Most people I know are decent, caring citizens. Many of them are reasonably science-literate and few of them are struggling to pay their bills. But when climate comes up in conversation, an awkward pause ensues - you can sense the mental gears grinding as they hunt for something else to talk about.

The best quote I've seen on this comes from an essay by author Maggie Gee: ‘Polls show that a majority of people … believe global warming is a fact, and yet somehow they don’t think it will really affect their lives, and they certainly don’t intend to change their lives radically to help stop it happening…

“Global warming is a problem - but not yet, O Lord, please” is their unconscious prayer.

Folk who do take global warming seriously are thought slightly mad, or over-intense, unlike the sensible majority who just somehow know things will always go on as they do today…

Maggie Gee in “Seeing Further: the Story of Science, Discovery and the Genius of the Royal Society’ (Bill Bryson ed., HarperCollins, 2010)

I conclude, sadly, that the sane response to our current trajectory is to choose not to have kids.