G8, King Canute and Blind Pride...

Just a short note: the recent decision by the G8 that temperatures may not rise is grounds to rename them The King Canute 8.

See here for more.

Unfortunately, they're actually doing poor King Canute a bit of a disservice. Scroll down to read "Ruler of the Waves" here on Wikipedia.

In reality, while Cnut the Great commanded the tide to halt and not wet his feet as he sat in his throne directly at the beach, he did this, according to legend, to make a point: that God and not men determined the ways of the world.

Were that the G8 were so wise as King Canute: they believe, apparently, those who have been pounding the drums of global warming. The blind pride, the hubris, of the belief that the climate will cease to warm by 2° C because the G8 says so is worthy of the legend of King Canute.

But the humility that King Canute showed is sadly, badly lacking.