Current government plans to save energy and cut fossil fuel use would “fall some way short” of reaching that goal, it warned.The commissioners said the Government had to show “forceful leadership” on the world stage to achieve the 60 per cent cut, as well as introduce a “fundamental” change in energy use in Britain. Sir Tom Blundell, the commission’s chairman, said: “To knowingly cause large-scale disruptions to climate would be unjust and reckless. If the UK cannot demonstrate that it is serious about doing its part to address this threat, it cannot expect other nations – least of all those which are much less wealthy – to do theirs.”In particular, the commissioners said the official 10 per cent target for renewable energy generation by 2010 was too low, power stations were too wasteful, that improvements in car efficiency were too modest, that research spending on new energy sources had to be quadrupled, and that energy efficiency standards in British homes were very poor.Professor Brian Hoskins, president of the Royal Meteorological Society, claimed the consequences of failure could be disastrous. “If nothing is done, we can expect these temperature changes to accelerate, and for sea levels to keep rising,” he said.That would lead to damaging effects on farming and forestry, water sources, flood defences, ecosystems, and human health, he said Those changes “will affect hundreds of millions of lives …

Abrupt changes in the climate system might also be triggered, with much more serious effects.”The commission report, Energy – The Changing Climate, makes 87 recommendations, many of which are directed at the devolved governments in Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast, as well as central government.Several areas will prove controversial. The commission suggests dozens of nuclear stations could be built if the unsolved problem of permanently disposing of nuclear waste was properly tackled.Industry will be concerned about new carbon taxes hitting high energy users and transport, potentially giving overseas competitors an advantage.The committee’s recommendations were broadly welcomed. Michael Meacher, the Environment minister, said Britain “must rise” to the challenge outlined by the commission. “None of us can afford to underestimate the challenge which lies ahead,” he said.

Roger Higman, of Friends of the Earth, said he hoped it would “kick the Government in the pants and into meeting the targets it should be meeting”.. If ever there was a sprint handicap which appears to lend itself to clear-headed, logical analysis, it is surely the William Hill Trophy, the feature event on a valuable afternoon of racing at York today which somehow manages to overcome its proximity to Royal Ascot. There will be 23 runners stretched across the six-furlong course, but nine of them contested the same Newmarket race last time out, four more met in a race at Newbury last month, and three, including two of the favourites, took part in a seven-furlong event at York’s Dante meeting. The relevant form, in other words, can be studied in a few minutes, but then the same is true of an ancient Egyptian hieroglyph The problem in both cases is working out what it all means. If ever there was a sprint handicap which appears to lend itself to clear-headed, logical analysis, it is surely the William Hill Trophy, the feature event on a valuable afternoon of racing at York today which somehow manages to overcome its proximity to Royal Ascot.

There will be 23 runners stretched across the six-furlong course, but nine of them contested the same Newmarket race last time out, four more met in a race at Newbury last month, and three, including two of the favourites, took part in a seven-furlong event at York’s Dante meeting. The relevant form, in other words, can be studied in a few minutes, but then the same is true of an ancient Egyptian hieroglyph. The problem in both cases is working out what it all means.
The bookmakers, though, seem in little doubt about how it all adds up. Rendition, the winner of her last two races, including one at York last month, was a 4-1 chance when the sponsors opened their book earlier this week, and Shatin Venture, third in the same event, was the only other horse thought worthy of a single-figure quote. This, the layers clearly believe, is the key to understanding how today’s race will unfold, despite the fact that the contest in question was over seven furlongs rather than six.This seems to contradict two beliefs cherished by many punters, the first being that while horses often appreciate a step up in trip, rather fewer seem to enjoy coming back in distance.

The other is that seven furlongs is a specialist’s trip, and horses which prosper at seven tend not to do so at six or eight. Both may be nonsense, like the venerable idea that you should always back the outsider of three, but while Rendition certainly looked to have plenty of speed last time, at such short odds it is enough to make anyone think twice.The other significant form guide looks to be the three-year-old handicap at Newmarket earlier this month won by the 50-1 outsider and top weight, Hunting Lion. Nine of today’s runners were behind, including Peruvian Chief (second), Corridor Creeper (third) and Glenrock (fifth), but so little distance covered the first dozen horses home that the form may not be wholly reliable. Glenrock would be the pick, having come out best in a group which raced on the unfavoured stands side, but, at the morning odds, a better choice may be Happy Diamond (next best 3.45).Lightly raced, with just three outings to date, Happy Diamond was only third of four on his reappearance at Leicester, but was facing a useful opponent in Cotton House (a rival again today) and should have plenty of improvement to come. Now that Mark Johnston has finally hit form, he looks a good each-way bet at around 20-1.It is non-stop handicaps throughout the afternoon, with the Daniel Prenn Rated Handicap the best of the supporting events. This looks like an excellent opportunity for FATHER JUNINHO (nap 4.15), who has been running well all season but finding one or two unexposed rivals too good.