I am all for "plans to save [our] planet from quakes and asteroids", just to long as they do not distract us even further from the biggest threat of all - one which we are doggedly refusing to face up to: the fundamental non-sustainability of our growth-dependent economy and the criminally wasteful, grossly materialistic lifestyles it engenders.

We are quite literally addicted to them, which blinds us to reality (making it doubly difficult to face up to) and to the realisation that they are based very largely on values, attitudes and aspirations deeply rooted in man's "more animal than human " nature.

In view of what Darwin taught us about human origins, this should hardly surprise us.

If we want our children and coming generations to survive (let alone have things as good, or better, than we have) we MUST face up to our addiction, which is causing us – quite literally - to plunder our planet, Spaceship Earth, and quickly develop an economy and lifestyles (for 7-10 billion people!) which are rooted in our more enlightened, human nature.

This is a very tall order, I know - but the alternative doesn't bear thinking about (which is another obstacle to coming out of denial).

It is the greatest challenge man has ever faced – or will be, once we actually start facing up to it.