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If you've been wondering where Bill Clinton stands on environmental issues these days, you'll want to catch the ABC News production for Planet Green, Focus Earth.
Bob Woodruff and Bill Clinton talk candidly about the recent G8 Summit and its implications. They discuss the last eight years under the Bush administration and what environmental initiatives have been accomplished and which ones, unfortunately, haven't.
There is hope, however, in Woodruff and Clinton's frank conversation—what can the next president do better than any president has done before? What needs to be done to have real effect in the U.S. and the world? Clinton also offers his insight on how the world views current U.S. policy on global warming and how we can change that.
With the primaries out of the way and the Clintons throwing their support behind Barack Obama, Clinton is in a unique position to simply speak his mind about an issue that has become more and more important to everyone.
Clinton says the next president needs to make climate change a major issue of his administration, or risk the ecological and financial consequences. He also praises politicians on both sides of the aisle -- including presumptive Republican nominee Sen. John McCain -- for recognizing the importance of sound environmental policy. "I do think it's fair to say that, among all the Republicans, Sen. McCain had the best position on climate change. I think that Sen. Obama and the Democrats have a better position, but I think McCain deserves credit for moving his party."
Clinton calls Bush's efforts at this week's G8 summit in Lake Toya, Japan to cut emissions by 50 percent over 40 years a "net plus," but he added, "I would like to have seen more done. Most of the climate scientists believe we'll have to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent. And they did not agree to a more ambitious target in the interim, by 2020, which I think should have been done," he said.
Despite the world's wealthiest countries committing this week to curb emissions, the world's fastest developing countries -- China and India -- said they would not join the agreement. "Well, if India and China and the other emerging economies don't join in some sort of limitation, then they can burn up the planet without any of our help."
For more of Bob Woodruff's interview with President Clinton, tune in to Focus Earth with Bob Woodruff, an ABC News production airing on the Planet Green network. Find out if Planet Green is available in your area.
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