Here's an interesting BBC report on the role that litigation might play in the climate change debate over the next 10 years - with those suffering a material loss likely to attempt to sue those reponsible for emitting greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide + methane at some point in the future.

There are obvious difficulties associated with establishing the existence, extent + causes of recent climate change + even more with attributing blame but Earth-Info.Net still suspects that companies + countries in denial about global warming could eventually find themselves in a vulnerable legal position...

In 2001, the IPCC's third climate change assessment report stated that it was "likely" - meaning a better than a two in three chance - that human activities were forcing the global climate to warm up + Peter Roderick, a lawyer who works with Friends Of The Earth International, has recently said that "Civil courts usually require a 51% proof of certainty, which is an interesting issue in terms of scientific levels of proof - and legal levels of proof."

Visit the Met Office's Hadley Centre or the Tyndall Centre website for details on climate research + the Centre for International Environmental Law for a run down on the legal situation.

Also take a look at this graph of the global temperature record from 1860-2000!