington and regularly travels to China to work with leaders of China’s science and technology, agriculture, and environmental protection ministries.

Hawkins believes that failure of the United States to take a leadership role in curbing carbon and other greenhouse gas emission is missing a strategic opportunity for the US; not only environmentally, but economically as well.

A strong national policy addressing global warming will in turn spur innovation from industry, which can then be marketed to the rest of the world. It wouldn’t be the first time that’s happened, and we have a chance to do it again. It’s an opportunity for the United States to be the leader it should be, but isn’t, under George Bush.

Dealing with global warming requires something from all segments of society. From individuals simply consuming less; to efficient and innovative industries that understand the ultimate environmental consequences of their processes; to government with enough competence, honesty, and vision to set forward thinking national policy.

Some claim that 2007 is a “tipping point” for both individuals and industry in taking global warming and other environmental issues seriously. What about government?

2009 won’t get here fast enough.

Read the whole article and many others from Reuters first Global Environmental Summit.