Santa Claus could be homeless soon: the ice on the top of the world, where he lives, is melting. We are all to blame for this. Every time we turn on a light, have a warm bath, drive or fly somewhere – every time we use electricity, petrol, gas or coal – we add a little carbon dioxide to the air. Carbon dioxide is different from most other gases – it vibrates! Each molecule throbs uncontrollably, and shakes up its neighbour, which bounces into the air surrounding it … so quite soon all the air around is vibrating. That vibrating is what we call heat (rub your hands together; you’ll feel them getting warmer). And that hot air is melting the North Pole.

Luckily for Santa, the world is coming to rescue him. All the big countries, 170 of them, signed up to the Paris Agreement in April, which came into force in November. We have  to cut down our carbon footprint. It won’t be easy – we all have to use less coal, gas, petrol and electricity – but if we all work together, and we’re not Trumped, the North Pole will be saved.

Thanks to Brighton Science Festival for this snippet.