I DON’T have to go far to find evidence that many human beings are too self-centred and lazy to do much to slow down significant climate change. I just have to walk to my front gate.

I live on a well-used road opposite a row of shops, with a bus stop, a mini supermarket and a take-away just yards away.

It’s also the route to local schools. It shouldn’t follow that the pavements and gardens are often littered with discarded wrappers, packets, bottles, cans, plastic bags, scratch cards, drug wraps, cigarette butts and food containers, but they frequently are; and all this despite the provision of litter bins and regular appearances by the council cleaning teams.

I don’t understand the thinking that finds it acceptable to rip the cellophane from a packet of cigarettes, open it, remove the silver coloured packing and drop both on the floor.

It probably wouldn’t happen in the smoker’s home and it suggests a disregard for shared space, the feelings of others and above all a lack of acceptance of individual responsibility.

It’s only too common despite the constant reminders not to drop litter and it’s not sufficient to argue that there aren’t enough litter bins. Rubbish is often dropped within yards of one and the exhortation to dispose of litter at home is ignored.

All of this, of course, is a criminal offence, as outlined in the 1990 Environment Protection Act, Section 87, and it can lead to on the spot £75 fines, even up to £2,500 in a magistrates court. Still the law is ignored.

If so many folk don’t give a hoot about something they can see there’s little chance that they are going to take an invisible gas seriously.

The excessive and unnecessary production of CO2 and its accumulation in the atmosphere is the equivalent of the careless and lazy littering with discarded cans, plastic bags and cigarette ends. With a little thought and responsibility from everyone it could be controlled, as could the littering of public spaces.

The practice is so simple and yet the execution is apparently nigh impossible as how else can one explain the inability to turn off lights in empty rooms, switch off electrical goods on standby, use a washing line rather than a tumble dryer, restrict four by fours to rural areas, or use recycling bins, holiday locally rather than fly to distant parts, eat less meat, keep to the speed limit or dress warmly rather than turn up the thermostat and so on.

A littered pavement is unsightly and annoying, but too much CO2 will guarantee widespread hunger, destruction and loss of life.