The media headlines scream “heatwave” as Britain and most of Western Europe have near record temperatures this week. The TV new channels “default” to a climate change expert to immediately connect what we are experiencing to the solution. No breathe taken or forgiveness for the multitude of inputs that make up the UK weather systems. Two days later in London, the headline reads “thunderstorms” as the hot weather moves on. Back come the climate change experts on television news to tell us about the increased threat of floods around the world.

Climate change is a serious tail risk, and on the balance of probabilities, it is prudent to take preventative action. However when the media trivialise this to every example of varied weather on an island nation, it lessens not increases people’s attention on the serious issues.