Covid Island Discs

Song 4: Ship of fools, World Party

On the 19^th of July 2022 the UK recorded the hottest temperatures since records began topping over 40°C in some areas of the country. Yet earlier this year on a Facebook discussion group, I laboured in vain against those who continue to deny the overwhelming data that indicates we are moving the earth’s atmosphere dangerously away from the goldilocks zone by increasing levels of greenhouse carbon dioxide from 280 ppm to now over 400 ppm. Sadly, I do not think we as a species are altruistic enough to stop catastrophic climate change.

Ship of fools by World Party was released in 1986 long before people were talking about global warming. In those days, the subject of discussion was the hole in the ozone layer. This song now seems horribly prophetic and as for “paying tomorrow”, that tomorrow is now today as we begin to bear the first fruits of global heating; effects that are only going to get worse and worse as we progress through the 21^st century.