Thus The Guardian today. “Gondoliers increasingly forced to remove iron ornament from stem to get their boats under bridges during high waters,” elaborates the newspaper. Horrible news, indeed. But not about gondolas, to be sure. Called risso, the iron ornament is but an ornament. The incidence of acqua alta is the real problem. In 1983 there were thirty-five, with only one reaching above a meter and ten centimeters, which troubles the gondoliers. In 1993 there were forty-four. Last year there were one-hundred and fifty-six. Gondoliers’ troubles are only an index of climate change in Venice. There will be many others, and they will be far from ornamental. Interestingly, all this is skipped by the article in question. Perhaps it is beyond the journalist’s imagination, but it is much more likely that the newspaper is leery of upsetting its hapless readers with untoward news. God forbid.