David Attenborough, the famous naturalist and presenter of so many wonderful nature programs, has opined that human beings are now so many and so rapacious that they (meaning we) are now a veritable plague on the Earth. It is a shocking statement, accustomed as we are to be seen as lords of this world, afforded a special place in the order of things. Human conceit is in overdrive in this matter and hubris invariably kicks in when comments like these surface. After all, have we not come a long way, baby?

An intelligent visitor from another world might beg to agree with Mr Attenborough. Having collected all the data, such a being would notice one species amongst the many who dominate the race for resources (many times over, really), who bespoil their planet with little regard for the future and who still engage in warfare with increasingly dangerous weapons. Of course they would also notice the many notable achievements of this dominant group, but with the caveat that they were too late to become aware of their own condition, and did too little about it.

Technology alone will not solve our problems.