There’s nothing more chilling than swimming across open sea, where recently there used to be a solid glacier.

More from Address to the House of Lords (19 November 2010)

• If we pass on an unsustainable environment to our children we have failed them.
• Always when we walked, it was clear to me how much he loved nature, wild flowers, animals in their natural habitat and the simple pleasures of a beautiful sunset. My love for the environment did not develop out of a vacuum.
• Everywhere water is under threat. It is our most precious resource. And there is no alternative to it.
• Going against the tide has never been difficult for me. It wasn’t even a conscious decision but the natural consequence of following my own instinct.
• My love for the water would always be tempered by respect for dangers that must never be underestimated.
• Never, ever did I think that there would be a debate in this arid country about which was more important – gas or water. We can survive without gas. We cannot live without water.