PARIS, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- French ecology minister Nicolas Hulot has called for a "sacred union" against climate change that had caused longer heatwaves across France and European neighbors where record temperatures exceed 40 degrees Celsius.
"We are suffering the consequences of climate change. We have been too late (to act)," Hulot told the local broadcaster Europe 1 in an interview.
"We have to adapt to climate change while continuing to fight against the causes to prevent the phenomenon does not amplify," he added.
With the aim, the minister called for the responsibility of each to face the challenge and take adequate action to stop climate deterioration that has triggered a wave of drought, seas rising and torrential rainfall.
"The first thing we have to do is stop dividing, that every citizen, every responsible asks himself the question of what he can do to fight against climate change and air pollution," he said.
"We have the technical and economic tools, but we will do it only if we add the wills. A minister or country alone will not fix the problem. We will not solve the peaks of pollution tomorrow morning, nor reverse the temperature's curve, but it can only happen if there is a sacred union," he added.
In July, France has experienced the hottest month since 1900 with an average temperature of 23.2 degrees Celsius, 2.5 degrees higher than normal level, according to French weather agency Meteo France's data.
On Tuesday, it has put 70 regions, including Paris, under orange alert on heatwave and decided to maintain the alert system in these areas till Wednesday morning.
In 2003, a heatwave that struck France had killed thousands of people many of them elderly and alone.?
