30/03/2005 – WWF “flooded”
the British Parliament in a stunt to highlight
the impacts of climate change.
An image of the River Thames having risen
high up the side of the Palace of Westminster,
and the message "Vote to Stop Climate
Chaos" was projected onto the building
as part of a campaign to press politicians
to take tougher action on climate change,
particularly in the run-up to the general
election.
Already London and the South-East are feeling
the effects of climate change, and research
shows that if current trends continue central
London could be submerged within the next
100 years. The Thames barrier has been activated
55 times in the twenty years since it was
built as a result of tidal surges, half of
which were in the last five years.
The threat of flooding due to climate change
is so severe that the government predicts
the barrier may have to be raised up to 325
times a year by 2100. It is estimated that
if just one flood broke through the Thames
Barrier it would cost around £30bn in
damage to London, roughly 2 per cent of GDP.
Unchecked climate change could also lead
to a rise in summer temperatures of 5°C
in London and the South-East and to a 30 per
cent increase in winter rainfall and winter
floods.
WWF will be using the general election period
to demand that politicians commits to year
on year reductions in carbon dioxide emissions
– the main greenhouse gas – in order to achieve
their target of a 20 per cent reduction by
2010. The global conservation organization
also projected the statement – 69 per cent
of people are worried about climate change
- what are YOU going to do about it? – onto
Battersea power station to highlight the government's
failure to set tough limits on carbon dioxide
pollution from industry.
“British politicians have been guilty of
a lot of rhetoric on climate change and very
little action," said Andrew Lee, Director
of Campaigns at WWF-UK.
"We may only have a decade to take action
to reduce soaring greenhouse gas emissions
and prevent the worst impacts of climate change
becoming reality. It is vital that the next
government makes the right decisions over
the next parliamentary term. Ignoring the
issue is not an option.”
Last week WWF released the results of a YouGov
poll which showed that more than 1 in 3 (38
per cent) people believe climate change will
cause problems in their lifetime and 69 per
cent view it as a real threat. Nearly half
of people (46 per cent) would support increasing
taxes to subsidise transport fares to encourage
people to use their cars less and 85 per cent
of people support more government money going
into the development of renewable energy like
wind farms
NOTES:
WWF is seeking support from British Members
of Parliament for the following demands to
the government:
1. Limit power sector emissions of carbon
dioxide: Introduce tough targets for power
sector emissions of carbon dioxide through
the EU emissions trading scheme.
2. Make year-on-year real increases in government
investment in new forms of renewable energy:
To encourage development and use of range
of technologies including wave and tidal power,
offshore wind power, solar power and biomass.
3. Promote energy efficiency in new and existing
homes: Introduce stamp duty rebates for energy
efficient homes, and adopt a new Code for
Sustainable Buildings based on the EcoHomes
‘Very Good’ standard as a minimum.
4. Pledge that the new homes and related
infrastructure developments in the Thames
Gateway will be carbon-neutral: To act as
a 'flagship' for zero carbon developments
in the rest of the UK.
