Barack Obama photo

Interview with Al Rokker of NBC's "Today"

May 07, 2014

ROKER: More dangerous floods, more frequent and powerful storms, wildfires burning more often with less water on hand to put them out, and on the heels of America's warmest decade, more heat waves and periods of severe drought; all these symptoms set to grow more severe, according to the latest national climate assessment, put out by the White House Tuesday.

Why has it taken so long to get to this point, where you're sounding this urgency?

THE PRESIDENT: Well, I'll tell you, we've been sounding this urgency for the last five years. If we don't do more, we're going to have bigger problems, more risk of economic impact and more risk of extreme weather events that can result in people losing their lives or losing their properties or businesses. And we've got to have the public understand this is an issue that is going to impact our kids and our grandkids unless we do something about it.

ROKER: Do you think, when it comes to the American public, that, in a sense, when it comes to climate change, they might actually be ahead in their thinking, as opposed to their elected representatives?

THE PRESIDENT: The public knows this is a problem. They're concerned about it. But they don't know if they can do anything about it. They think it's something in the distant future. And politicians generally, you know, up in Congress are not going to get out too far in front of the public. And that's why the public's voice has to be heard on this.

Barack Obama, Interview with Al Rokker of NBC's "Today" Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/309852

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