Having spent five years devoted to University studies, I stuck my head above the parapet of higher education in 2008 only to discover that I understood very little about why the world around us is constructed in the way that it is:
"Do kids really need that many plastic toys?
Why does the Department of Health say "Eat Fish" whilst Greenpeace says the opposite?
Why do I always end up watching crap TV in the evening?
Will the steroids in this beef give me cancer?
And where does the Daily Mail get their stories from anyway?"
For 12 months I was angry, confused and frustrated. The speed of life, the amount of new information, and the necessity of making the "right" decisions day in, day out was overwhelming. I was paralyzed by a tyranny of choice.
More to the point, the amount of so-called "green" advice out there was at best contradictory, and at worst, ideologically motivated piffle.
Three years and one Masters in Environmental Science later, I'm getting to grips with how to live in a developed country and maintain a low carbon footprint without compromising on the things that I value.
To be clear from the start: I own a car. I eat animals. I like to travel. And I DEFINITELY flush after each go.
However...
I have spent the last three years discovering how to do all these things in a way that reduces my environmental impact and even (dare I say it) makes life extremely enjoyable.
It's been a steep learning curve, and it continues, but my intention in this blog is to document my thoughts on how a modern, non-extremist environmentalist can live a full, meaningful life in the Western world without resorting to building a yurt, joining a commune, or wearing organic wool for the rest of your life.
In the coming weeks I'm taking my first stab (no pun intended) at turning my discarded clothes pile into something worth wearing. I'll publish a couple of my favourite recipes for low-cost, low-carbon eating, and I'll post some book reviews from fantastic authors that have changed the way I understand this crazy world we live in.
Before we begin though, some (self-imposed) Rules of Blog Engagement:
1. The No Preach Promise - You will find neither piousness nor preaching in this blog, just ideas and thoughts to use or discard as you wish.
2. Accuracy - I abhor ideological environmentalists. Those that shout down GM foods without understanding the science, or jump on a bandwagon just to have a "cause" to relate to. In everything I write here I hope to be balanced, open minded and always open to comments.
3. Entertainment - This is a learning experience for me in how to communicate my scientific knowledge on the environment in an inventive way. Few have managed to do this successfully, so I hope to be among the first.
So, welcome. Let us begin...
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