‘We need to get back to living with nature’, when in the history of humankind have we ever had such a relationship? Even tthe native Americans wiped out entire species. We have always sought to harness nature for our benefit and survival – like every other species. Of course, we should think about how we do that.

But, why don’t you check Charles’ ecological footprint (security, his housing costs, transport). The entire (rational) arguement for having this plum in a position of authority in society is based on tourism, and economic benefits, he brings. If those are not important, lets start by ‘sacrificising’ the economic benefits the UK gets from him and his family. He can then ‘live with nature’ and tell us all how he gets on, if we are still interested in what he has to say.

I felt that Prince Charles’ call to move beyond reductive, simplistic thinking was very well made and is long overdue. Equally important was the parallel he drew between the recent financial crash and the potential for a similar – yet far more devastating – environmental crash.

However, I believe his most important message of all was that it is at our peril that we continue to pursue policies based on a belief in perpetual economic growth. As he clearly showed, the world has finite – and dwindling – resources. And infinite growth based on finite, and shrinking, resources is impossible.

Some criticise Prince Charles for speaking out on such topics. However, he would not need to do so if a significant number of politicians – in any well represented party – had had the wisdom and courage to say what Prince Charles said.

It takes immense courage to see the big picture, and acknowledge very uncomfortable truths – even to oneself. It takes even greater courage to voice those truths in public. For being the ‘child’ who says that the Emperor has no clothes is never a popular role – still less a safe one. For Prince Charles to voice those truths must have taken the greatest courage of all. For nobody is more exposed to criticism than he is – nor less able to hit back.

Surely his courage deserves an equally brave response. It is not easy to accept that we, in our lifetimes, have all collaborated in so profoundly contaminating, consuming and destroying the world’s natural resources that we have been destroying our own and our children’s future.

However, if we have the courage to accept that and heed Prince Charles’ call to adopt new values and new ways of thinking, living and doing business we may yet prevent the fragile vessel of civilisation from crashing to pieces on the rocks towards which economic illusions of perpetual growth are daily steering us.

It has been said that a prophet is not without honour save in his own country. Can we not give the lie to that? Can we not – for the sake of our children – listen to Prince Charles and, moving beyond both blame and denial, transform the way we live so that our children DO have a future?

Surely Prince Charles only said what he did because he believed we could. He has fired the starting gun. If we don’t respond by running the race of our lives – against the ticking clock of environmental destruction – who but us can our children blame?