A blog of three halves

Firstly: get well soon Richard Hammond. As someone who has nurtured a (not-so) secret ambition to become a Top Gear presenter for many a year, I was delighted for 'the Hamster' that he achieved his own goal to become so. Driving a car that goes from 0-272mph in 6 seconds is a double-edged sword; surely one of the most exciting and dangerous experiences of your life. I hope he makes a full recovery, and the footage is shown to great relief/hilarity on the show in the not-too-distant future...

Secondly: it's started. I was shopping a couple of days ago at...well, I'm not going to mention the name, because shopping in Matalan isn't exactly the height of glamour, is it? Oh bugger. Anyway, right there, front of the store: the C******** department. The other C word, as I like to call it. Just so's we're not in any doubt about this: I'm terminally broke these days (oh the joys of home-ownership) so unless you're close family you can whistle dixie for a present. The good thing about this is that you don't have to get me one either! And if you are close family, expect some dreadfully shoddy home-made nonsense. Just a warning.

Thirdly: Last night I went to see An Inconvenient Truth. It really is a stunning piece of work and beautifully pitched by Al Gore. I was expecting one of those rather gut-wrenching, terrifying, 'oh shit I know I really should be doing something about this but I think I'll just kill myself now instead' type experiences but that isn't what it's about. It's a very factual, simple to understand explanation of exactly what is happening to the planet and why and - this being the crucial factor - what we can do about it. And guess what? It's (not) surprisingly simple! So, being as you probably all know I'm a bit of an old hippy at heart, I have some simple requests for all reading this.

1. Go and see the film. Really. You have no excuses, this is your home we're talking about.
2. Recycle recycle recycle. Reuse. Turn off your unused appliances - did you know that if you leave your mobile phone charger plugged in when it's not charging your phone it's still using electricity? As does your hairdryer? Simply switching it off at the plug will save you money AND your planet. What a bargain. Use low-voltage light bulbs. Use your legs or public transport rather than your car if possible. Use eco-friendly cleaning products: I notice that Tesco are doing their own brand eco products now and I've seen (and used) Anthony Worrall-Thompson's range at Asda as well as the excellent Ecover range.
   
3. Visit www.climatecrisis.org to find out what you can do to help the situation.
   

Come on people - do we really have to wait till the planet's fucked beyond repair before we'll get off our arses and do something about it? What are we: Americans?