A silvery thread of sparkly water is the current focus of my life. It's a mental stream that bubbles and gurggles, carrying hope and energy as it gathers strength to become a swift flowing surge and then a powerful current out into the magnificent ocean of the world's conscience.

Fancy words to paint a picture of small voices coming together in greater numbers to loudly deliver a joint message to world leaders preparing to gather in Durban. The South African city is the setting for a meeting at the end of this month to effectively save our planet.

 Current predictions show global temperatures may rise by an average of 4°C by the 2070's. Experts agree that anything over 2°C will be catastrophic for many of our most vulnerable ecosystems that help regulate our weather, water and air quality; such as the Arctic, tropical forests and coral reefs. The RSPB is one of the many organisations and individuals coming together to help focus UK Government thoughts on what can be done to globally contain greenhouse gas emissions. These ideas will then be carried forward to Durban on a wave of popular support.

World leaders may well be occupied with global economic worries, but the environmental crisis should be the bedrock upon which they build solutions. Investment in new energies and the adoption of developments or policies which work to support and enhance our natural world should become the norm.

Why is this important? Because it's about life!

The well publicised Ghosts of Gone Birds exhibition, supported by dozens of well known artists, writers and illustrators, is a brilliant portrayal of what's at stake. The humble house sparrow is almost extinct in some parts of central London and starlings and blackbirds are struggling. We're already losing species yet we continue to allow thousands of tonnes of raw sewage to seep into the regal Thames.

If we're to give the next generation any hope of a future worth inheriting, we all need to step-up our actions to help. We only have the power to adapt to a changing climate to a certain point, and if we don’t cut carbon emissions then we’ll end up with a world we simply can’t live in.