It is a fact that our climate is changing, but then it always has.
We, in the north east, should appreciate that more than anyone. Just to the north of our town are the Durham coal fields. Coal laid down millions of years ago when the area was covered by equatorial forest and the rotting and compression of vegetation created the coal.
Only a few thousand years ago our town was covered in feet of ice as the polar caps retreated.
The Earth will survive climate change perfectly satisfactorily – it is mankind that may not.
But, just suppose for a moment that Mother Earth is saying to us: “Dear Mankind, you have only been on the planet for a few thousand years, but in that time you have not enhanced it in one way. You have ravaged it for minerals, polluted the atmosphere, streams and seas. Destroyed huge tracts of land by de-forestation and over-cultivation.
In recent years you have done worse, you have visited neighbouring planets and deposited your spent space debris there. It’s time you moved over bonny lad and let some other species take over.”
It is just possible that deep underground somewhere, probably just south of Scunthorpe, a new species is destined to take over.
I call that species ‘The Meek’, because, as the good book tells us, “the meek shall inherit the Earth.” If that is the case then let’s hope that they will make a better job of looking after our Earth than us.
Richard Hartley