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Hosted by Digg's Kevin Rose, viewers have a rare opportunity to hear from former Vice President and Nobel Peace Prize winner Al Gore. All interview questions have been selected by the Digg and Current.com communities In the interview Al Gore shares his thoughts and ideas on energy independence, clean coal, GMO, a place in an Obama's administration, alternative fuels etc. Well worth a look: Watch it on Current.com or YouTube: Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3

Photo credit: World Economic Forum During a meeting, with focus on development and transfer of technology that can help tackle climate change, in Beijing with 76 nations attending the Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said that "developed countries have a responsibility and an obligation to respond to global climate change by altering their unsustainable way of life". "The developed countries have a responsibility and an obligation to respond to global climate change by altering their unsustainable way of life," Wen was quoted as saying by Xinhua news agency. Developed countries should also help developing countries respond to climate change, Wen said, according to the agency. A senior Chinese climate policy official also warned that "a lack of firm funding commitments could derail efforts to cut emissions in developing countries, especially during times of economic turmoil".

Photo credit: Яick Harris A new environmental study ranks Canada as one of the worst developed countries in the world. The study has been done by the Conference Board of Canada, an independent and not-for-profit applied research organization in Canada. According to the study Canada performed poorly and received D grades in the areas of waste generation, water usage, and greenhouse gas emissions. But the study still gave Canada an overall C grade because the country performed "better than average on other measures of environmental performance". The study notes that "Canada is not taking the necessary steps toward environmental sustainability", and that Canada "stands almost at the bottom of the pack" alongside with USA and Australia. "We are among the world leaders in managing our forests, our air quality is good overall, and we have made progress on using energy efficiently," said Len Coad, Director, Environmental Energy and Transportation Policy. "But we generate far too much waste, we still use water as though we have an unlimited supply, and our past record on greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) is terrible." The European countries Sweden, Finland, Norway and Switzerland earned A grades and was ranked as the best performers in almost all categories, while only "lagging" in "certain measures related to biodiversity and energy intensity".

Photo credit: patrick dentler Newsweek has a good quote from Barack Obama when he was preparing for one of the debates: The debates unnerved both candidates. When he was preparing for them during the Democratic primaries, Obama was recorded saying, "I don't consider this to be a good format for me, which makes me more cautious. I often find myself trapped by the questions and thinking to myself, 'You know, this is a stupid question, but let me … answer it.' So when Brian Williams is asking me about what's a personal thing that you've done [that's green], and I say, you know, 'Well, I planted a bunch of trees.' And he says, 'I'm talking about personal.' What I'm thinking in my head is, 'Well, the truth is, Brian, we can't solve global warming because I f---ing changed light bulbs in my house. It's because of something collective'." The quote pretty much speaks for itself. We need strong government actions now. It will be interesting to see what Obama can and will do during the climate talks in Poland, one month from now, and in Denmark, next year in December.

