Hurricanes underline climate threat

The devastating aftermath of hurricanes Katrina and Rita should force President Bush to ‘face up’ to the threat of climate change and international co-operation on the issue, Friends of the Earth has reiterated this week.

"President Bush refuses to accept that the overwhelming body of scientific evidence warning of a grave climate change threat requires urgent action,” said Friends of the Earth director, Tony Juniper.

Emerging opinion in scientific journals (Science, Nature) suggests a growing frequency of Category 4 and 5 hurricanes and other major storms over the last three decades, combined with an increase in the global sea surface temperatures.

“The recent increased intensity of hurricances is most likely a consequence of human-induced climate change and his continuing denial of the problem is storing up even more serious problems for the future. It is time that the Bush Administration woke up in the real world and got serious about cutting the pollution that threatens the prosperity and stability of the entire planet," Juniper added.