The problem : With all the floods, droughts, hurricanes and other extreme weather events of recent months, it looks as if we are experiencing a serious bout of climate change - in all probability due to the unprecedented volume of greenhouse gases being pumped into the atmosphere.

The US Vice-President, Mr Al Gore, already has pointed out that last July was the hottest month on record. In Dallas, Texas, temperatures rose above 100F for 29 days in a row. Urging Congress to release funding for research and tax incentives to combat climate change, he said: "Unless we act, we can expect even more extreme weather - more heatwaves, more flooding, more powerful storms and more drought." Gore knows what he is talking about. He is the author of Earth in the Balance , published to coincide with the Earth Summit in 1992, which describes global warming as the most serious environmental threat facing humanity.

The solution : The US government needs to stand up to powerful vested interests, particularly in the US oil industry, which seek to frustrate efforts to curb greenhouse gas emissions. Mr Clinton should be addressing the fact that the US accounts for 24 per cent of global emissions, though it has only 6 per cent of the world's population.

He and Mr Gore should develop a radical package to put before the next UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in Buenos Aires in November.