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Britain Sounds Global Warming Alarm

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There was a big noise out of London yesterday on the global environment and the economy as part of a study commissioned by Tony Blair.

A massive report from the head of Britain's economic service and former World Bank chief economist Nicholas Stern is saying the world is headed for economic meltdown equal to the last century's Great Depression and two world wars if it doesn't rein in global warming.

"Disaster ... in our lifetime," says Stern. The report's real target is the USA — the biggest polluter — with the British now all but begging for American leadership. In Washington, critics are sneering "Chicken Little."

London's calling, urgently, on global warming. We'll hear from Nicholas Stern and more.

Quotes from the Show:

"We've been careful and scholarly [with the report]." Sir Nicholas Stern

"We've argued you can be green and grow by doing things differently." Sir Nicholas Stern

"United States has very good reason to come in and make a big difference." Sir Nicholas Stern

"The report is closing a big gap between the scientific community and the economic community." Michael Grubb

"The Stern Report says that if you want to protect the American way of life, then do something about gobal change." Emma Duncan

Guests:

Richard Black, BBC environment correspondent.;

Sir Nicholas Stern, second permanent secretary at Her Majesty's Treasury, and Chief of the Economic Service. He is the lead author of the report on the global economic impact of climate change "The Economics of Climate Change.";

Michael Grubb, senior research associate in the Faculty of Economics at Cambridge University, editor-in-chief of the journal "Climate Change.";

Emma Duncan, deputy editor at The Economist.;

Andrew Revkin, science reporter for The New York Times, author of "The North Pole Was Here: Puzzles and Perils at the Top of the World."

This program aired on October 31, 2006.

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