‘I’ve made a list of ten things to do, right now.’

Alison Leonard has some cold comfort in the 'Thought for the week'

Permafrost in Herschel Island. | Photo: Boris Radosavljevic / Wikimedia Commons.

Two things came together recently. The first was watching Simon Reeve’s TV series about Russia, in particular the moments he spent watching the melting of Siberian permafrost. ‘When that goes,’ he said, ‘the land gives up its stores of methane. Methane is a far worse climate-changer than carbon. The results will be catastrophic.’ The second was watching a huddle of Extinction Rebellion activists sheltering from torrential rain in Manchester. Their drums were still drumming, their cymbals still clashing, their voices still shouting against the thundering torrent: ‘What do we want? Climate action! When do we want it? Now!’

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