Joint plan on warming urged

ACTING BRITISH HIGH COMMISSIONER Phil Culligan has called for a unified effort to combat the threat of rising temperatures.

Speaking ahead of a film premiere on climate change at the Errol Barrow Centre last Wednesday evening, Culligan said leaders must join forces in order to effect a well-needed change.

"We have the opportunity, we have the technology to stop this particular vision of the future, but we must act now to do so," he said.

"Adaptation plans and policies will be part of the answer but leaders around the world must work together to get the political conditions right to prevent the dangerous climate change."

Culligan added that while the efforts to achieve a better environment must be done now, it should be seen as a way to protect the future.

"We don't want that rise and we don't want to face those additional strains, stresses and costs on the planet.

"To ensure an opportunity for future security we need to minimise those risks by making sure that we keep the rise below two [degrees] centigrade.

"We cannot cope with a four-degree centigrade [rise] across the world," he said.

Political second secretary at the British High Commission, Danniel Carruthers, said his government was very ardent on working closely with Barbados and other countries to combat climate change.

"We are involved with a number of public awareness initiatives.

"We are working to support a number of projects in helping the region as it relates to climate change," he said.

Carruthers added that while climate change was a global problem every individual could play their part.

"It needs to be addressed at different levels.

"There is work that can be done locally. Everyone can be looking at themselves and see what lifestyle changes they can make and reduce their carbon footprints.

"We think of that as a small change, but actually the issue can be addressed via that," he said, noting that the next step was working internationally.

"Globally, billions of people making their individual changes really adds up.

"That really reflects the work which the British High Commission is trying to do here with the Barbados Government and through CARICOM," he said.

Countries from around the world are expected to be involved in intense negotiations during the 15th Conference Of Parties (COP 15), a United Nations conference to be held in Copenhagen from December 7 to 18 at which time they would try reach a consensus on ways to reduce emissions. (MM)