Philobiblon

I was having a debate with someone last week about global warming. His stance was: “does it matter?” Well it matters to polar bears who are drowning and puffins, which are losing their nesting sites.

And this year, depending on which figures you believe, has been the hottest, or the second-hottest, on record. And so have nine of the last ten. (And the extra one in that set is 1990.)

Surely no one can now doubt the climate, not just the weather, is changing, fast.

As I look out the window on this crisp, clear December morn, I don’t see a poor man gathering winter fuel, but I do see, in the eighth of the sky visible from my window, one jumbo jet turning right into Heathrow (there’ll be another along in about two minutes) and the clear vapour trails of seven other planes and a smaller plane heading for the City airport. That can’t continue.