Egeland said Hurricane Katrina, which led to the flooding of New Orleans , and Hurricane Rita, which battered Texas last month, are the result of climate change. “You have two of the worst hurricanes ever hitting the US within weeks of each other, there is no doubt the climate is changing.'

Egeland is not the only specialist to link hurricanes Katrina and Rita to increasing carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere and rising global temperatures.

Meteorologist Professor Alan Thorpe, head of Britain 's natural environment research council also stated that ‘The behaviour of these hurricanes is consistent with the effects of global warming. In the past month, two major studies of hurricanes have appeared in scientific journals. The first, published in Nature, shows hurricanes have become more destructive over the past 30 years; the second, published in Science, concludes that hurricanes today are stronger but slightly less common than they were 35 years ago.

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John Prescott Comments
John Prescott also added his weight to the debate when he told the international congress of the Council for European Urbanism: 'As a European negotiator at the Kyoto climate change convention, I was fully aware that climate change is changing weather patterns and raising sea levels. 'The horrific flood of New Orleans brings home to us the concern of leaders of countries like the Maldives , whose nations are at risk of disappearing completely.

Dr. Ken Caldeira of the Carnegie Institution’s Department of Global Ecology warned delegates in his opening remarks at the 7th International Carbon Dioxide Conference in Boulder , Colorado , September 26, 2005 “The kind of devastation seen on the Gulf Coast from Hurricane Katrina may be a small taste of what is to come if emissions of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO 2) are not diminished soon”

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Since the Kyoto Agreement
Since the UK signed the Kyoto agreement in 1997 businesses' commitment to tackling Co2 emissions and climate change has increased. Many firms have recognised and acted on the cost effective opportunities that are available for cutting greenhouse gas emissions. While Government has welcomed the action that business has already taken, much more significant changes will be needed as part of the move to a lower carbon economy.

One problem slowing down our response is the lack of an overall infrastructure to provide sound advice for businesses, particularly SME’s. In the East Midlands however IS available for companies on good practice, environmental legislation and training through The Institute for Sustainable Development in Business. Established in 1998, the Institute helps businesses in the East Midlands become more environmentally friendly and, at the same time, helps them to improve their profitability through improved use of resources.

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Further Information
For more information and support on how you can be an environmentally responsible and profitable business contact Alastair Allen on the details below: