Today people will die from the cold, and from accidents caused by ice and snow. It is a reminder that there is one thing worse than global warming - global cooling.

The more I listen to the long debates about global warming - and the BBC frenzy about it - the more I feel frustrated. All the debate is about trying to cut carbon emissions and none of the debate is about managing the consequences of warming.

I am very happy to join in sensible measures to curb fuel use, to improve the efficiencies of our cars, buses, trains, heating and lighting systems. That makes sense for a variety of reasons. But when the UK human outpourings of CO2 represent only 0.06% of total world output of CO2 I think we need to plan for the possibility that others will not be as determined and successful at curbing their emissions as we are.

If the world population continues to rise that will be a remorseless pressure to burn more hydrocarbons. There are no signs of the developing world overall reducing the birthrate.

If China and India continue to raise their living standards - as I hope they do - they are bound to push out more and more CO2. Both countries have an enthusiasm for coal fired power stations, and both have hundreds of millions of people wanting to own a car and domestic heating and cooling systems.

If EU governments continue to posture, saying they are going to cut emissions, but fail to hit their targets and international targets - as we have seen over the last decade - they too will contribute to the high levels of CO2.

??I am all in favour of the UK trying to get international agreement on cleaner and leaner processes for industry and domestic use worldwide. I am all in favour of British companies doing their best to develop and sell better technology.

But I am also in favour of taking action -starting today - to tackle the two worst features of global warming for the UK.
We need the go ahead for more water capacity in southern England. We need imaginative schemes for better coastal protection, especially in the Thames estuary.

??We should also work with the governments of the developing world countries that need help with water supply and flood defence through our overseas aid programmes. Many of these countries need a better water supply even without the threat of a drier times.

??Then we can also think of the good things about global warming, if it continues. Far fewer people will die of cold in Britain in winter.??Farmers will have a wider range of possible crops. More??of the world’s oceans will?? be navigable. And for some of us it will be good if we can get to work without snow and ice stopping many of the trains.

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