The world's ecosystems and social structures are threatened by climate change. The greatest single threat comes from burning fossil fuels: oil, coal and gas.The UK Government accepts this, yet it is encouraging a massive new search for oil.

This is going ahead in one of the last truly global wildernesses - the area known as the 'Atlantic Frontier'.

The Atlantic Frontier lies to the north west of the UK. Its waters are among the richest habitats in Europe for whales, and its coastal habitats and seas are of world-wide importance for birdlife. The plan to explore for oil in this near-pristine environment was conceived before the world realised the problem of climate change. It is part of an outdated and wrong energy policy.

As we near the millennium, Britain needs to leave its dirty smokestacks in the past and reform industry to work with nature, not against it. It is no longer a question of finding new supplies of fossil fuels - it is a question of managing the phaseout of our existing oil, coal and gas, and making a switch to saner energy such as solar electricity.