The hyped climate report released today by the Obama Administration is not in itself a "game changer." As the AP's Seth Borenstein notes:
The White House document "” a climate status report required periodically by Congress "” contains no new research.
The real game changer, illustrated by today's press conference at the White House and the snazzy new website, is that we have a President who is willing to flex political muscle on the climate change issue. As Borenstein wrote, the report
paints a fuller, more cohesive and darker picture of global warming in the United States than previous studies and brief updates during the George W. Bush years.
But those who think this "darker picture" will be a game changer are probably going to be disappointed. To truly effect a change in public attitude and policy, Obama will have to stay consistently engaged with the issue in a substantive manner.
