climate change

Polar bears

The Arctic is experiencing some of the most rapid and severe climate change on the planet. Diminishing ice is pushing polar bears, caribou and reindeer towards extinction. And as their snowy world melts, ours begins to shrink as sea level rise will have devastating affects in the UK and around the globe.

Tony Blair

At regular intervals over the last few years, Tony Blair has given strong speeches on the importance and urgency of tackling climate change. He has told us that this is the single greatest challenge facing the international community, and that the scientific evidence is alarming. He is certainly right about that. He has also said that he is personally passionate about solving the problem.

Greenpeace has been sharply critical of Blair on other issues - on GM, nuclear power and, above all, Iraq. But on climate we have tried to believe in his sincerity. We need politicians to take the lead, and we need to support them when they do. It's not our style to ask automatically, as Jeremy Paxman does, "why is this bastard lying to me?"

house flooded

Tony Blair says climate change is "probably the single most important issue that we face". He says "there is no doubt that the time to act is now. It is now that timely action can avert disaster."

But the Prime Minister is rejecting two proposals to increase energy efficiency in residential homes and social housing and he is forcing Labour MPs to follow suit.

As a taste of what is to come during a second term with Bush, an advisor to the President on climate issues came out claiming global warming is a myth designed to 'hamper American competitiveness.'

Myron Ebell, a director at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, told the BBC's Radio 4 that claims that the climate is threatened are "ridiculous, unrealistic and alarmist."