A short BBC News clip demonstrates a level of stewardship we should all emulate. Brendan Grimshaw bought the tiny Pacific island paradise of Moyenne for £8000 in 1962 and has lived there alone except for the company of giant tortoises, birds and other wildlife. In this simple, small habitat, Grimshaw models behaviour that would help us all survive better in the world:

• treating other living things as equal citizens
• building an environment that is healthy for ourselves and others
• working hard for our livelihood, because paradise does not come cheaply

Maybe these lessons seem obvious, but the world suffers (and so do we) from our failure to observe them.