Cigarette packets advise of the negative longer-term consequences of smoking. Why not single-use plastics too – for their impact on our planet? Why not get used to the idea that paying a real cost for our choices – now – is a sensible thing to do? Why allow the short-term profit of business to take precedence over the long-term health of the planet? Does it make sense to consider preservation of national identity a priority when the planet is becoming measurably less sustaining of life itself? Where is our awareness of our intimate connection to nature? On our reliance on nature for survival. I join the dots and cry. On calmer days I consider the inevitable global warming induced sea level rise that will come by 2100 and within the probable lifetimes of my niece and nephew. Conservative estimates are of a rise between 1 and 2 metres due to the ice-melt and thermal expansion of seawater caused by global warming. And even in the best-case scenario continuing to rise for centuries more due to inertia in the system. Biblical quantities of rock and concrete will be needed to keep ports operational. Low lying land will be either be lost to the sea, or protected by new or higher levees and armies of pumps. Millions of people will be displaced. Wildlife will disappear as habitat is lost. The financial cost will be astronomical and will compete with funds that today support social programmes and health. There are already many certainties. One of which being that Europe as I am observing it will have changed. I’m more philosophic about that one, but it does seem a shame, and doing rather more to slow down climate change would seem to be in all our interests.
“The items being sailed through are too numerous to count.”