THE doomsayers of the world are often given a bum rap by those who prefer to see it through rose-tinted glasses, normally, as it happens, the very same folk who are able to find deeper meaning in the circuitous waffle of Sarah Jessica Parker or a similar walking accessory of flake.

True, they are not likely to be the life and soul of your upcoming Christmas bash, as railing on the sinister elements of Santa Claus’s regime in the Pole tends to be a bit of a mood-killer when people are getting down and dirty to a Boney M remix.

But the doomsayers have their place, as it is they who present a perspective that most would rather lock away in a cupboard, never to be thought of again.

The History Channel series Life After People is unashamedly dark in its approach, but vital in tackling precisely this question of what will become of the earth when there is no one left to record its history.

The series begins in the moments after people disappear. As each day, month, and year passes, the fate of a particular environment, city or theme is disclosed. Special effects, combined with interviews from experts in the fields of engineering, botany, biology, geology, and archeology provide an unforgettable visual journey through the ultimately hypothetical.

One of the most interesting aspects that I have found in following the programme is that in all cases it appears as though nature would reclaim itself, regardless of the infrastructures and pollution man has left as his legacy.

That of course brings into question the multitudinous summit meetings and awareness rallies on climate change leaders have become so preoccupied with, and whether these might not simply be another political tool in a kit already stacked with spin. Maybe Sarah Jessica has the answer.