A couple of months ago, I was invited to give some lectures on a cruise ship going up the St. Lawrence River and around Newfoundland. Apparently, we were also supposed to meet some whales along the way.

This pending encounter with raw nature immediately reminded me of a book I had just finished reading: Naomi Klein’s ‘This Changes Everything’, come to think of it, her ‘The Shock Doctrine’ is also worth a whirl if you really want to know all about international corporate skulduggery.

Now, I’m not and never have been an eco-warrior, but the whales and Klein’s book, which explores the most urgent question of our times ie the destruction of our environment, has made me think and seriously consider what we are doing to our planet and indeed to ourselves.

It has also made me observe that none of our political parties, including the Greens, appear to be highlighting the most urgent and deadly threat of all to humanity: Global warming.

If world governments do not do something comprehensively radical now, and I mean now, then global warming by 2100 will result in wholesale ecological disaster and if you think the Somerset floods caused an environmental problem or two, believe me they are not even an hors d’oeuvre. You can say goodbye to London for starters – mind you, this might not be a bad thing, it would give all these property speculators a kick in the arse if nothing else!

And my personal take on all this?

Mankind has been hell bent on destroying itself ever since Adam and Eve – and yes I know before all you secularists start, but frankly we don’t deserve the beauty of this planet, so bye bye and good riddance to the lot of us I say. The world will be a much better place without our toxic footprints.

Let’s face it, we are nothing more than a virulent disease.

Julian Ruck – Editor