You may have missed the breaking news this week, drowned out by the noise of vuvuzelas were trumpeting loudly in Africa, but elsewhere on the news’ agenda scientists were issuing research that will, hopefully, scupper the hopes of the Japanese, Norwegians and Icelanders.

As you may have guessed I’m targeting these three whaling nations who still continue to insist that they ‘need’ to eat whale meat.

Now scientists have discovered that sperm whales are joining us in the battle against global warming.

Apparently sperm whale poo helps the oceans absorb carbon dioxide from the air.

Here’s the science bit… Australian researchers calculate that Southern Ocean sperm whales release about 50 tonnes of iron every year.

This stimulates the growth of tiny marine plants – phytoplankton – which absorb the greenhouse gas CO2 during photosynthesis.

The process results in the absorption of about 40,000 tonnes of carbon - more than twice as much as the whales release by breathing, the study says.

The researchers note that the process also provides more food for the whales.

If we can’t appeal to whaling nations’ common sense perhaps we can appeal to their survival instinct. More whales, might equal a slowing down of global warming and a better chance for mankind to flourish.

Sadly, there’s a basic flaw in my argument. And that’s that I’m yet to be convinced that anything we do can slow down global warming.

Maybe the planet will heal itself, and we know there has been great periods when the planet has hotted up or cooled down.

But I don’t think we’re going to convince people to stop using fossil fuels, even if President Obama wants to blame all America’s ills on BP. Have you ever seen an American walk anywhere when they could drive?

Do you remember the urban legend/conspiracy theory that claimed a boffin had invented a car that would run on water? Once governments and oil companies discovered that it would do them out of business he was murdered to prevent it ever becoming reality.

A quick trawl of the internet provides plenty of so-called evidence.

All the evidence I need that there is no commitment to reducing the public’s use of the motor car comes in every successive government’s transport policy, or lack of one.

Unless you live in London it’s impossible to travel anywhere by public transport as easily, as quickly, or as cheaply as it is by private car.

Until some brave government decides to scrap all ministers cars and make all members of the House of Parliament travel to Westminster and pay for the journey themselves we can all look forward to many more happy hours of sitting in queues on Bournemouth spur road, whatever the whales might do.