If I was well aware of the pollution problems, I must admit that it was only from the general News that I learned about the actual climate changes; not from a personal observation of the weather on a daily or yearly basis.

On the other hand, the obvious and drastic depletion of our natural resources was a major eye-opener for me: there was an absolute necessity for changes in the energy field. Peat, coal, oil and even radioactive ores were not renewable and the world started to look into other solutions, such as water, wind and sun.

As a matter of fact, the latter trilogy had been part of the daily life on the planet for centuries, but only on a small scale, sporadically and locally.

Along my working years in the industry, between Europe, USA and South East Asia, I got involved at times with the implementation of new options concerning recycling, materials, processes and equipment. The introduction of new practices meant enormous investments, new expertise and sometimes strong fines for non-compliance. The adjustments took time; the effort was so huge that, at first, most participants were reluctant, not convinced that it was worth it.

Now living in Ireland, I have witnessed major changes in the country during the past decades, step-by-step, with a specific emphasis on the wind energy. Here is a recent input I am happy to report: ‘The Government has fast-tracked the development of seven off-shore wind farm projects as part of its goal of significantly increasing renewable energy generation over the next decade.....The Government is currently aiming to have 70% of the country's energy coming from renewable sources by 2030.’

All in all, we may be provided with evidence of the urgency of acting and with means to do so, but the climate changes that must occur first are in our minds.