Issues related to climate change and greenhouse gas emissions have come to dominate world attention regarding environmental issues.  The most important international forum for discussing this issue in years was the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in December 2009.  Major countries pledged emissions reductions, and the United States, China, India, Brazil, and South Africa drafted an accord that was noted but not adopted.  Expectations for a major agreement with legally binding emissions reduction targets were not met.  Much work remains to be done, and in North America most climate change plans are being developed at the regional, state and local level.

Larry Greene is the Air Pollution Control Officer and Executive Director of the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District.  Christina Ragsdale is the Communications Officer at the Air District.  They both visited Copenhagen, Larry as an official delegate for his national air organization and Christina as an interested person observing the event.