The 'a la carte' environmentalist

For some reason that great creator upstairs came up with a grand plan that everything that was really, really good in life - is also really bad. There is a tipping point where something that brings you loads of pleasure suddenly becomes really bad. I love food. And not just any food - really good, artery clogging, fattening grub. Any man who has ever gone out with me knows that the way to my heart is through my stomach. I hunt down a good eatiere like a car fanatic would seek out a vintage car.

I struggle with environmentalism the same way that I struggle with food. One part of me would love to have a glamour model's body but I just love food way too much. The angel on my shoulder tells me cars are evil and doing damage, the consumerist generation part of me is just way too lazy to give up the car and stand at the bus stop in the freezing cold or worse still get a bike and have to worry about helmet hair. I mean, what cool outfits can a girl wear and then get on a bike?

I am a classic "A la carte environmentalist". But on the plus side I am getting better. I now only use the car if I really have to. Although I do admit that just like being on a diet I have my 'splurg' days. I was watching Oprah and there was this women on it (Kathy Freston) and she was saying that the best way for people to change their behaviour is to "lean" into it. If you say to yourself "Right, I am going to go cold turkey and give up the car tomorrow" you will have a really horrible experience and then just give up completely (anyone who has ever been on a diet or tried to give up smoking this way will know where I am coming from). Freston says, that long-lasting behavioural change is incremental. And I think she is right.

So, with the whole car thing - I started by saying "OK. I am going to have one day a week where I try and not use the car". Then I found that on my days that were officially 'car days' I would do a mix of public transport and car.

We tend to think that "there are 1 billion cars in the planet, if I give up mine, I am only making 1 billionth of a difference" - but the real difference you will be making is starting new trends. At the moment things like "Car free day" "car pool" "car sharing" aren't mainstream. But they should be. If you start a car pool system in work, then people talk about the benefits over the water-cooler

"It's great we all share the petrol costs and save money" etc.

then you will inspire someone else to do the same..then they tell their friends and so on.

So come on people, stop feeling guilty when those scary ads come on telly and set an intention to change your behaviour just a little bit today.

If you are looking for some tips on how to change check out http://www.2degrees2much.com/
or www.direct.gov.uk/ACTonCO2/