Highlight of the Week: Proposed Copenhagen Agreement: We're Not Done Yet

World leaders concluded two
weeks of intense climate negotiations in Copenhagen Friday, resulting in a
political agreement that fell short of an
ambitious or legally binding climate pact.

With public protests in the
background and police blockades preventing observers from witnessing the talks
in person, negotiators for nearly 200 nations laid the foundation of a climate agreement that left
major gaps still to be filled.

President Obama's last-minute
breakthrough with China salvaged the talks and set into motion a renewed effort to develop a comprehensive agreement in
2010.

"I applaud President
Obama for his determination to not let these talks fail, and his success
working with China. The deal is incomplete, and we're not done yet.  But at long last all of the top polluters of
the world, including the United States and China, are putting numbers on the
table to cut pollution in a transparent way," said Larry Schweiger,
president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation.

"This agreement keeps the
process moving forward to a more effective agreement in 2010.  But we will need far more ambitious global
cooperation to fill in the missing pieces next year.  The Senate needs to get busy and deliver the
stalled climate and clean energy bill to the president to create jobs and do
our share to reduce global warming pollution.

"I'm imploring upon
anyone who feels an obligation to leave behind a better world for their family
and safeguard wildlife for our children's future to join our fight to change
the forecast for people and wildlife."