Gain, not pain Gain, not pain John Prescott calls for urgent action to tackle climate change, and says that it would benefit everyone At the start of this new millennium, we have a real chance to tackle climate change and promote sustainable development.
Climate change is one of the greatest challenges facing the world today.
I do not think there can be any doubt now that it is taking place and will have serious impacts on all of us. It is a cruel irony that Millennium Island, the first place on Earth to greet the dawn of the new millennium, may be submerged by rising seas by the end of the century. But rising sea levels are only one of the many possible consequences of climate change. More intense storms, water shortages, flooding and freshwater inundation are also predicted. All of these have the potential to significantly disrupt lives, ecosystems and economies.