Harvest of fear

Writing a column about the state of harvest on America’s west coast in the face of historic wildfires seems to be an exercise in futility, akin to filing an article about a marathon only halfway through the race. By the time you read these words, the world may look very different.

Of course, the world already looks different.

Last Wednesday 9 September the sun didn’t rise in San Francisco, as smoke from hundreds of wildfires...