Climate Change

Sydney Harbour Bridge was barely visible through the smoke and amber coloured sky. Men covered in protective clothing sprayed water at the blazing bush. A row of four ducks swiftly waddled their way out of danger.

That was the first time I had seen my new home, Sydney, for over two months. I couldn’t smell or feel the burning heat from the fires but I witnessed the fires and their destructive paths on the TV, the TV inside my Russian prison cell.

Britain currently has the rare pleasure of weather really worth talking about, and the enticing possibility of blaming someone for it. It’s a wonder anyone’s talking about anything else.

Of course, in reality the floods were caused by the highest level of sustained rainfall for centuries, probably caused by spiralling global carbon emissions, according to the Met Office and the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology. But that would kind of make us all partly responsible, and no-one wants to scapegoat themselves, so let’s review our options for who we can pin the flooding on.

If you’re concerned about the impact runaway climate change is likely to have on our planet, then you might want to keep an eye on what’s happening in Brussels today. At around midday, the European Commission will unveil a major package of measures on climate and energy. They are likely to cover a range of vital issues from cutting polluting carbon emissions to promoting clean energy, from regulating fracking to banning the most polluting transport fuels.

They're finally home.

An hour ago, Alex, Anthony, Phil, Iain, and Kieron stepped through arrivals at St Pancras International, and are completely free at last.