Gore Praises "Magnitude Of Change In U.S. Leadership" At Davos

DAVOS, Switzerland — Nobel Peace Prize winner Al Gore urged President Barack Obama and other world leaders to seal a quick deal to fight global warming despite the pervasive financial crisis. Gore called Obama "the greenest person in the room" for making environmental funding a big chunk of the $819 billion economic stimulus bill passed by U.S. lawmakers this week. "I think it's important for the world leaders gathered here to fully appreciate the magnitude of the change in U.S. leadership," Gore said. The former U.S. vice president and environmental advocate, speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, referred to frustration in many countries at the Bush administration's refusal to sign international pacts on reducing emissions of carbon, blamed for global warming. Gore, U.N. climate chief Yvo de Boer and oil and insurance executives were discussing the fate of a U.N. meeting in Copenhagen later this year aiming for a global agreement on reducing emissions. Questions ... (link)