World leaders, scientists and campaigners in their own words
鈥淭his is an historic step forward in the world鈥檚 efforts to combat a truly global threat.鈥�
Kofi Annan, Secretary-General of the United Nations, November 2004, commenting on Russia鈥檚 long-awaited ratification of the Kyoto Protocol.
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鈥淭he Greenland ice sheet is likely to be eliminated [within 50 years] unless much more substantial reductions in emissions are made than those envisaged [and will] probably be irreversible, this side of a new ice age.鈥�
Jonathan Gregory, climatologist at the University of Reading, April 2004, commenting on the fact that upon melting, the world鈥檚 second largest ice cap could raise sea levels by 7 metres, flooding most coastal regions.
鈥淐limate change is the most severe problem that we are facing today, more serious even than the threat of terrorism.鈥� 鈥� David King, UK government chief scientific adviser, January 2004.
鈥淭he absolutely best case scenario 鈥� which in my opinion is unrealistic 鈥� with the minimum expected climate change鈥� we end up with an estimate of 9% [of all species] facing extinction.鈥� 鈥�
Chris Thomas, ecologist at the University of Leeds, January 2004, commenting on the effect of global warming on biodiversity.
鈥淎n increase of two or three degrees wouldn鈥檛 be so bad for a northern country like Russia. We could spend less on fur coats, and the grain harvest would go up.鈥� 鈥� Vladimir Putin, Russian President, October 2003.
鈥淲e need to recognise that it makes sense to discuss slowing emissions growth before trying to stop and eventually reverse it.鈥� 鈥� US White House Council of Economic Advisers, February 2002.
鈥淭he more the climate is forced to change, the more likely it is to hit some unforeseen threshold that can trigger quite fast, surprising and perhaps unpleasant changes.鈥� 鈥� Richard Alley, Penn State University, January 2002.
鈥淎mericans are driving more in less-efficient vehicles. Sales of sports utility vehicles and pickup trucks have been amazingly strong considering the recession, and low pump prices are keeping people on the roads鈥� 鈥� Mike Lucky, analyst for John S Herold Inc, December 2001.
鈥淥ne person flying in an airplane for one hour is responsible for the same greenhouse gas emissions as a typical Bangladeshi in a whole year.鈥� 鈥� Beatrice Schell, European Federation for Transport and Environment, November 2001.
鈥淲e have coastal erosion, droughts and in the last decade we have experienced an unusually high level of tropical storms. Salt water intrusion [into soils] has affected our traditional food crops, and now we are seeing flooding of low-lying areas.鈥� 鈥� Paani Laupepa, ministry of natural resources, low-lying island Tuvalu in the South Pacific, October 2001.
鈥淎ustralia has lengthened its lead as the world鈥檚 worst per-capita greenhouse polluter.鈥� 鈥� The Australian Age, September 2001.
鈥淐limate change will bring warm, wet weather, which will encourage plants to grow, followed by long periods of drought, during which they will burn. We can already see this in Florida.鈥� 鈥� Meinrat Andreae, Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, August 2001.
鈥淎n awful lot of people are living only a foot above high water and do not know it.鈥� 鈥� Jim Titus, US Environmental Protection Agency, June 2001.
