Snippets and gleanings: a sicknote

Gasping for air
A fortnight spent fighting off a nasty bout of 'flu (possibly Covid but who tests for that anymore?) has given me plenty of time to muse on the parlous state of our planet. Most of the threats are anthropocene-linked, of course, so it was almost a relief to come across one not caused by humans and over which we have absolutely no control - the total depletion of oxygen on Earth. A study published in the journal, Nature Geoscience, reveals this existential threat. Researchers, led by environmental scientist Kazumi Ozaki, projected the evolution of the gases in our atmosphere and concluded that oxygen will eventually run out. No need for mass panic, though, this is unlikely to happen for another billion years. Well, that's one less thing to worry about, I guess. Frankly, I'd settle for scientists finding a cure for the common cold.

Offset upset
Just as COP(out)28 is about to kick off in the UAE petrostate comes news of a new company, Blue Carbon, quietly buying up rights to swathes of primal African forest totalling the size of the UK. In what has been described as a new 'scramble for Africa', Sheikh Ahmed Dalmook al-Maktoum has announced several exploratory deals with African states that are home to crucial wildlife havens and biodiversity hotspots. As the sheikh has no previous experience of nature conservancy projects one can only assume his motivation lies elsewhere. He is promising billions of dollars to these states for long-term leases of their natural assets so he clearly means business. Don't say: "greenwashing". Do say: "I think that I shall never see, A poem lovely as a tree".

House of the gods
The last day of November brings sad news of the passing of former Chancellor, Alistair Darling and singer-songwriter, Shane MacGowan. Although close in age (Darling 70, MacGowan 65) it's hard to imagine that much unites them other than the coincidence of their deaths but both men were great in their respective fields. Darling was the 'safe pair of hands' who steered the nation through the banking crisis of 2008 (and Scotland through the Independence Referendum of 2014 as chair of the pro-Union Better Together campaign). MacGowan was the anarchic creative genius of punk band, The Pogues. And on the day that Matt Hancock gave evidence to the Covid Inquiry the contrast between his 'leadership' as Health Secretary in a national crisis and Darling's as Chancellor could scarcely be starker. They simply don't make 'em like that anymore.


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