Claiming to stand up for protecting the planet while leaving others to find the solutions is simply not on. We all bear responsibility.

Picture the scene: a birthday party for someone from the middle classes. The birthday person and their guests are around 50, all academics. Most of them own their homes. People with an income that means they don't have to worry about the next gas bill or fret about the future. They give each other books and good wine. Life is good. The conversations revolve around the kids, work, and of course holidays. Plans for the new year are well underway.

It's like a competition, with everyone trying to outdo the others on how far away their holiday destination is. People are flying as though climate change doesn't exist. The wanderlust is real. And yet, at so many of those destinations last year, it was so hot that lying on the beach or going on day trips was truly no fun at all. How annoying. Thank goodness the hotel was air-conditioned. And that's where things get tricky…

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