As long as the average per capita figures show that in terms of CO2

1 American = 2 Europeans = 4 Chinese

Its not likely is it. But then thats the trouble with spin, lets try and not and present the truth, but our take on the truth.

As to the original story, its old hat. There is a NS article from about 4 years ago, and one front cover piece this year about environmental terrorism due to global warming/resource depletion/water.

Right now the per capita release of carbon still has the US in the lead. But even we (finally) are reducing our carbon output. It'll be a while before we line up with Europe, but meanwhile the Chinese have rejected any concept of reducing carbon emissions, saying that it would affect their ability to compete. The prediction is that within two years, China will pass the US in total carbon output. And that that output will steadily increase. To the point where the reductions by Europe and the US will be insufficient to keep up.

You don't have to be personally poor to live in the vulnerable equatorial ecosystem, or to have you property at stake if sea levels rise or populations riot. Besides, as a terrorist leader it matters way more how badly off your recruits are. It's all about finding someone to hate, and then getting someone else to blow themselves up to send your message of hate.

The US is a perfect target, arrogant and exploitive, but the various populations in the various vulnerable places have ample historical reason to hate pretty much anyone western, and you don't have to swim across an ocean to blow up something in europe. I don't think their anger will be focused too highly in any single direction. We'll all get to play.

By buying industrial products from China, we export CO2 emissions from our industry to theirs. The real comparison should be based on actual consumption of energy and goods, including the "grey energy" used to manufacture goods.

China is still an excellent place to avoid additional CO2 emissions, of course.

...obvious!

I was expecting "Jock Stirrup" to be a new columnist with a satirical bent. Slightly disappointed really.

UK military assessments of the future are not notably better or worse that anyone else's. In fact those that have had access to them (the real ones not the ones tarted up for presentation) recognise that they are generally quite reasonable.

It's blindingly obvious that climate change is liable to cause mass population movements, and if the movers get fired up it could turn very nasty. Obviously to the prophet's followers, since the prophet was totally right and they are languishing then they must have been robbed, and its obvious to them that the West are the robbers - and inferior because they don't believe in the Truth (the message that their own culture might be part of their problem isn't going to get a hearing). This should prove an effective message to get the huddled masses fired up (it seemed to work OK on middle class Saudi youth).