Hello and welcome to the Intelligence from the Economist. I'm your host, Patrick Lane,

filling in for Jason Palmer. Every weekday we provide a fresh perspective on the events

shaping your world.

Selling sex is illegal almost everywhere in America, but a growing body of opinion wants

it decriminalised and the law may soon change in New York. How might it be done? And demand

for classy TV programmes has boomed during the pandemic to entertain the sofabound millions,

and it's meant to bananza for Britain's filmmaking industry in particular.

But first...

This is a crucial fortnight for the future of the world. Leaders from around 200 countries

have gathered in Glasgow for the UN Climate Summit, COP26. They'll be asked for their plans

to cut emissions by 2030.

Britain's Prince Charles called on them to set aside their differences to save the planet.

We must now translate fine words into still finer actions.

Among those attending are America's President Biden and France's President Macron,

but there are notable absentees too. President C of China, the world's greatest greenhouse

gas emitter will not be there in person, but he will address the summit by video link.

And the event got off to an in-or-species start. After weekend gathering of the G20 group

of big economies failed to agree on any binding measures to reduce emissions.

But leaders need to find a way through the disagreement.

They couldn't be more at stake.

The main reason this chaotic COP process matters is that the science, the diplomacy,

the activism, the public opinion that surrounds it,

...