Port Louis — If, as Alexandre Dumas justly remarked, "all generalizations are dangerous, even this one", it is now possible to assert without a whit of doubt that human activity is tinkering with the planet's settings to an unprecedented extent.

In turn, this is threatening our very existence and that of countless other species that inhabit this magnificent Blue Planet. As always, Small Island Developing States (of which Mauritius is a member) are especially vulnerable to the terrifying consequences of climate change. Today's launch of Osmose, the "environment and sustainable development" page of "l'express" is thus doubly propitious.

In Mauritius, an increasing number of our countrymen and women are swelling the ranks of a green army bent on halting the wanton degradation of our natural surroundings and, not incidentally, the quality of life of future generations. They are gathering the competencies and impetus to change the way we think about and act towards our environment. Osmose will be sure to highlight their labours of love in a dedicated weekly section.

An email address, osmose@lexpress.mu, has been put at your disposal. Your input - be it in the form of suggestions, letters, whistle-blowing, constructive criticism or anything else you wish to share - is vital. Don't be shy! We can rant breathlessly about the myriad shortcomings of the authorities; yet the undeniable fact is that it befalls each and every single one of us to lend a hand in Saving Planet Earth (and our very existence).

As Osmose will attempt to illustrate, this can be done by altering our daily habits only slightly, one mundane act at a time. 'Going green' is not some fluffy concept - all it really entails is reducing our energy use. And to the cynics out there, I emphatically say, 'Yes, we can make a difference!' Lest you forget, some of the most advanced civilizations in History disappeared off the face of the Earth as a consequence of their disdain of the environment.

Fortunately, environmental consciousness is no longer perceived as a form of quixotism or the preserve of a few quaint but loopy eccentrics. This was exemplified by the award of the Nobel Peace Prize to Al Gore and the Intergovernment Panel on Climate Change for their indefatigable work on climate change.

Even the uber-capitalist CNBC European Business magazine concedes in its most recent edition that there are 'no more excuses. The reasons for not acting on climate change have gone'. It also opines that 'only the business community can deliver the change at the scale and pace we need'. May the private sector adopt that sentence as its mantra, and not just to embellish their annual reports with talk of Corporate Social Responsibility. It has become obvious that only the private sector possesses the dynamism and capital to help wean the country off its addiction to coal by investing in clean technologies and renewable energies. And remember there's heaps of money to be saved and made by 'going green' (a clean energy sector analyst interviewed by CNBC European Business puts "growth at 30% to 60% per annum across all clean energy technologies, countries and asset classes").

This is not to say that Osmose will shy away from reminding the authorities of their responsibilities. After an encouraging start to its mandate, which saw the pristine Ferney valley escape the tentacles of the South Eastern Highway Project, the government's policies have come to seem increasingly inchoate. The Prime minister's decision to entrust the respected biologist and researcher, Joël de Rosnay, with the mission of making Mauritius a 'sustainable island' is undoubtedly a step in the right direction, but only time will tell whether it is simply another case of 'greenwash'.

Fittingly, the ministry of Environment will come under scrutiny but so will other ministries and departments. Not even the ministry of Finance will escape our purview. Rama Sithanen might aspire to making Mauritius the darling of globalization but he should bear in mind that not even double-digit growth will bring back our natural resources and social cohesion once they have been squandered. Sustainable development, which Osmose regards with the utmost seriousness, requires a holistic approach that includes not only environmental considerations but socio-economic ones too.

Ultimately though, the biggest obstacle to cleaning up our acts will unsurprisingly be apathy of the garden variety. In a democracy, power rests with the people. For as long as we fail to demand cleaner policies and products, the authorities and private sector will gladly continue to go about their daily businesses of politicking and making money, regardless of their impact on the environment.

Four years ago, a tsunami of biblical proportions savaged South East Asia, claiming hundreds of thousands of lives, bringing entire countries (some remarkably similar to Mauritius) to their knees and heralding an era of mega-natural disasters from which not even the most powerful nation on Earth is safe (think of Hurricane Katrina). After a long and painful recovery, most of them are back on their feet.

There might not be a panacea for climate change, yet together the country - the government, private sector, civil society and the media - can ensure that all these global warnings are heeded and a tsunami of hope unleashed upon the nation. Osmose hopes to accompany you every step of this healthier, greener and more sustainable way of life.