Senior members of the British government are saying that US President George Bush is ready to make a historic shift in his government's position on global warming. The announcement is expected during the President's upcoming State of the Union address where British officials anticipate the President to acknowledge the reality of global warming and move towards a cap on US greenhouse gas emissions.

Bush and Blair held private talks on climate change before Christmas, and there is a feeling that the US President will now agree a cap on emissions in the US, meaning that, for the first time, American industry and consumers would be expected to start conserving energy and curbing pollution.

This year's State of the Union address is scheduled for Tuesday, January 23rd.