Expectations are high as the G8 meeting of industrial nations is set to engage on climate change next month. Against the backdrop of a sizzling Planet showing signs of spiraling ecological collapse, the stakes could hardly be higher. Tony Blair desperately seeks a legacy, providing international climate change leadership such as it is; George Bush is as beholden to oil as ever, criminally obstructing international climate policy; the senior science academies of the G8 nations saying human caused climate change is happening now, compelling their leaders to take action; and global and American public opinion increasingly crystallizing, demanding climate change leadership. Yet reports are that the White House is making extraordinary efforts to scupper Britain's attempts to tackle global warming during the G8 summit.

The G8 meeting will be deemed a failure if it achieves anything less than an admission that humans are causing climate change, binding targets for reducing emissions, and substantial financial support for energy efficiency and renewable energy. Eventual climate stabilization is dependent upon even relatively small policy shifts as soon as possible. Failure of all industrial countries – including the U.S., China and India – to immediately take concrete and coordinated international climate action will doom the Earth and all her inhabitants to murderous ecological collapse. Most of all, shame on President Bush for his stubborn intransigence that threatens us all – particularly our children.
g.b.

ClimateArk < http://www.climateark.org/ > intends to intensively track full-news coverage of the G8 proceedings at http://www.climateark.org/news/ , and will be launching a major action alert calling for G8 climate leadership just prior to the meeting's commencement.