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 […]
Peat in compost is environmental vandalism (Mar21)
That’s what Monty Don says and I agree. But it’s incredibly common. UK gardeners are responsible for destroying our ‘rainforests’. It has to stop and we can make it happen. OK, so why is this such a big deal? First and perhaps most importantly, peatlands are essential in our fight against climate change. Whilst they […]
Clover Hogan is a Force of Nature (Mar21)
If you haven’t come across Clover, have a look at her most recent Ted Talk below – Denial or Despair? How to rewrite your climate change story. Clover is 21. I met her a year ago at a Procter & Gamble advisory meeting, just before Covid struck. I was totally bowled over. She’s incredibly impressive […]
Is the EU’s Single-Use Plastics (SUP) Directive better for the environment (Feb21)
No. I don’t think it is – at least not all of it. Mid 2021 the EU is planning to introduce the Single-Use Plastics Directive. The key objective appears to be moving business and consumers away from single-use plastics and towards re-usable solutions. On the surface of it, this sounds like a good environmental move. After all, using […]
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 […]
Will Bitcoin destroy the planet? (Dec17)
The energy impacts of mining Bitcoin spiral even more than its stock price Wow. The growth in the value of Bitcoin over the last few months has only been matched by the number of articles about this cryptocurrency. I have a particular interest in it because my son Monty decided to share his research and […]
Second Nature Advisory Board (Oct12)
I sit on the Advisory board of Second Nature – their mission is making sustainability ‘second nature’ for the organisations they work with. Charles Perry and Mark Griffiths are the company’s founders – and they have a lot of experience between them, with particular emphasis on business strategy and expertise in energy, built-environment, clean tech […]
FT Article written on Eco-renovating London flat (Apr12)
My article on eco-renovation was published in the House & Home section of the FT on 21st April, 2012. It’s explains how I set about greening my London flat – and the challenges I faced, despite being an eco-expert – see below for the original copy as written, followed by a pdf of what was […]
My goldfish died along with Labour – Here’s my coalition manifesto (May10)
Zac Goldsmith, formerly editor of the Ecologist, gets elected in Richmond Chris Huhne – New Minster for Energy and Environment Caroline Lucas – the first Green MP in the UK My goldfish died in the night. I’ve posthumously named him ‘Gordon’. It seems rather propitious that their floundering exit coincided. And […]
Greening hotels (Apr09)
I stay in hotels all the time. And I quite often give feedback. Most hotels are incredibly wasteful. Common practices include: -Leaving lights on in bedrooms when they’re unoccupied -Double beds with lots of pillows for only one person (resulting in lots of unnecessary laundry) -Individually wrapped soaps, shampoos and other products -Over-heating or cooling […]
Turning on the heat… (Nov08)
My eldest son sent me a text ‘demanding’ that I put on the heating for half term. I resisted because I’d decided to hold out until November – and even then only when it was really needed……….. Five-and-a-half per cent of UK greenhouse gas emissions comes from home heating. I don’t recommend that everyone […]