Le Monde

The winter is hibernating this year. Santa Claus couldn't believe his eyes as he watched the glaciers he has called home break up in front of his eyes. Bears were attacking Russians in the Siberian forest when they should have been sawing logs. Skiiers are realizing that they may be practicing a dying art. Is Holland worried their entire country may be lost to the sea again?

This is not the climax of our story. We have discovered on the other hand that there are no heroes. This may be upsetting at first but truthful none the less. The climax is still a few years off. It involves soaring water prices and petty conflicts that can be traced back to nationalism. Blame the West. Blame the White man. Everyone else still has a choice though. What is really true of our new century is that we are in the middle of a giant storm. This isn't a new development, the world has always been a storm.

What we are learning slowly and painfully is that there is no captain at the helm and all the officers are children wearing the costumes of adults and using their language.