TRANSPORT IMPACTS

Before I was old enough to walk I was heavily involved in the demand for the burning of fossil fuels – my nappies needed to be washed, I was being carted around in the car and was eating baby food from all corners of the globe.  I was a “burden to the environment” before I knew how to be guilty.

Now I’ve grown a little, I’ve learnt a little and also started choosing my behaviour with more awareness.  I am, however, still heavily involved in the demand for burning fossil fuels and I have a big backlog of emissions that I have accumulatively emitted throughout my life.  I have been in cars, planes, trains.  I have used washing machines, heaters and hair dryers.  I wouldn’t know how to start counting my historical carbon emissions.

Looking back at my life of environmental and social “sinning” – would a sensible person happily admit to all this and agree to change their ways.  Trying to cope with the magnitude of your impact would probably make you want to slash your wrists and insist they dispose of your body in the most environmentally friendly way possible (not exacly sure what this is). 

So I don’t advocate that everyone goes to the church of the environment to pay pennants for all their sins in the past.  I do suggest you go to the temple that is the natural environment and rediscover how beautiful it is.  Maybe while you are there, you can make a promise to it – something you are going to try – a new way of eating, living, playing, or travelling – something that might do less harm to our natural world.

The trick, with starting something new is to not look back until you are set in your new ways.  Don’t think about your previous life, don’t make yourself guilty about what you’ve done – just believe in what you are going to do.