I present the Sustainable Futures Report because I believe we have a crisis.

I’m not talking about saving the planet. That will be here long after we’ve gone. While we’re here we need to keep the planet a comfortable place to live.

We need to ensure there’s enough food, water and shelter for all, but of course, in the rich West, we expect much, much more than that. And more and more people in other nations seek a western lifestyle.

My purpose in presenting the podcast is to keep people focused and informed about the challenge that faces us. Only governments can take the action we need, and governments can be influenced by public opinion.

I believe that technology can help us maintain our standard of living without threatening our existence as a species, but technology is certainly no silver bullet or a get-out-of-jail-free card. I report on new and promising technologies from batteries to fusion reactors, from bioplastics to electric aeroplanes and many other ideas from all over the world.

Because we have left it so long before taking action - and there were warnings about the climate crisis back in the 1980s - we’ve lost our chance of a smooth transition. It will be rough, particularly in developing countries, but we have the capability to match the challenge. The key question is whether we and our governments have the will to accept short-term pain to assure long-term survival.