I despair of these shameful litterbugs

THIS letter is so interesting and I consider what you’ve written to be a genuine problem. I don’t mean just the subject matter (which we’ll come back to) but those feelings of helpless anger about the actions of your fellow human beings.

Such emotions can make you feel miserable, become pretty obsessed and lose sleep (believe me, I’m speaking from experience) when you witness human stupidity and carelessness. It’s more than frustrating, it’s exhausting.

Isn’t it also rather a lonely feeling — that of being out of step with people around you? Perhaps as we become older, annoyance with the foolishness of the world increases, and maybe we have to come to terms with the fact that we can’t change everything, since human flaws have caused suffering and mayhem since the beginning of time.

What’s to be done? Protest? I fear that when Extinction Rebellion causes disruption in whatever way it thinks fit, its actions do great damage to the cause of caring for the environment because it puts people off, rather than wins hearts and minds. But groups such as CPRE, the countryside charity, are worth joining as they fight to keep our green and pleasant land just that.

You will know plenty of people who share your concern about this issue, and go out as you do to pick up litter.

This newspaper has been very active. The Mail and Keep Britain Tidy are encouraging the public and businesses to help pick up litter between September 11 and September 27. (Visit keepbritaintidy.org/gbseptemberclean to ‘pledge to pick’ or register and to find advice about organising a safe clean-up).

I find it unbelievable that people can go to a beautiful place and then trash it. Will they ever change? I regret to say that in most cases the answer is, ‘No’. So they have to be heavily fined (if caught) and meanwhile good people like you continue to pick up after them while feeling angry and frustrated.

I’ve used your real name on your letter (instead of the usual pseudonym) because I think you should be proud to have broadened the remit of this column in this way.

Those of us who value the beauty of the natural world send a huge thank you for what you do.