One news story defines this summer: the fact that average global temperatures have reached record-breaking levels. Baking European weather is seared into our consciousness; as wildfires spread across the Greek island of Rhodes, thousands have been evacuated. In the US, China and no end of countries besides, the idea of planetary heating as a looming threat whose worst effects might yet be averted feels like it is turning to ash.
In the UK, unfortunately, there was, last week, a political story whose parochialist