JAMES Bond fans will know the famous line from Skyfall “sometimes the old ways are the best” as Bond’s style of getting things done is questioned as perhaps past its time in the modern world of cyber espionage. But is it true in all situations?

What about our lifestyle choices and our impact on the planet, especially in terms of carbon emissions?

Well, there certainly is good reason to hark back to a day before the industrial revolution and large-scale fossil fuel use, when the planet was in a much better state of balance.

Our modern tastes for energy consumption, air travel, rich diets and international goods have meant that our carbon emissions have soared compared to our relatively recent ancestors.

Perhaps we need to ditch the cars and get back on the bike? Well, I would certainly agree that we need to avoid flying and unnecessary transport but there are some benefits to living in this modern age including new technologies such as the LED, modern batteries and the photovoltaic cell which have helped us to find lower carbon solutions to energy needs.

But there is no technological magic bullet that will solve all our problems despite what some may say of things like carbon capture which has proved to be a red herring. No, the real benefit to living in this age is that we know more now than we did yesterday.

With more studies and more data, climate predictions are more accurate, and uncertainties are reduced. Our ancestors could claim ignorance or that the jury was out on climate change, we can’t.

We have the privilege and curse of knowing how our choices impact the world today and that we must act accordingly whether that is to decide to use the most advanced electric car or simply good old-fashioned shoe leather (or a vegan alternative).