Cop26 The Time to Act is Now (Nov21)
Al Gore was forthright. He said that at the Paris COP in 2015, the key challenge was denial. In Glasgow, the message is clear – it’s delay. The exciting thing about joining the marches with Greta was the feeling of being one of many who recognised the dire predicament the world is facing. There were […]
Was I a green yuppy? (Aug21)
Thirty two years ago – September 1989 – the Telegraph feature title was ‘Saving the Earth…. and Making money’. I was described as a ‘green yuppy’ or ‘guppy’, who sold out to industrialists. I was keener on the term ‘green realo’ and was quoted as saying ‘The fundies believe in a few people doing a […]
Net zero is not good enough or soon enough! (May21)
I consider myself to be a pragmatic environmentalist – with realistic aspirations. But I find that I’m very uncomfortable about the clamour for the Net zero target – by 2050, 2030 or even sooner. Why? Because: It’s possible to do more: Many businesses are setting their sights on ‘net zero’ when they could quite easily […]
Why is our MP not supporting the Dorset National Park? (May21)
Why hasn’t Chris Loder, Dorset MP, talked to the Dorset National Park supporters? Chris Loder contacted our Parish meeting in Hooke saying that he had significant reservations about a Dorset National Park, but without explaining why. He appeared to be soliciting opinion but failed to give any details of the pros and cons. I’ve now […]
Too many boardrooms are climate incompetent (Feb21)
Very interested to see this FT article lamenting the lack of directors with expertise in climate and ESG issues. I am proud of what I managed to achieve during my short tenure as a NED at Big Yellow. This was not done simply by suggesting a Net Zero target by a certain date, but by backing […]
READY, STEADY, STOP AT BIG YELLOW (Jan21)
I was excited to join the board of the Big Yellow in March 2020 to ‘provide oversight regarding their strategic environmental objectives, with deliverable targets’. Sadly, my approach does not chime with the executive board and I’ve decided to resign. Perhaps I was too ambitious in hoping to help Big Yellow become an exemplar in […]
ECOPOD COFFINS ARE NOT QUITE DEAD (Dec20)
But pretty nearly. What a pity. These beautiful paper mâché, seed-shaped coffins are gorgeous. They’re also a pretty good eco-option, as they’re made from recycled newspapers and magazines. I’ve been planning on having one for years – I particularly like the gold ones. This month I decided to bite the bullet and get one. […]
Green Consumer Compilation – TV Clips with Julia Hailes from 1988-90
Many people will be surprised to know how much interest there was about green consumerism in the late 80s and early 1990s. It was kicked off by the publication of The Green Consumer Guide, co-authored by myself and John Elkington, in 1988. The book had 11 print runs in the first month, shot to the […]
TV Clips of Julia Hailes – Green Consumer Compilation from 1988/1989/1990 (posted Nov20)
Many people will be surprised to know how much interest there was about green consumerism in the late 80s and early 1990s. It was kicked off by the publication of The Green Consumer Guide, co-authored by myself and John Elkington, in 1988. The book had 11 print runs in the first month, shot to the […]
TV Clips of Julia Hailes talking about The Young Green Consumer Guide published in 1990
One of the things that surprised us was that the style of The Young Green Consumer Guide, with illustrations and simple language, was very appealing to adults! The book encouraged children to challenge their parents, as well as businesses, on what they were doing to be green – and help them to understand how these […]