It was a Winter's day, I am sat in the car whilst Mum has popped into the shop to buy something. The car parked in front of ours has the engine running and I am drawn to the exhaust fumes spewing out. The longer Mum is shopping the more I watch and wonder what happens to the fumes, as surely they can't just keep filling the air? Not long after I was watching the TV and saw a news story about Acid Rain and a connection was made. Huge areas of forest were being destroyed by the rain that had become so acidic it killed the trees. This acid rain was, in part, created by nitrous oxides in the atmosphere that come from ... you guessed it ... car exhaust fumes. I was probably about 12 years old.
Other news stories also caught my attention such as highly polluted rivers filled with foam that killed all the fish and wildlife under threat. Then one of the Blue Peter appeals was to collect scrap metal from drinks cans and that was another penny dropping moment - after all if cans were not recycled where did they go? So I set up a recycling bin outside the village shop and it rapidly filled with cans for the Appeal. My green life was born. I went on to study Environmental Science at University and have worked as a countryside officer, school grounds advisor and an environmental researcher. I now own Eco-Gites of Lenault, an eco-friendly holiday home in Normandy, France and blog here about green issues.
Green Inspiration?
So how did you first become aware of green issues? Was it by any of these means? Please do let other know in a comment.
- Blue Planet 2
- Hugh's War on Waste
- Social Media
- News Story on TV/Radio/Newspaper
- Friends/Family/Children
- School or other education body
- General publicity - poster etc
- A specific environmental campaign
- Just generally became aware
- Born into an Eco-friendly family
I remember the blue peter appeal!
ReplyDeleteI worry so much about the future we are leaving the next generations x
I also remember collecting cans for the Blue Peter appeal when I was at primary school. I have always been fairly green but more so since programmes like Blue Planet
ReplyDeleteAs above my first exposure to 'green' stuff was the blue peter appeal! They were SO popular when I was at school!
ReplyDeleteIt's so interesting to read the moment that made you aware there was a lot to be done to look after our environment. I don't remember one specific incident that made me think, "hang on a second" I think it was more of a realisation over time for me. I did witness sustainable living at its best when I went to Rwanda in 2007.
ReplyDeleteI think we are certainly all much more aware thanks to TV and internet. I think more people have taken notice recently.
ReplyDeleteThe Blue Peter appeal was a huge thing for me as a girl. I remember using the magnet in the fridge to check wether I could recycle the cans or not.
ReplyDeleteI 100% try to be green where I can. Hence recycling and food waste are massive priorities for our household. xx
ReplyDeleteI think we all need to start being more green. I remember collection cans and rubbish when i was at school. We are really trying to cut the amount of plastic we use at the moment and food waste. I think its important we all do our bit.
ReplyDeleteWe try to make changes wherever we can. My daughter and I were watching a segment on GMB and my daughter about the overuse of wet wipes was she was so sad to see the all the animals that were stuck in plastics and in our oceans. She’s more than happy to make us more aware of plastic usage.
ReplyDeleteMhm I guess I come from an eco conscious family & have always been aware. It is the accumulation and the increased media focus that help more and more people to start making changes in their own lives.. #goinggreen
ReplyDeleteLooking back, I can see I had a fairly eco friendly childhood. Sank home when I was a teen/20s and saw the plastic (not) composting display at Bristol Zoo, where they had plastic toys, nappies, etc behind glass. I don't know if they still have it, but pretty sure it wouldn't have changed much. Major influence when I chose cloth nappies for my babies and everything that followed. Never underestimate how life changing a display can be.
ReplyDeleteHas to be said Blue Planet utterly broke me, and upset my small son so much, that we are trying to do better.
ReplyDelete#goinggreen for July