Will US president Barack Obama sign the international agreement on Climate Change during the COP15? To find out how Americans think about this question, I took my Flip Camera to Central Park in New York and asked passengers about their opinions regarding global warming, the impact of the US and their COP-15 predictions.

Melting glaciers, nothing else

The feeling I got after these interviews was somewhat double. Many of the Americans I met, had a very limited view of the climate change problem. Some stated that they associated Climate Change only with melting glaciers or mere pollution. Others mentioned the links to the American car industry and the lack of waste management. However, the oil industry was only named once. The impact of meat production, agriculture and the deforestation that comes with it, came for several of my informants as a ' revelating, though interesting fact' which they had not considered yet. Maybe it is time for the USA to have a closer look at their hamburgers instead of only taking recycling as a major step to combat global warming. 

Obama: yes, he can?

Even though the majority of my interviewees was not aware of the crucial decisions that can be taken during COP15 and America's role in this, nearly everybody trusted Barack Obama. "He is a good president and I am sure he cares about our earth!" was the most commonly heard statement. Still, others realized the situation is a little more complicated and did not dare to offer predictions: " I would hope he will, but I don't know what the other factors are. These kind of decisions are never clear-cut. I would have to go and understand all sides of the debate before I can say whether Obama will sign or not".