1 December 2006
It’s important not to "bury ourselves in gloom" over the size of the challenge posed by global warming, Tony Blair has insisted.
The same human ingenuity that accidentally caused climate change can also help us undo the damage, he said.
The PM’s words came in a response to users of the Friends of the Earth website who had posted comments on articles written by him, and the organisation’s director, Tony Juniper.
Billed as the "Big Ask Climate Debate", the conversation between the "two Tonys" prompted thousands of people to offer their views.
- Read the two Tony’s closing comments (opens in new window)
- Read the website user comments (opens in new window)
Mr Blair said he was interested in the wide range of opinions submitted - from those who doubt human’s culpability for climate change, to others who share views similar to his own.
There were three main themes to the comments which the PM responded to.
On the growth of aviation, he spoke about the importance of the EU carbon trading scheme; he agreed that all buildings should be made more energy-efficent, and said that the Government would be investing in renewable energy soruces such as wind and solar.
The PM concluded:
"Just because the scale of the challenge is so great does not mean we should bury ourselves in gloom.
"I believe strongly that just as human ingenuity has accidentally caused climate change so the same ingenuity can help us undo the damage provided, of course, the will is there. I thank Friends of the Earth for organising this interesting debate. I know we don’t agree on everything.
"But on the scale of the challenge climate change poses and the urgency for us to tackle it, we couldn’t be more in agreement."
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