I AM worried about my month old great grandson. Before this century is over he will face exceptional difficulties, and all because of the way we, you, me and all the other adults are currently behaving.

The odds against us sorting out the changing climate, and behaving appropriately to keep the level of change even below two degrees by 2100, are long indeed, because we put short term self interest first, on both a national scale and in the way we behave as individuals. There's little real evidence that we're taking the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions seriously enough.

The United States has more to do than most to get its house in order as it produces over twice the amount of CO2 per person than most in Europe, and yet they still seem reluctant to restrict their use of air conditioning or reduce the size of their car engines, their meal portions or the military.

Some countries are perversely content to make the situation worse, with the tar sands in Canada, and new coal mines in Australia, being prime examples of nations that should know better, while the UK has decided to withdraw support from many carbon reducing initiatives.

So there's now to be less support for onshore wind turbines and solar panels, the green homes insulation initiative is to be scrapped, zero carbon homes are no longer a target, the green investment bank has been sold off, and car taxation has been distorted.

It's not surprising, though, that the governments we elect behave in this fashion as we set them a very poor example with our own individual personal behaviour.

It shouldn't be necessary to fly to Las Vegas or the Caribbean to get married, but many do, and stag and hen nights overseas seem purposefully indulgent. Holiday flights are on the increase, and there is determination to build another UK runway somewhere.

While modern cars are more efficient, there are now many more, and there isn't a valid reason for four wheel drive vehicles and quad bikes in towns when they belong in rural areas.

We are still a throw away society, with too much litter, and a poor recycling record. Given the opportunity we produce an enormous amount of visible waste, and not only at music festivals, so it's no surprise that we are casual about the production of a gas we can't see.

As a species we are very self centred and frequently exceed local laws, so we speed when we shouldn't, we park on pavements contrary to the Highway Code recommendation, and we pave over front gardens without planning permission causing more flooding elsewhere.

The planet deserves less selfish tenants.