Editorial – September 2026 : Everywhere Carbon Footprints.
Hello everyone
With 2026 already regarded as one of hottest periods in recorded world weather history, the number of people who acknowledge that its all down to global warming is growing. It can’t be delayed for a future generation to solve because we are the one that is supposed to sort it out. The question now is have we left it too late to do anything? Traditionally, mankind has always decided to let it be another generation’s worry than our own. Usually, a presumption that there will be some sort of discovery that can wipe the slate clean and we can go back to the way we’ve been living in the past. As we have discovered this year, that isn’t likely to work out well. Even with the raise in temperature, different parts of the world have different humidities and puts it at odds with the heat. A dry heat is tolerable compared with one with high humidity simply because organic bodies, that’s you by the way, can’t shed their body heat so well. Hence, the British Isles has the combined combination which isn’t quite the same as 1976. We also have to adapt to the new conditions than simply think a 9-to-5 job gives the best working conditions.
Adapting is all very well but its not really a solution. There is no magic wand to wave it away. The only forecast is its going to get worse with all kinds of different weather conditions across the world. Wildfires will get worse. So will things like that massive flash flood caused by a glacier melting in Nepal. I hate saying this, but something like this is bound to happen in other parts of the world. People in all parts of the world must take a serious look at where they live and evaluate the potential dangers in all seasons, whether excessive heating to flooding. I doubt if all people can move but ensuring some precautions are made, even if it’s only to create a firebreak and insulate gas pipes.
Even then, it won’t be enough. The use of gas and petrol increases the dangers to the atmosphere. The damage to the Arctic ozone layer might have broken up in 2000, but its not gone away. If anything, education needs to do more for reminding the upcoming generations to understand this responsibility and vow to do better than we could ever do. They might look back at us with despair as the world literally breaks up under them but might not have any better ideas what to do and make it stand for a long period than we could.
Man is a creature of habit, so it’s more a case of establishing a new habit that is economic and they will benefit from. It’s the one time where the resolve of the individual has an effect as a collective providing we do it all in the same direction.
It won’t happen overnight. Ecology change will take decades to sort out but it has to start somewhere now than later. Some species will probably adapt to the circumstance, but many will not. Where humans will be on this map, who can say. We probably won’t become extinct as there’s too many of us but it will certainly reduce our numbers unless we do something.
Global warming is a human-created problem. It shows our incompetence of taking things out but not giving back to our planet. As a galactic issue, so this is still in our remit, this is probably the same way sentient species on other planets probably became extinct. Instead of being a one-off, we just become another statistic of lost sentients and not even be missed in our passing. Even if we can colonise another planet, will we have learnt from our mistakes? The pessimist in me thinks we’ll forget and do it all over again. For a sentient species, we do tend to come across as a bit stupid.
Although I’m not sure a total abstinence of some carbon footprint behaviour is possible, I do think it’s more likely to plan some reduction by merely thinking through the choices available. In some ways, global warming is providing one of the choices. Why holiday abroad, unless its for a cooler climate, when its just as hot in your own country? It reduces aeroplane flight usage and feeds the home economy.
In many respects, even over the decades it will take, the future generations will see the results of the changes to our climate than we will. To do otherwise will just reduce our number.
Thank you, take care, good night and reduce heat.
Geoff Willmetts
editor: www.SFCrowsnest.info
A Zen thought: Life only happens once.
What Qualities Does A Geek Have: Have I said being observant?
The Reveal: There is always some eclipse happening to the Earth.
Computer Observation: For PC users, whenever Windows 11 updates lately, the anti-virus software icon vanishes off the Internet Explorer. Rather than looking out how to get it back, on the IE, choose ‘Extensions’ and through it ‘Installed Extensions’ and then find the one you need and flip the switch back on ie Norton Password Manager. Quite why the setting has to be turned back on when so many other settings don’t need to be reactivated beats me.
