Obama Vows to 'Engage Vigorously' in Climate Fight

In an unexpected video appearance today at a conference on climate change, President-elect Barack Obama promised to fight global warming, saying the stakes are too high to continue delaying action and denying global warming. He vowed to usher in a “new era of global cooperation” come January and says he'll “engage vigorously” in international negotiations, AFP reports.

Obama won’t attend a UN gathering on the subject next month in Poland in deference to President Bush, but says he has asked congressional attendees to report back to him. California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who’s hosting the conference in Beverly Hills and has long butted heads with Bush on the issue, welcomed Obama’s message: “I'm very, very happy. … This is fantastic because we want to lead the way.”

(More Arnold Schwarzenegger stories.)