New year resolve.

We as a nation have made a commitment to reduce our CO2 emissions by 20% by 2020(I think it's something like that, i.e. a little; some time in the future) and the trendy budget said that 0.2% of the houses in Briton would qualify for a discount on their stamp duty if they are built "carbon neutral" ( What does that mean exactly? Do you have to plant the, no doubt tiny, garden with trees to offset the building or have no heating? ) so this will solve it all.

I think that regulation and tax breaks are only part of the picture. It will come down to the masses changing the way we live and use our resources. Don't get me wrong here, the government has a massive role to play in making it more attractive and educating us but in the end unless you and I are willing to change then nothing is going to happen. To this end I am proposing that we all do a little every year to make the world a better place. Over the next 14 years make your new years resolution a green one. Forget all the ideas of going to the gym or eating less pies and make a promise that you can keep for the good of the planet. Replace all your bulbs with low energy ones; get some loft insulation; turn your thermostat down to 20 from full-on; persuade your boss to let you work from home once a week; change your electricity provider over to a green one or if you are still trying to get fit or loose some weight, cycle to work once a week. I think it will work some of these things will only take a short amount of time and you can relax for the rest of the year with a smug grin on your face.

These little changes that we make may not reduce the overall output of our country but as the years go on it will be easier to find better options and more natural for you to question what it is you are doing. The other effect is that as you start to make these changes then your friends and workmates will notice, some will mock you, some will try to ignore you, but they will notice and as more and more people start to change they will be forced to change by sheer wait of numbers alone.

Next year you can try to persuade your office to make a new years resolution if you are that sort of person, and don't forget that most of the things that you suggest to help reduce energy will also reduce the expenses of the people you work for so you can get it done as a cost saving exercise!

PS. Well done to Sainsbury's for committing to get all their bananas from Fairtrade sources, a bit of a headline grabber but a step in the right direction anyway.