Dear Mr President,

Now is the time to give hope more than a voice. As you depart for the UN Climate Summit in Copenhagen, I feel compelled to express my hope and desire for the role you will play when you join the other heads of state in reaching an agreement to avert catastrophic climate change: the role you must play in keeping hope alive for many millions of people around the world. 

My Name is Kumi Naidoo, I am the International Executive Director of Greenpeace, I am also chair the Global Coalition for Climate Action (www.tcktcktck.org) and serve as a co-chair of the Global Call to Action Against Poverty (www.whiteband.org). But, most of all, like you, I am a global citizen. I am also a child of Africa. Read more »

This article by Greenpeace climate campaigner Joss Garman (above) first appeared in yesterday's Guardian.

In his inaugural address, President Obama promised to "work tirelessly to … roll back the spectre of a warming planet", and to "restore science to its rightful place", adding: "Our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions – that time has surely passed."

You wouldn't know it from reading the Guardian this morning. Instead of sensing the spirit of "yes we can", you feel the familiar muscle of America's Big Carbon special interests. For months, US officials have been dampening expectations and lowering the bar on which climate measures could be expected from the new administration. This culminated yesterday in Obama signalling that he wants to delay a formal global climate agreement until next year at the earliest, rejecting the advice of his own science adviser, John Holdren.

Earlier this week more than 20 Greenpeace volunteers climbed the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona to tell governments meeting here ahead of the UN climate summit in Copenhagen to "save the climate".

Yesterday Ed Miliband added his voice to the chorus coming from many EU and US officials saying that he's concluded that there won’t be a legally binding agreement at Copenhagen next month. By his measure a proper deal faces a delay of at least six months, and probably more.

From this it would seem that warm words and a warming world are now all we can look forward to from the UN climate summit in Copenhagen. Over the past few weeks our political leaders have scrambled to lower expectations. This statement marks a new low. A year ago Copenhagen was going to be it, our best opportunity to avoid unprecedented climatic disaster. Now, we are being told it will be talks about more talks.

Barack Obama's grandmother now has solar panels on the roof of her home in Kenya, courtesy of Greenpeace.

Greenpeace Solar Generation Activists and local youth organisers installed the panels on "Mama Sara's" home, and also put panels on the Senator Barack Obama School in Kogelo.

High above the Venice lagoon, Greenpeace demand strong climate leadership. from the G8.

Just as our tired activists in Italy were starting to settle in for a long night on top of the coal power stations yesterday, we got word that Greenpeace climbers in the US had rappelled down the face of Mount Rushmore with a banner that challenges Obama to show real leadership on climate change at the G8 this week.

Note - the live broadcast is no longer running.

We need to see real action from world leaders this year if we are going to save our climate. That's why over 100 Greenpeace activists from 15 countries occupied four coal-fired power stations across Italy today and they're demanding that the G8 Heads of State take decisive leadership on climate change. You can follow live updates from the Italy here.

And now our friends in the US have climbed Mount Rushmore and are challenging President Obama to be a leader on climate change, and they are broadcasting it live. The signal drops out occasionally, but when it works - wow. The park authorities have just reach the top of the monument.

The UK can set an example for the world by putting an end to new dirty coal-fired power plants. Tell Ed Miliband what you'll do if he consents a new dirty coal plant at Kingsnorth in Kent: The Big If