The alarm goes off.

But every time we hear it we hit the snooze button, roll over and go back to sleep.

Until, that is, we suddenly wake up with a start and realise we are late - too late.

It is a crude analogy, but a pertinent one when it comes to describing how we as a nation (and an international community) are treating the rapidly growing threat from global warming and climate change.

The latest data from leading climate trend record keepers published last week is stark.

The information, compiled by NASA, NOAA, the UK Met Office and the University of East Anglia’s Climatic Research Unit, shows that 2017 was among the top three warmest years on record.

What’s more, when you strip out the natural El Niño effect that made 2016 particularly hot, last year was in fact the hottest twelve months ever.

The datasets show that overall global average surface temperatures were 1.1C above the pre-industrial era.

That’s marginally less than the 1.2C of a year earlier; but don't be fooled.

The difference between the two is less than one hundredth of a degree, according to the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), and is not statistically significant.

The trend, however, is significant - clearly and definitively upward, and at a rapid rate.

Fraction of a degree by fraction of a degree, we are standing-by watching as our planet’s temperature moves closer and closer to the 1.5C above pre-industrial era mark that scientists have warned will bring huge ramifications for our planet and for our children's children.

Seventeen of the 18 warmest years on record have been this century and it is only 2018!

The results of this inaction are becoming more and more evident.

2017 temperatures in the Arctic were particularly pronounced, which will drive sea levels higher and impact weather all over the world, the WMO says.

Those extreme weather events were also apparent around the globe last year.

Powerful hurricanes like Ophelia, Harvey and Irma, deep droughts, vicious tropical cyclones, unprecedented floods all cost lives and money in many parts of our planet, not least here in Ireland.

Hurricane Ophelia over Ireland late last year

The evidence that we humans, with our gas-belching vehicles, boats, aircraft and livestock, our intensive farming methods, our destruction of carbon-reducing forests, our use of harmful chemicals and our many other damaging practices are to blame is indisputable, according to the vast bulk of reputable climate scientists and their peer-reviewed research.

And so as sole responsibility for causing it lies with us, responsibility for fixing or at very least mitigating the problem is also ours.

Yet in this country we have been painfully slow at recognising, let alone living up to our responsibilities.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said as much last week following his speech to the European Parliament, admitting Ireland had been a "laggard" in tackling climate change and that it as something he wasn’t proud of.

Since taking office Mr Varadkar has been more vocal than his predecessor Enda Kenny on the issue, making it the first topic to be discussed at the first full-day strategic Cabinet meeting.

He also pledged to set out a roadmap to a low carbon economy.

We are beginning to travel the first few metres of that long road trip, with the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and the Environment launching the National Adaptation Framework on Friday for example.

It includes a range of headline grabbing measures, like the setting up of regional climate action offices and the requirement that ministers submit sectoral adaption plans.

But remember, this is about adaptation to the problem, rather than real measures to tackle the root cause of it.

And we aren’t doing well on that front either.

In November, Professor John FitzGerald, the chairman of the Climate Change Advisory Council told the Citizens' Assembly that Ireland is going to miss its 2020 greenhouse gas emission targets by more than expected.

He said it was clear targets were going to be missed as far back as 2014, yet "nothing was done".

He was also critical of the National Mitigation Plan published in July for lacking commitment to concrete new policies and measures that would reduce emissions.

The now inevitable result will be substantial fines from the EU and even more challenging greenhouse gas emission reductions over the coming decades.

But much worse and more fundamental than that, it will also result in further damage to our planet and by extension us.

It's an attitude not unique to Ireland and it is true to say that our nation is a small player in the grand scheme.

Sure, US President Donald Trump has pulled the US out of the Paris Climate Accord.

And yes, many countries in the developing world continue to increase their emissions as the west struggles to reduce them.

But none of that give us here in Ireland an excuse to shirk our responsibilities.

The time for talk and rhetoric is long passed and while it may not be a vote getter or an exciting topic, the moment for politicians, those in authority and we as citizens to take aggressive decisive action is now.

Small measures recently announced by the Government, like increased grants for energy efficiency projects and further incentives around electric vehicles for example, are really only baby steps on the path to meaningful change.

Significant multi-annual investment is required from Government and industry to shift us to a low or zero-carbon economy and society.

We also need to alter the national mindset so that dealing with the causes of climate change isn’t only seen as a challenge and cost, but also an opportunity that we can grow our economy on.

Ireland is extremely well placed to benefit from the business that is flowing from increased demand for clean renewable energy.

We have the expertise, the technology and an adaptable agile test bed sandwiched between the the US and Europe.

Last week’s announcement by the Irish Strategic Investment Fund that it is backing a €140m renewable project that will see 20 solar parks developed across the country is evidence, were it needed, that business sees the opportunities.

Others need to be encouraged and incentivised to follow suit.

So let’s hope the next time the climate change alarm goes off, which inevitably it will, we will already be out of bed, having risen early to meet the mounting challenge.

Because this is truly a matter of life and death.

The future of our planet and our place on it depends on it.

Comments welcome via Twitter to @willgoodbody