Murderous heat, an endangered food supply, decimated landscapes: embrace the Mediterranean life | George Monbiot

The Guardian UK Wednesday 05 August 2026, 05:00 UTC By George Monbiot 1 min read

Key Points

As climate disaster stares us in the face, the radical right says ‘Embrace the Mediterranean life’. Embrace death, more like itCan’t you leftists understand? Mass death is good for you.

As climate disaster stares us in the face, the radical right says ‘Embrace the Mediterranean life’. Embrace death, more like it

Can’t you leftists understand? Mass death is good for you. Reject the woke love of life! Welcome civilisational collapse! Watch it all burn, then dance in the ashes! This, roughly speaking, is how the dismissal of climate action is now being justified: the argument has shifted from science denial to outright nihilism.

The new incendiary spirit is exemplified by that serial arsonist Allister Heath, editor of the Sunday Telegraph. In a column in the Daily Telegraph last week, originally titled “Britain can’t stop climate change. Scrap net zero and embrace Mediterranean life”, he argued that “climate change is real” but “the war against global warming has been lost”.

George Monbiot is a Guardian columnist

Mediterranean (LOCATION) George Monbiot (PERSON) Allister Heath (PERSON) the Sunday Telegraph (ORG) the Daily Telegraph (ORG) Britain (LOCATION) Guardian (ORG)

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