Observation: I’m puzzled why the Jedi Order thinks of itself as noble order when its members use its most deadly weapon, the lightsabre, to chop people up? Well, maybe it cauterises the wounds so there is no blood.
Feeling Stressed: Just think we have autumn, winter and then a repeat of this year’s weather. Stress away.
Submissions:-
If you think having free books to review isn’t enough, how about reading them months ahead of everyone? I mean real months. Beats a time machine.
I did think that having a lot of text about submitting material to SFCrowsnest would attract those with a compulsion to read and understand things the geek way. The main problem with the Internet is that it tends to encourage less reading, so time to take a different approach. The original notes will be left on July2009 editorial although the links aren’t likely to work.
With your cover email, tell me something about yourself so I don’t work in a vacuum. The boss in the tower, also called Stephen Hunt, describes me as a ‘Dutch Uncle’ in that I’m good with advice and can explain when I see something that is wrong. Egos should be left at the door as I’m only interested in your talent and how to improve it.
Reviews:-
I always have a clarion call for new reviewers and if you have the yen to learn, you’ll quickly get the ropes if you’re never done it before but you must show me a sample, especially if you can follow my guidelines. We can usually get paper-based books in the UK but if you live abroad, then you might have to stick with ebooks. If you’ve picked a book we haven’t reviewed, then it stands a better chance of being used so use the SFC search engine to see first but I need to see how you would write for us.
The obvious qualification is a desire to read regularly and like to tell others about the book without giving away too many spoilers. The benefit is access to free books for the price of a review.
I want to give you the opportunity to get things right so look up the Review Guidelines link: https://www.sfcrowsnest.info/so-you-want-to-write-reviews-for-sfcrowsnest-what-you-need-to-know-by-geoff-willmetts/
Fiction:-
Although we can’t pay for submissions, what we do make up for is exposure. Only the Sci-Fi Channel gets more hits than us so it’s worthwhile getting us on your writer’s CV. Please avoid samplings from book’s you might be writing or have had in print elsewhere as I do check. New original work is best and whether I accept or reject, you will be told of any problems I see so you look your best and a grammar check that is equal to the pro-world. Even the boss finds me scarily accurate.
Flash or One-Page Fiction:-
Speaks for itself. The shortest fiction possible is also the toughest to write as no word must be wasted.
Link here for details: https://www.sfcrowsnest.info/one-page-stories-or-flash-fiction-submissions-instructions-by-gf-willmetts/
Short Stories:-
The definition of a short story is anything up to 30 pages and then it becomes a novella. Bear in mind you want other people to read it on-line, stay somewhere between 5-20 pages. At least digitally, you don’t have to go double-line as HTML will do that automatically but think about being concise. If you want to send an attachment with these, then ask first and send as a TXT file as it removes most tetchy virus codes.
Look up the Short Stories Link by linking here: https://www.sfcrowsnest.info/so-you-really-want-to-write-an-sf-story-an-update-by-gf-willmetts/
Finally:-
The worse problem I see any samples is poor grammar. Although I don’t want you to think I seek perfection, the less work I have to do, the easier it is to focus on other problems you might have. It will also serve you in good stead if you ever approach paper-based publishers because they will send back any bad grammar samples because it’s not worth their time.
Good grammar is the tool of any writer. Don’t just depend on what you remember doing at school. There are plenty of decent grammar books out there, so remind yourself of the rules. If you think there are far too many to remember, get the major ones right before moving to the next so it becomes second nature.
This link, www.sfcrowsnest.info/the-guide-to-better-grammar-from-the-harrowed-hand-of-gf-willmetts/ will show you the common problems.
To submit, use our email address by joining the spaces as shown here: letters @ SFcrowsnest.info and use the subject matter as to what you’re submitting.
If you have any pastimes that can be used to pass the time in captivity, let me know and we’ll see if it can be turned into an article.
Comments directly to reviews should still work as before.
Good luck
Geoff
