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Greens Call for Assembly to Condemn Bush on Global Warming Response

Friends of the Earth Cymru (FOE Cymru) has today called upon the National Assembly to condemn President G W Bush and his fossil-fuel backed Administration for their withdrawal from the Kyoto climate change treaty negotiations. The green campaigners say that without the US on board substantial global emission reductions are likely to be more politically difficult to achieve.

FOE Cymru say that more and more Americans will be realising that stepping up fossil fuel use in response to an energy crisis caused by their own profligate usage would further damage the climate, pollute the environment and cause further condemnation from the international community. Even US business will be realising that turning ones back on energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies because of a strong fossil fuel lobby will damage US competitiveness and world standing.

Responding to several recent international events (see notes 1,2,3), Neil Crumpton, Transport & Energy Spokesperson said:

"In the last two days there has been news of a major oil-tanker collision releasing a 1500 tonne oil-slick off the Danish coast, a methane explosion killing 4 in a Siberian coal-mine and reports of drought in Sudan threatening 3 million people.

The first two incidents are obvious hazards of the fossil fuel age. But more and more people around the world are realising that large scale population disasters due to regional climate changes associated with global warming will become more frequent and staggeringly costly if countries don't move to a low carbon economy."

FOE Cymru say that Bush's position is all the more lamentable because the solutions to global warming have wider benefits and are there for the taking. Energy efficiency measures and a much safer and cleaner hydrogen fuelled economy powered by renewable energy is the obvious way forward. There is plenty of natural energy around for a high quality of life and various renewable energy technologies can be deployed in most regions of most countries.

Neil Crumpton added:

"President Bush has explained carefully to everybody that the US economy would be damaged by emission cuts. However, there are great economic returns in energy efficiency measures and development of the rapidly increasing potential of near-cost, if not lower-cost, renewable energy schemes. Yet the US has for the moment been hoodwinked by some narrow fossil fuel interests"

The environmentalists say that the US should practice energy efficiency and forward planning to improve economic performance. Californians could not even manage to energise traffic lights to avoid traffic jams on the Golden Gate Bridge caused by air-conditioned electricity brownouts during a hot spell. The US economy will also be hurt by the international condemnation of Bush's failure to join a global Treaty to plan emissions reductions. The Welsh Assembly should join that condemnation.

Notes

1) A one year old, double-skinned oil tanker (Baltic Carrier) carrying 30,000 tonnes of heating oil was in collision with a freighter in the Baltic Sea on Wednesday. About 1,500 tonnes of oil is being blown by gales towards the Danish coast.

2) Methane, a powerful greenhouse gas (20 times CO2), is an explosion risk in coal mining operations. The blast happened in the Kemerevo region of Russia and also injured 6 people.

3) Severe drought affecting 3 million people was reported on BBC news on Friday (30.03.01) am. Many more millions of people worldwide from Africa, to China, to the UK have been affected even over the last year by more extreme weather related events. The latest IPCC report forecasts a significantly higher global mean temperature increase by 2100 if no action is taken to reduce emissions (5.8 degrees worst case compared to 3.5 degrees in their previous 1997 report). Some warming will occur
through existing emissions.