Gore warns of 'planetary emergency'

Former US vice-president Al Gore has warned we are facing a 'planetary emergency' due to the effects of climate change.

The Nobel laureate was a guest speaker at the UN Climate Change Conference in Bali, where the European Union had earlier accused the US of climate inaction.

And as pressure was piled on the US to join a new agreement on world carbon emissions, Mr Gore was reported as saying that the US is "principally responsible" for blocking progress at the conference.

Mr Gore said: "We, the human species, face a planetary emergency. That phrase still sounds shrill to some ears. But it is deadly accurate as a description of the situation that we now confront."

US President George W Bush now faces an international boycott of talks he wants to hold next month to discuss the problem.

The talks are due to be held by the world's major emitters - 16 countries, including several European countries, China, India and the US.

America continues to reject the inclusion of specific emission cut targets but insists it wants to reach an agreement that is 'environmentally effective' and 'economically sustainable.'

Mr Gore won this year's Nobel Peace Prize for his work helping to highlight the danger of climate change.

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