Kerry: Bush administration ‘increasingly irrelevant’ on climate

Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) slammed the Bush administration on Wednesday for its reluctance to take bold action on climate change, but the 2004 Democratic presidential nominee added that the White House does not represent the view of the American people on the issue.

Kerry, who just returned from the climate negotiations in Bali, Indonesia, at which he represented Congress, criticized the Bush administration for standing in the way of a stronger agreement on the issue. The senator stated, however, that the opportunities of this White House to stand in the way of action are dwindling.

{mosads}“The world needs to know: This White House doesn’t represent the American people today, and it cannot represent America’s policy beyond January 2009,” Kerry said, pointing to state and local efforts to address climate change.

“The reality is, the Bush White House is increasingly irrelevant to any future agreement,” the senator added in a speech at the Center for American Progress Action Fund.

Kerry said that, despite the administration’s efforts, the so-called “Bali roadmap” makes progress on the issue.

“What I found in Bali was a world ready to act, full of willing partners when the United States finally decides to lead,” Kerry stated. “To a person, almost everyone told me the same thing: Ultimately we can’t do this without the U.S., but we won’t wait to get started until America comes on board.”

The senator related the story of a delegate from Papua New Guinea who told the U.S. to get out of the way if it was not willing to lead.

Kerry said the responsibility to restore America’s place as a leader on the issue now falls to the next president.

“All of us — politicians, labor unions, activists, think tank fellows — need to make this a voting issue to be ratified by the public on Nov. 4, 2008, and those of you in the policy world need to help us lay the groundwork for a program to be implemented on day one.”

Kerry noted that the U.S. must invest in research, new technologies and alternative energies to become independent of foreign oil and competitive in a global marketplace in which other countries are already making such investments.

“If we’re wrong [about the impact of climate change], we still have global development, clean air, a stronger economy here at home, healthier citizens and no more addiction to the foreign oil that funds despots and terrorists,” Kerry said. “If they’re wrong, we face catastrophe.”