MAKING A DIFFERENCE

There are so many ways in which almost all of us can have a positive effect on the future of the planet. Some of the decisions we make are harder than others and are affected by our occupation, our income, our health and our age.

I find it easy to live without a car, choosing between riding a bike, using public transport and very occasionally hiring a car for the journeys I chose to take.

I avoid wasting food, but I would find it difficult to eat a totally vegan diet, though I realise that a vegan diet involves the least waste and would make my carbon footprint much lighter.

I have a solar panel which provides hot water and saves fossil fuels, but I live in a house with solid walls and I can't face the disruption of insulating them.

The experiences of other people are very different so, starting next week, I have invited seven "guests" to describe their experience of living with lighter footprints.

John Newson from the "Old Home Super Home" initiative will be the first guest, followed by Graham Hankins from Pushbikes, the Birmingham Cycling Campaign Group. There will be two contributors who are members of SusMo (Sustainable Moseley - Cutting CO₂) and three from the Northfield Ecocentre.

I look forward to reading about their experiences.