WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama will travel to Florida's Everglades on Wednesday hoping to reframe the debate on climate change ahead of a vital few months that will shape his environmental legacy.
On "Earth Day" Obama will swap Washington's turbid political waters for gator-infested wetlands, in the hope of putting America's cherished national parks -- and their economic impact -- front-and-center of a bitter partisan debate.
Early in Obama's administration, environmental groups were dismayed that a candidate who had promised to upend George W. Bush's climate-skeptical stance was forced to spend much of his first term tackling the economy before pivoting to health care reform.
But since then, the White House has notched a string of climate victories, including a landmark bilateral deal that committed China to emissions cuts and new vehicle efficiency standards.
The climate "has definitely emerged as a clear priority in the second term" said Ben Longstreth, a senior attorney at an environmental group, the Natural Resources Defense Council.
Obama is about to embark on a final climate push, before the campaign to succeed him as president occupies all political bandwidth in Washington.
"This is an issue that's bigger and longer-lasting than my presidency," Obama said in his latest weekly address.
To win over critics, the White House is looking to augment tried-and-tested arguments about custodianship.
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