No.72 Saturday, 14th. February 2026

No ice, no frost – just clear blue cloudless sky and sun. A rare treat, and a reminder of how so many winter days were before the dawn of climate change. By 2004 I knew with a high degree of likelihood how lucky I was to live through only the feint beginnings of climate change: I was approaching the end of four years of study for my Masters degree – in climate change. But that is a story for another day.

For the moment I am enjoying my 20th. century winters day and my 20th. century cappuccino. It is quite possible that both will be essentially non-existent by the end of the 21st. century. If anyone is enjoying a cappuccino in 2090 it will be the super-rich, and if I am around my reaction to seeing one will be a close imitation of the reaction of Charlton Heston when he finds meat in the fridge at a murder scene. Meat essentially does not exist (which is no bad thing); everyone (except for billionaires) is eating Soylent Green.

Of course, when people say we should adapt to climate change – which we caused in the first place – I hope they don’t mean we should all be eating Soylent Green.