USA ’HAS TO ACT’ ON CLIMATE REPORT

[Anonymous]

US ‘has to act’ on climate report
European
environment leaders have said the US and Australia must alter their
stance on climate change, as talks opened in Brussels on a major
report.EU Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas said a change of the
US “negative attitude” to international climate treaties was
“absolutely necessary”.The report from the Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change (IPCC) will detail projections of climate impacts.

It is expected to forecast problems with supplies of food and water.
The
final wording of the IPCC’s summary conclusions will be finalised
during a week of discussions involving scientists and government
representatives, and will be unveiled on Friday.

Major concerns
Already,
draft versions have been leaked to a number of news outlets; and they
suggest the IPCC will outline major issues for concern, particularly in
Asia and Africa.More than one billion people who receive fresh water
from glaciers in mountain ranges including the Himalayas, Alps, Andes
and Rockies will see supplies dwindle, it is expected to say.It is
likely to project an increased risk of serious inundation for some
low-lying cities, both on the coast or on the estuaries of major rivers.

Agricultural output is thought likely to decrease in tropical regions, but to increase in high latitudes.
Mr
Dimas contrasted the approach of the European Union to mitigating these
impacts through agreed international reductions in greenhouse gas
emissions with the stance of the US and Australia, which have both left
the Kyoto Protocol un-ratified having initially signed it in 1997.”(The
US) approach doesn’t help in reaching international agreement, and
doesn’t help reduce (US) emissions,” he said.”We expect the US to come
closer and not to continue with a negative attitude in international
negotiations… it’s absolutely necessary that they move.”Mr Dimas also
said he could not understand why Australia did not ratify the Kyoto
Protocol, saying it would cost the nation less in the long term.Since
1990, the baseline year for the most important gases dealt with by the
Kyoto treaty, US greenhouse gas output has risen by about 20% while
emissions for the pre-expansion EU have declined by about 2%.US Energy
Secretary Samuel Bodman said recently that his administration
acknowledged human emissions of greenhouse gases were contributing to a
changing climate, adding that cutting his country’s emissions might
damage the economy and send industry overseas.Belgian Prime Minister
Guy Verhofstadt added that “unpopular measures are unavoidable”, and
said it was up to politicians of all countries to take those measures.

[Author]

April 3, 2007 at 9:57 AM