A top British official took the leap across the pond Wednesday, speaking to about 50 students in Ingraham Hall about the importance of cooperation between the European Union and United States on global issues.
Alan Charlton, deputy ambassador to the United States, focused on global climate change and the role both major powers play in preventing it.
""I think now there is, on both sides of the Atlantic, an understanding among a wide range of people that climate change is one of the greatest challenges of the 21st century,"" Charlton said.
""There's also an understanding that if we are to tackle this issue, the European Union and the U.S. have to be part of a global coalition to achieve our aims,"" he added.
According to Charlton, the United States is responsible for 25 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, with the EU accountable for 15 percent. He emphasized that all nations must work to stabilize emissions and set targets for each country to reduce them, but the United States and EU must take the most responsibility.
""The Western nations have to take a disproportionate share of the burden,"" Charlton said. ""We have to recognize the fact that we in the West are responsible for most of what's up there right now creating the greenhouse effect.""
UW-Madison sophomore Lindsey Swindell said she was glad Charlton addressed the issue of climate change.
""I think [it] is such an important issue,"" she said. ""As superpowers, they can combine on one front for that force in fighting against it.""
Charlton also touched on issues in the Middle East, focusing on Iran and Afghanistan and Great Britain's recent decision to withdraw some of its troops from Iraq in coming months.
""We only have a certain amount of force capability, and I think we thought, ‘Certainly we can afford to continue this slow decrease in Iraq,'"" Charlton said. ""But at the same time, this will enable us to produce more support for the efforts in Afghanistan.""
Patrick Rumble, chair of UW-Madison's European Studies Alliance, which facilitated the lecture, said his organization puts on a lot of events to help students ""build important relationships with European partners.""
""We hope that by people coming and listening, getting a sense of these different perspectives, that they'll have a deeper, more informed understanding of the world,"" Rumble said.
The ESA also brought British Ambassador Sir David Manning to speak on campus in November 2006.
