James Lovelock - Only Catastrophe Will Bring Climate Action - BBC

[hatrack]

One of the UK's best-known scientists, Professor James Lovelock, says only a catastrophe will prompt the world to tackle the threat of climate change. He says the global climate treaty, the Kyoto Protocol, is simply an attempt to appease a self-regulating Earth system.

EDIT

'Most of us think that something unpleasant may soon happen but we are as confused over what to do about it as we were in 1938. Our response so far is just like that in 1938, an attempt to appease. The Kyoto agreement is uncannily like that of Munich, with politicians out to show that they do respond but in reality are bidding for time.'

EDIT

He said his hope lay 'in that powerful force that takes over our lives when we sense that our tribe or nation is threatened from outside.' Professor Lovelock told BBC News Online: 'I do think it will take a disaster to wake us up. We had one in Europe last summer with the heatwaves which killed 20,000 people. I'm afraid it will take more of the same, or something else like that, to stir us.'"

EDIT

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/3766831.stm

[NMDemDist2]

1. 20,000 dead from the heatwave?? good grief eom

[bahrbearian]

2. Yes ,unfortunately,They were mostly Older people, to Chimpy

he looks at it as way to cut Medicare costs.

[hatrack]

3. That's a low-end estimate

Some say upwards of 30,000.