News of a drive to halve the world's greenhouse emissions by 2050 and to enshrine emissions reductions in EU law by March 2009 must be applauded (Blair to lead campaign on climate change, March 15). The threats of rising sea levels and increasingly severe storms, floods, droughts and heat waves cannot be ignored; weather-related disasters increased from 200 in 1995 to 400 in 2006. But even if emissions are brought under control, in the short term this trend is likely to continue. The British Red Cross believes any plans to combat climate change must include investment in supporting people to prepare for and recover from episodes of severe weather. Those hit hardest by the effects of climate change have contributed least to the problem - the poorest and most vulnerable people in the poorest countries. As the EU and governments around the world seek to balance their economic needs with environmental demands, we are calling for governments to guarantee a sufficient proportion of spending for local disaster resilience, to support local people through the anticipated crises.
British Red Cross
Yes, clean water is vital after an earthquake or hurricane (From gunk to drink, the life saving water bottle, March 12). But no, the response is not to fly in plane-loads of water. What we do is repair and clean existing water sources. It is simple, it is straightforward and, per litre of clean water, much cheaper than the latest line of technological fixes. Your story wasn't an April fool spoof, was it?