David Jackson

USA TODAY

President Obama is telling environmentalists that worries about efforts to battle climate change need to be taken seriously.

"People don't like gas prices going up," Obama told the League of Conservation Voters on Wednesday. "They don't like electricity prices going up — and we ignore those very real and legitimate concerns at our peril."

Obama told the group that administration supporters need to do more than discuss the environmental benefits of cutting carbon emissions and other policies. They need to advocate development of new "clean energy" technology that can lead to lower bills in the future, and address "people's legitimate economic concerns" about the climate change fight.

"We've got to shape our strategies to speak to the very real and legitimate concerns of working families all across America," Obama said. "But we can do that, that's the good news, we can do it."