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16/09/2004 Tony Blair called climate change the world’s greatest environmental challenge in a speech in London on 14th of September. “Apart from a diminishing handful of sceptics” Mr Blair said “there is a virtual worldwide scientific consensus on the scope of the problem.” A problem he said, which was becoming increasingly urgent: “ [global warming] began as significant, has become alarming and is simply unsustainable in the long term. And by long term I do not mean centuries ahead. I mean within the lifetime of my children certainly; and possibly within my own. And by unsustainable, I do not mean a phenomenon causing problems of adjustment. I mean a challenge so far reaching in its impact and irreversible in its destructive power, that it alters radically human existence.” Mr Blair promised to use Britain's presidency of the G8 next year to push for more urgent action on climate change. He also announced that the UK would host an emergency scientific conference in February intended to decide an upper limit of temperature rise beyond which climate change would be catastrophic. The idea being, Mr Blair implied, to put pressure on the US administration to rejoin international efforts to tackle climate change. Mr Blair’s speech also highlighted just how wrong Esso, and the sceptics it funds, are when it comes to the Kyoto protocol. Esso and its propaganda fronts (organisations such as the Competitive Enterprise Institute and Tech Central Station) have repeatedly argued that the Kyoto protocol would be bad for the economy and bad for jobs. Contradicting Esso’s arguments Mr Blair talked of how Britain was on target to fulfil its Kyoto targets while sustaining strong economic growth. “Between 1990 and 2002” he pointed out “the UK economy grew by 36%, while greenhouse gas emissions fell by around 15%.” Mr Blair also demonstrated the foolishness of those who argue (as the Competitive Enterprise Institute have) that we should take no action to reduce emissions. Mr Blair said: “Even if there are those who still doubt the science in its entirety, surely the balance of risk of action or inaction has changed. If there were even a 50% chance that the scientific evidence I receive is right, the bias in favour of action would be clear.” “Of course it is far more than 50%” he added.
BBC news: PM gives dire warning on climate change The Guardian: Has Blair the energy to convince Exxon [Previous entry: "A summer of freak weather"] [Main Index] [Next entry: "Talking Tigers"] |
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Latest Campaign News KYOTO MARCH - Saturday 12 February 2005 In February the Kyoto Protocol finally comes into force. Join the Campaign Against Climate Change on a march in central London to mark the occassion by protesting the US' refusal to join the Protocol. Assemble at Lincoln's Inn Fields at 11.30. For more information go to www.campaign againstclimatechange.net Esso up to old tricks on Kyoto Governments from around the world met in Buenos Aires to discuss protecting the climate under the Kyoto Protocol. Greenpeace sent a delegation to the conference to keep an eye on the activities of Esso and other fossil fuel lobbies.more "Global warming is a conspiracy against America" As a taste of what is to come during a second Bush term Myron Ebell, an advisor to President Bush on climate issues, recently argued that global warming is a myth cooked up by the EU to 'hamper American competitiveness'... more Russia Ratifies The Russian parliament have voted to ratify the Kyoto Protocol, which brings the treaty into force... more Chief Scientist: we need immediate action on climate change "Action is affordable, inaction is certainly not," says Sir David King, the UK governments chief scientist...more |
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