Save the Earth - Just Like the Europeans!

I just noticed this particularly striking irony.

Barack Obama (in his speech in Berlin): This is the moment when we must come together to save this planet. Let us resolve that we will not leave our children a world where the oceans rise and famine spreads and terrible storms devastate our lands. Let us resolve that all nations -- including my own -- will act with the same seriousness of purpose as has your nation, and reduce the carbon we send into our atmosphere.

German crowd: YAY!

Reality: What is happening all over Europe? They have plans to build a lot of coal fired power plants. Yep. Coal fired power plants. That would be plants that use (for practical purposes) 100% carbon. Not oil. Not natural gas. Both of which are a lot more expensive than coal. So they are buying based on price not catastrophe.

Hypothetical memo from Barack Obama to staff: Please check facts a little better next time.