December 17, 2002

Climate Change Fears Confirmed As 2002 Is The Second Warmest Year On Record

Further evidence that climate change is already happening was revealed today when the World Meterological Organisation announced that 2002 has been the second hottest year on record.

Kate Hampton, Climate Change Campaigner at Friends of the Earth International said:

"Today's figures are further evidence that burning fossil fuels is causing massive changes to the atmosphere and affecting our climate. If we do not take cut emissions fast, increasingly frequent and severe storms, droughts and floods are likely to threaten the lives and livelihoods of millions of people throughout the globe.

All governments must re-double their efforts to cut emissions and persuade the Bush administration to accept the Kyoto Protocol. Subsidies for fossil fuels must be abolished and oil companies must be forced to pay the price of their disregard for the environment. "

For more information contact:

Kate Hampton
Co-ordinator, Climate Change Campaign,
Friends of the Earth International
Ph: +44(0)20 7566 1723
Mob: +44(0)77 4896 7323
Webaite: http://www.foei.org/climate/index.html

For details on the FoE, Greenpeace, City of Boulder legal case on global warming, see: http://www.climatelawsuit.org/