ABSTRACT
Many scientists had become optimistic that a pause in the rate of global warming was occurring in the first 15 years of the present century. Sadly, however, recent data has dashed those hopes. It appears the apparent pause was really down to underestimating ocean temperatures over the last two decades. Along with the temperatures, many species are also on the move in ways never seen before. Britain's south coast is seeing gilt-head bream coming from the open sea into its estuaries, young wasp spiders are appearing in Northern Europe and small red-eyed damselflies are appearing in greater numbers throughout the south of the England. While evolution generally lacks an overall direction, cultural behaviour has driven people towards increased sophistication and greater efficiency, empowering them to make an increasingly greater impact on the world around them and how they experience it.
