I lived in the US for over six years and still meet many Americans. Most are well-meaning, many express genuine empathy for the poor, many are generous with charity. Many believe their country is blessed with the fruits of the earth and many believe their lifestyles are often wasteful, needlessly so, as they engage in the endless quest of even bigger homes, even bigger cars and what not.

But when it comes to the United States as a country, none of these qualities are evident. It is mean when it comes to climate change, refusing to clean up its act and refusing to accept any responsibility for centuries of earth’s plunder. Such an attitude runs counter to what American parents teach their children: If you mess up, you clean up. But the US only wants other countries to cut emissions or buy fewer cars, a thought often articulated by none other than our ‘green’ friend, The New York Times columnist Tom Friedman.

With the climate change talks in Copenhagen near collapse, President Obama’s arrival is the only point of interest left. It will be curious to see what he can do.

Failed Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin fears the Democrat will go behind the backs of Congress and make concessions that will lead to higher energy costs and job losses for Americans. She also has urged Obama to boycott the summit.

Obama arguably is a different American leader. He has brought a more profound approach to most global problems. He has brought hope to a lot of global problems. He won the US presidency for the “Yes, we can,” philosophy. He was conferred the Nobel Peace Prize this year because he brought the same can-do optimism to the world, even though he has yet to solve any of the problems. Can he do the same for climate change?

Days before the Copenhagen summit, Obama called Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to discuss two things: the additional US troops to Afghanistan and the Copenhagen summit. Not much is known about what the two leaders discussed about climate change. Did the two have a real deal, or even a fallback deal?  As the two leaders head to a meeting at Copenhagen this weekend, can Obama simplify the complicated, contentious and ugly, debate? Would it be too much to expect Obama to pull a rabbit out of his hat?