The Backseat Environmentalist?

I guess (hope!) that most people are aware of issues like global warming. I’d hope that many people have at least started to think a little more about their day-to-day lives and its environmental impact (a large number of people now make a conscious effort to go to recycling centres for example).

All of this started me thinking about my own efforts - sure, I rant on about environmental stuff, but when I look at my own actions, I was a bit shocked.

What do I do at the moment?

• Try to reduce car usage (we have a Ford Ka, which is is pretty good on fuel etc, but then we also have a 15 year old VW camper for holidays, which is not so good on fuel)
• Fit CF (compact fluorescent) light bulbs to non-dimming lights
• When ‘white goods’ need replacing, always buy energy-efficient models
• Buy organic food where possible
• Not fly - we always holiday in the UK and have not flown for 10+ years
• Started a compost heap

Hmm, you see, I start to struggle here - sure, we recycle and we don’t buy much new stuff unless we really feel we have to, but it’s all a bit lame for a so-called environmentalist!
I was spurred on and somewhat shamed by my current actions when I watched the first of a new series on BBC2 earlier this week. “It’s not easy being green” shows how a family (who were already pretty green by most people’s standards) moved into a semi-derilict farmhouse in Cornwall. With 2 acres, plenty of help and quite a lot of money, they plan to eco-renovate the building, grow food, construct a water wheel for electricity production, as well as solar panels and wind turbines.

Whilst this will be a great ’showpiece’ of what can be done, how many people have access to £600k+, can move to cornwall and have the time to do it? Anyway, I will be watching the series carefully and looking more closely at my own life and ways to improve my eco-footprint. I hope it inspires more people to do a little bit more.

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