Despite continued warnings about the potentially catastrophic effects of climate change, some nations have been slow to respond to the crisis. In June last year, British Prime Minister Tony Blair flew to Washington DC to try to persuade American president George W. Bush to follow the Kyoto Protocol, an international agreement which restricts carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and promotes renewable energy sources. Bush refused, as he had before, claiming that the Kyoto Protocol was �fatally flawed in fundamental ways� and that it was �damaging to the US economy.� This resistance has been met with much despair from politicians and environmentalists alike. The US is the single largest CO2 emissions contributor, with over 5,410 million metric tons annually or nearly 25 percent of the global total. Environmental advocates say that this shouldn't get in the way of individuals doing what they can.

Rob Black of the UK Youth Parliament�s environmental board says, �Everyone, including you, can help prevent changes that are leading to an uncertain future for us all.� Research has shown that homes account for 31.5 per cent of the fossil fuel consumption in the UK and  home owners could cut 4.2 million tons of CO2 emissions.

So what exactly is causing this phenomenal change and how is it going to affect you? Climate change is a process that occurs naturally, highlighted by the ice ages and intervening warmer periods. However, some people believe human intervention has increased this change by a titanic level.

Human intervention mainly consists of increased greenhouse gas emissions. The Right Honorable John Gummer, a former British environmental secretary, puts it this way: �Mankind has been pouring unprecedented amounts of filth into the air ever since the beginning of the industrial revolution.� By increasing the amount of harmful gases going into our atmosphere, we are, according to the UK's Environmental Agency, harming the planet and subsequently altering its nature.

This climate change is causing, and will continue to cause, major alterations globally. Due to rising  sea levels relative to the landmass, or eustatic change, coastal erosion is increasing dramatically. This is being seen in the eastern parts of the US and southern England and is putting entire countries like the Maldives at risk of inundation.

According to the Environmental Agency, flooding will become more regular, shortening reoccurrence times and flipping whole continents� weather systems on their head. These changes will have a whole host of effects on nearly every aspect of life. The warmer climate primarily causing this eustatic change may also lead to increased spread of disease, the occurrence of malaria in European countries, failed crops (increasing the need for agricultural change), destruction of eco-systems and their wildlife, bleaching of precious coral, and the list goes on.

On the other hand, there are scientists who praise climate change, claiming its major advantages will include less flu-like disease due to warmer weather and a greater ability for countries to grow a wider variety of crops. Some scientists even refuse to accept that climate change is happening on such a drastic level or even at all.

A disturbing warning published by the Environmental Agency indicates that millions of people in England and Wales will be affected by climate change. Gummer supports this. He said in an interview, �There is no previous time in recorded history when the world�s temperature has risen so dramatically.�

This is the time for people to assess their own use of energy in their lives and to consider the full impact of these actions, stresses Black of the Youth Parliament.