The people have spoken. And they have clearly chosen Barack Obama as the next President of the United States of America. Hopefully the election outcome will result in USA moving away from its current destructive climate and environmental politics and policies. Hopefully well-needed change will come to USA, and the world. People, leaders and organisations from around the world hurry to congratulate Obama and his running mate Biden while hoping that this will be a new "fresh" chapter in U.S. relations and politics. The current French Presidency of the Council of Ministers of the European Union said in a statement that "the European Union is ready to work closely with Mr Barack Obama and his administration" to together combat "the challenges of the 21st century" in "a spirit of mutual trust and dialogue": "Because the world aspires to peace and stability, the European Union sees in this election the promise of a reinforced transatlantic partnership, a partnership that serves the universally shared values that inspire the people of Europe and the United States, a partnership that will enable us to face together the challenges of the 21st century. The European Union is ready to work closely with Mr Barack Obama and his administration and to make concrete proposals at the appropriate time, in a spirit of mutual trust and dialogue." The President of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso, said that "we need to change the current crisis into a new opportunity. We need a new deal for a new world." "This is a time for a renewed commitment between Europe and the United States of America. I want to assure US President elect Obama of the support of the European Commission and of my personal support in forging this renewed commitment to face together the many challenges ahead of us. We need to change the current crisis into a new opportunity. We need a new deal for a new world. I sincerely hope that with the leadership of President Obama, the United States of America will join forces with Europe to drive this new deal. For the benefit of our societies, for the benefit of the world." In a statement John Passacantando, Greenpeace USA Executive Director, congratulated not just Obama but also "the American people for backing a candidate who stood up for real change in a time of deep economic trouble": "We also congratulate the American people for backing a candidate who stood up for real change in a time of deep economic trouble. Among the most daunting issues America faces today is the crisis of global warming, and the American people backed the candidate who ran on a clear platform of taking the bold, science-based action needed to solve that crisis." The Greenpeace's Making Waves blog congratulates Obama, but also wants to remind him about the promises he made during the election campaign: "We're non-partisan here at Greenpeace. We don't have any permanent allies or enemies. We support policies, not politicians. We endorse deeds, not words. So even while a lot of us (in our personal capacity as human beings and not Greenpeace employees) are jumping up and down this morning with glee, we want to take a moment to remind you of the promises you made in your election campaign." […] "When the oil company sharks and the coal industry crooks and the nuclear energy shisters begin to gather at your door, please remember what you promised us in this election. Please remember the reasons you gave us to hope." Brent Blackwelder, President, Friends of the Earth Action, said that energy was a key issue in the election and that "Barack Obama and the new Congress can help the United States fulfill its potential to again be a world leader in the provision of clean energy": "Our country is in a tough spot. Our outdated energy infrastructure and reliance on fossil fuels are damaging the economy, endangering our national security, and threatening the planet with an unprecedented environmental and human catastrophe in the form of climate disruption. But these challenges also provide an opportunity to move forward, as wind, solar, and efficiency projects can happen quickly. Barack Obama and the new Congress can help the United States fulfill its potential to again be a world leader in the provision of clean energy. It’s our job to hold their feet to the fire and ensure they do so." Henrik Hasselknippe, the global head of carbon analysis for Point Carbon, a research company based in Norway, said that Obama will be a blessing for the clean energy businesses and that the international climate talks have "been on hold" and just waited "for a new U.S. administration to take office": "You could say that international climate talks have been on hold for the past few years with everyone in reality just waiting for a new U.S. administration to take office," said Henrik Hasselknippe, the global head of carbon analysis for Point Carbon, a research company based in Oslo, Norway. Mr. Hasselknippe said the victory for Mr. Obama was a boon for clean energy businesses because of an expectation that "it would be easier to get international negotiations going with a Democrat in the White House." He noted that Mr. Obama had proposed more ambitious cuts in greenhouse gas emissions for U.S. industry than John McCain, the Republican candidate who conceded defeat." Kate Hampton, head of policy at Climate Change Capital, a British investment company with $1.6bn under management, welcomed the election outcome while saying that Bush "had held back the growth of green business": "We cannot overstate how divisive the Bush administration was, how far behind the United States now is in the transition to the local carbon economy and how high expectations are now,” said Ms. Hampton. Mr. Obama “is a supporter of cap and trade and will push for more auctioning of carbon allowances, which is a good thing as it gives the US income to spend on other low carbon economy measures." Ms. Hampton also said she hoped that Obama would recognize that a "transition to the new economy will create jobs and profit" and build an "approach which is consistent with what the governments of the UK and France have been saying." Ricken Patel, from Avaaz.org, said in an email that "after 8 long years of Bush" there would finally be "a fresh start": "Obama's victory brings a chance for the US to finally join with the world community to take on pressing challenges on climate change, human rights, and peace. After years, even decades of distrust, let's seize this moment of unity, reconciliation and hope to send a message of warm congratulations and invitation to work together to the new President and the American people." Green Blog recently endorsed Barack Obama and Joe Biden. Because when it comes to environmental, energy and climate issues, only Obama stood out as the strong and aggressive candidate with a detailed and comprehensive plan to tackle these problems. Now we need to put pressure on Obama and his administration so that the promises he have made will not be forgotten.