Politicians and the mass media are often several steps behind public opinion. There is plenty of evidence that this is true regarding climate change, and the real threat it poses not just to rare species of animal and plant life but to the whole animal kingdom, homo sapiens included. The public is beginning to realise that there is a real emergency on hand. Yet the political establishment drags its feet.

It is this that prompted some school children – who had taken to heart what they learnt in their lessons about global warming – to go on strike earlier this year. But it will take more than schoolchildren picketing at the school gates to bring about the radical changes needed. That is the logic behind the direct action campaign which brought thousands of protesters to London this week, creating a traffic gridlock in the capital by the mere act of sitting down in the road. Those taking part were briefed beforehand that they risked being arrested. Indeed, it is not far from the truth to say they wanted to be, for the sake of the planet.