A Declaration of Doom from Prince Charles

Less than a week after researchers admitted to the Discovery channel that global warming "has flat-lined since 2001" and it's possible that we have entered a 30-year cooling period, England's Prince Charles is preparing to tell the world that it has only 100 months left before we are doomed.

Yes, doomed.

Prince Charles will say that the need to tackle global warming is more urgent than ever before and that, even in a global recession, the world must not lose sight of the "bigger picture".

His warning will be delivered on Thursday in a keynote speech in Rio de Janeiro.

Aides believe it will echo one he gave in Sao Paulo in 1991 at the start of the last recession, when he warned that caring for the world's long term welfare must not become a "luxury".

The intervention will help to put the environment at the top of the political agenda ahead of the meeting of G20 leaders in London next month.

I admit I haven't been much of a fan of the Prince of Wales since he proved unworthy of Princess Diana, but my disgust was personal, a manly thing: how could you pick Camilla over Diana? And I am reluctant to air merely personal grievances.

Now, however, I can say that none of that matters since I can righteously declare that the prince is a putz on policy and science. That's so much better.