The BBC’s recent programmes about space were riveting. I was taken on a thought-provoking tour of curved space time, pulsars, light years, different galaxies, black holes and anti-matter among other distant and incomprehensible concepts. I understood precious little of it, particularly when I was told that there are about 300 billion stars, like our sun, in our own Milky Way galaxy, itself 100,000 light years across, and then out there, beyond us, there are at least another 500 billion galaxies with more being discovered almost daily.

We are, indeed, remarkably fortunate to live on what can be called a Goldilocks planet – one that is not too hot or too cold, or too large or too small, and just the right distance from the star that provides enough heat and light, as well as reasonable length days and nights, and even seasons.

We have apparently evolved as carbon-based lifeforms to make the most of these helpful conditions, though we still have a number of rather significant imperfections. Because evolution has progressed through the survival of the fittest, we have tended to concentrate on our own individual and group survival, generally at the expense of other individuals and species. The fact that we are quite prepared to fight and kill to protect our lifestyles, beliefs and, above all, our property, does suggest we still have some evolving to do. We are an immature, selfish species.

We really need to be able to put our fairweather commitment to peaceful philosophies on a par with our expanding technical ability, but because national identity, jingoism, tribal loyalty and greed are the order of the day, we still have some way to go. We will know we have arrived when our satisfaction is measured by our ability to share.

Another of our indulgent weaknesses, and possibly a very important one seeing that there are more than seven billion of us wanting more, is that we want it now, and we have discounted the future for current gain. It’s likely we are at the teenage stage of species development, living for the moment, with the expressed hope that the future will take care of itself. It will, but we won’t like it.

My great-grandchildren will be in their 80s when the global temperature reaches four degrees hotter than now, and their planet will be unrecognisable. They will be right to question what their ancestors did about it, and predictably the answer will be not enough.

At least I will have argued against fracked shale gas which only perpetuates the use of fossil fuels and more CO2 production.

Leave it in the ground. Don’t binge on shale gas. Develop renewable energy. Now.