The US has been one of the chief obstacles to passing a strong, ambitious, and legally binding climate deal for many years now, and this ignoble tradition unfortunately continues here in Copenhagen.

In fact, the US was awarded the "Fossil of the Day" on Monday, December 14th, for refusing to make a long-term commitment on financing for developing nations to adapt to the impacts of climate change and for putting one of the lowest emissions reductions targets on the table despite being far and away the biggest contributor to the crisis.

Yet last November 70 million Americans elected President Obama, who vowed repeatedly during his campaign that the era of US obstructionism on dealing with climate change would end when he was elected. Ask Obama to live up to his word and lead the world when he gets to Copenhagen. The US must stop being a fossil fool and lead the world in stopping climate change.