WE’RE doomed. It’s time that we faced up to the fact that as a species we have habits, attitudes and lifestyles that make it clear that we put our own immediate interests first and completely ignore the impact we’ll have on the years to come.

The only positive aspect of the future is the possible attitude of young people who are taking to the streets in increasing numbers. They have every intention, it seems, of changing the way that we older folk behave, but it will be a task and a half.

The key to their success, which is far from assured, is the way that each person makes their own personal decisions. They will need to learn that every time they decide the overriding factor won’t be whether they can afford it, but rather whether it reduces the amount of CO2 they produce.

Hairdressing is a very good example of lifestyle activities that we take for granted, and it’s encouraging to learn that in the last five years there has been a real impact in the sustainability practices in the 55,000 salons in the UK. Less water is now used, and it’s cooler, and complements a number of dry shampoo practices.

It would certainly help if folk reduced their hair regimes by half, letting it grow longer, keeping its original colour and choosing simpler styles, or taking the other route and shaving it all off. The same approach would make our clothes last at least twice as long, and it would certainly help to reduce the use of cotton, and the wool from the sheep that keep hillsides treeless.

However hair and clothes are basically insignificant when we consider the carbon impact of petrol and diesel powered vehicles and flying. Being able to drive is more than a useful skill but it doesn’t require car ownership, often of a flamboyant and oversized car, and in the main most journeys should be on public transport.

The figures are impressive with the passengers on a full bus only producing one seventh of the CO2 of that from a car, as well as much less air pollution. Trains are even better as the Eurostar train and boat to Paris produces only ten percent of the CO2 from a plane engine