The Environment: America feels the heat
The gap between scientists' increasingly urgent warnings about climate change and the lack of action by politicians was never more apparent than at the end of the G8 summit in Gleneagles last week. Much of the reaction across the world was of disappointment, of hopes dashed by the intransigence of the US president, George Bush. But the fact that the issue had such a high profile at the summit was a milestone in itself, and a tribute to Tony Blair's political courage. He took the risk of being branded a failure because he was unable to influence his Iraq war ally. Unlike previous summits, not even broad agreement on climate change could be reached before the summit. In addition, there was even less intelligence than usual being used by civil servants to link the other big issue, Africa, with climate change. There will be no solving the problems of hunger, disease, poverty and migration in Africa unless the increasing drought and heat is tackled at the same time. In the event, the best world leaders managed to agree was: "Climate change is a serious and long-term challange that has the potential to affect every part of the globe . . . While uncertainties remain in our understanding of climate science, we know enough to act now to put ourselves on a path to slow and, as the science justifies, stop and then reverse the growth of greenhouse gases." The scientists conclude: "It is also time for the president to stop repeating the deceit that reducing global warming pollution will wreck the American economy, when the growing market for more energy efficient buildings, appliances and vehicles, renewable energy production, and biomass and biofuels feedstock is already proving to be profitable for US companies." In other words, the tide is turning both in the developing world and in America. Gleneagles could just have been the last hurrah for the climate sceptics. If the scientists are right, it had better be so.
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