I GREW up in the Sixties, a time of change and excitement after the austerity of the Fifties.

Like many then, I was horrified to see TV news coverage of the Vietnam War. Seeing the suffering of innocent victims had a profound effect on me.

At the time I adopted the message of The Beatles, saying "we need peace and love in the world".

Fast forward to 2018 and the conflict going on in the Middle East has created the worst humanitarian crisis in history. Again innocent victims of war are suffering just like they did in the Sixties.

One day, feeling curious, I decided to find out how much was spent globally on weapons.

According to SIPRI (Stockholm International Peace Institute) in 2017 $1.7 trillion was spent!

This is an enormous amount of money when one knows it could be used in a more positive way. Just think for a moment what a difference it would make alleviating the trauma of war victims. Also, helping people caught up in environmental disasters.

On the conservation front, the money could help protect our wildlife from exploitation.Poaching and big game hunting would eventually be a thing of the past. Lastly, our oceans and marine life could be helped to recover from the devastating effects of plastic pollution.

I believe action from the world leaders is what is desperately needed now. Out of control egos have caused havoc on the planet. Trade wars and ripping up climate agreements doesn't help at all.

We need global co-operation and a desire and willingness to put our differences aside for the sake of this sacred planet. Now is the time to put together a Global Rescue Mission agreement with a promise and action to use our immense wealth more wisely.

Daily we are seeing the devastating effects of climate change. We owe it to our young people and future generations to do all we can to save the Earth! Let us not leave a legacy of a ruined world when all along we had the wealth and ingenuity to put things right!

DAN FERNAND

Southampton