Britain's Prime Minister Tony Blair warned of "catastrophic" consequences of unchecked climate change in a speech to the Prince of Wales' Business and the Environment charity on Tuesday in London. The world can no longer ignore the signs of climate change, such as extreme weather conditions, melting glaciers and rising sea levels, Blair said, adding that he was "shocked" by the latest scientific predictions concerning climate change. The British prime minister said his country would use its E.U. presidency and hosting of the Group of G-8 summit (both taking place next year) to reach a political and scientific consensus on the issue. Blair's comment that the Kyoto protocol to limit global warming was only the beginning of the measures necessary to tackle the issue, was taken in London as an indirect criticism of the U.S. government, which has not ratified the agreement. --SP 2231 Local Time 1931 GMT
