Morning sir, or madam, or neuter," the thing said. "This your planet, is it?"
"Well, er. I suppose so," Newt said.
"Had it long, have we sir?"
"Not personally. I mean, as a species, about half a million years. I think."
The alien exchanged glances with its colleague.
"Been letting the old acid rain build up, haven't we sir," it said. "Been letting ourselves go a bit with the old hydrocarbons, perhaps?"
"I'm sorry?"
"Well, I'm sorry to have to tell you, sir, but your polar ice caps are below regulation size for a planet of this category, sir."
"Oh, dear," said Newt.
"We'll overlook it on this occasion, sir."
The smaller alien walked past the car. "CO2 level up nought point five percent," it rasped, giving him a meaningful look. "You do know you could find yourself charged with being a dominant species while under the influence of impulse-driven consumerism, don't you?
— Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett (Good Omens)
#ecology #humor #humor