Prince Charles likens climate change battle to war

On Feb. 14, the Prince of Wales urged governments around the world to take drastic action to prevent climate disaster, likening the environmental crisis to war. In a speech to a selected audience at the European parliament, he said: "If military policy has long been based on the dictum that we should be prepared for the worst case, should it be so different when the security is that of the planet and our long term future?" Prince Charles highlighted the rapid melting of the north polar ice cap as a wake-up call "as we sleepwalk our way towards the edge of catastrophe" and called for a "courageous and revolutionary" approach to tackling global warming. He warned that if such an approach was not embarked upon, "the result will be catastrophe for all of us but with the poorest in our world hit hardest of all. In this sense it is surely comparable to war." The prince, by now a seasoned climate campaigner, called for a new initiative to tackle tropical deforestation under which governments would effectively pay the authorities in countries such as Brazil and Indonesia to preserve rainforests. "We must start to pay for the services that these great forests provide to us," he said. It is understood that campaigners such as WWF have advised him that the EU, for example, could use funds generated by its flagship emissions trading scheme (ETS) to finance schemes to preserve the forests. Under European Commission plans set out on Jan. 23, energy groups would have to bid for all their pollution permits–rather than getting them for free as now–from 2013. Other heavy polluting industries would gradually be forced to bid at auction for their carbon certificates. The new scheme, designed to drive the price of CO2 up, would generate billions of euros in income which governments could use to alleviate fuel poverty at home, promote renewable sources of energy–and invest in overseas schemes, including plans to preserve forests. The prince's speech was welcomed by Friends of the Earth. Director, Tony Juniper, said: "The Prince of Wales has today raised issues of urgent importance that demand immediate political action. We are fast drifting towards a climatic disaster that could lead to humanitarian catastrophe, economic recession and dramatic environmental change. "And while the resources and ingenuity to tackle climate change exist, we still lack the political will to make real changes to how we live, meet our needs and run our economies. Climate change is the biggest threat the planet faces; urgent action, similar to being on a war-footing, is now required to tackle it. "The EU and other governments must respond by placing climate change at the heart of policy making. This will give businesses the certainty that they need to invest in a low-carbon economy and make it cheaper and easier for people to go green. "The UK government must also raise its game on this issue. Carbon dioxide emissions have risen under Labor, despite its promise of significant cuts. The climate change bill is a welcome initiative, but it must be strengthened. It must ensure that UK emissions are cut by 80% by 2050 and include Britain's share of international aviation and shipping emissions."