Ah yes, climate change. The Observer goes big on how Alaska will become the new Florida, But what about my modest hidey-hole on the Costa del Sol? Here is the answer:
As Europe continues to heat up, energy demands are expected to drop in northern countries, but equally they are destined to soar around the Mediterranean and in the south where there will be a desperate need for cooling and air-conditioning that will drive up power costs.
By the middle of the century, forest fires and severe heatwaves will be increasingly common while crops will be devastated and vineyards will be scorched.
Similarly, in the Alps, lack of snow and melting ice will make skiing, walking and climbing far less enticing for tourists. So if you are planning to cash in that little nest egg you have been nurturing to buy a retreat on the continent, think very carefully which part of Europe you pick. By this reckoning, Norway looks a good bet, as does Scotland.
Not a happy thought. Mind you, as I write this post, thunder is rolling round the skies and the rain is chucking down. Nevertheless, we must expect the Sahara to move northwards. And it is little consolation to realise that by 2020 I will have reached my allotted span of three score and ten.
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