U.S. President Barack Obama on Tuesday dedicated his first United Nations address to the issue of climate change, stating that rich and poor nations must work swiftly and urgently to avoid a legacy of "irreversible catastrophe."
Obama acknowledged that the U.S. has been slow in responding to the threat of climate change, but stated that it is a "new day, a new era," pointing to a change of course set by his administration over the past months.
"We cannot allow the old divisions that have characterized the climate debate for so many years to block our progress," Obama said, adding that "as we head towards Copenhagen, there should be no illusions that the hardest part of our journey is in front of us."
You can watch the speech here, and read MSNBC coverage at the link below.
