Former "bright-eyed intern in the Obama White House": "I’ve decided I’m done with U.N. conferences. Mostly, they’re too depressing."

Why President Obama should keep his promise to tackle climate change | Grist

A little less than four years ago, I was a bright-eyed intern in the Obama White House. The halls buzzed with hope, and optimistic predictions that we would tackle health care and then move on to the more challenging issues of climate change and immigration reform.

It wasn’t long, however, before the realities of the recession and extreme partisanship set in.
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I’ve traveled from Copenhagen to Rio de Janeiro and a lot of New York in between with SustainUS, a delegation of young Americans working towards sustainable development. But now, even as many of my friends prepare for the upcoming climate conference in Qatar, I’ve decided I’m done with U.N. conferences.

Mostly, they’re too depressing.