I HAVE struggled to think of any activity we humans are involved in that doesn’t produce Carbon Dioxide. Try it yourself, and if you’re successful then do let me know.

All our food, all our movements as well as our leisure interests involve the use of energy in some form and that inevitably involves CO2.

It’s the gas that will decide whether our children and grandchildren suffer from a remarkable range of problems involving destructive storms, record rainfall, 50 degree plus temperatures, expanding deserts, drowned coastal areas and declining food production as the growing conditions for many cereals are exceeded.

Because of our self interest it’s likely that there will be conflict, indeed outright warfare, as those forced to move through rising sea levels and drought look for a new home.

Unless we can develop a mindset and a way of life that values all human beings, wherever they are, and puts less emphasis on boundaries, nationhood and competition then the future is bleak.

Sadly as well as being a remarkably intelligent species we are also greedy wanting to protect all we have as well as striving for even more. It means we have less concern for those who live at a distance whatever the problems they face. The city of Salta in Argentina is larger than Bradford but despite a geography degree I know almost nothing about it.

It would certainly help if we could put peace and a full stomach before material possessions and unlimited travel but the constantly rising CO2 figures suggest that we can’t, or won’t. The global political mood at the moment is just the opposite with nationalism and border controls dominating.

Unfortunately we have political systems that depend on folk voting for them because of what they can be offered. Advice and constraint have little chance against cheaper petrol, cheaper air fares, far too many clothes, foreign out of season food, and the status that our military forces have generated over the centuries.

Unfortunately it’s clear that population growth and material greed will lead inevitably to more CO2.