Praises Obama

Pope praises Obama on climate, calls for 'serious' action

By Andrew Restuccia

Pope Francis praised President Barack Obama on Wednesday for taking steps to cut greenhouse gas emissions, and he warned that climate change "is a problem which can no longer be left to a future generation."

The pope, speaking in English in front of the White House, said he is "encouraged" by the president's global warming agenda, which includes first-ever climate regulations for the country's fleet of power plants.

The pope made climate change a central part of his remarks, a signal that the issue will take center stage during his trip through the United States, and possibly during his speech to a joint session of Congress on Thursday.

He said countries "still have time to make the change needed" to tackle climate change, offering a hopeful message that "things can change."

The pope also warned of the effect that global warming has on the world's poor and vulnerable populations, calling for a "serious" response to climate change that takes into account "the millions of people living under a system which has overlooked them."

The comments appear to be intended to send a signal to those who have been reluctant to help fund poor countries' effort deal with the effects of climate change. Republicans in Congress, for example, are resisting Obama's pledge to put $3 billion over several years into the Green Climate Fund, which helps vulnerable countries adapt to the warming planet.

Invoking the words of Martin Luther King, Jr., the pope said the world hasn't done enough to solve the problem. "We can say that we have defaulted on a promissory note and now is the time to honor it," he said.