Hi All –

To start with I’d just like to set out what I would like to do with this blog but to start with I am going to divide the population into three broad groups:-

1. The “Greenies” – those people who are converted to the green cause who carefully consider all their actions in terms of an ecological impact. A relatively small group.
2. The die hard consumers – the “Squanderers” – to quote George Best – soccer player – ‘I spent a lot of money on booze, birds and fast cars. The rest I just squandered” – who are going to be pretty difficult to convert to the green cause.
3. The ‘Fence Sitters / excuse makers’ – which includes me. I would like a clean pollution free world, a pleasant place for my children (and 15 years further on my grandchildren) to inherit – but you know how it is – I need my car to get to work and can’t afford a hybrid and it is just too difficult to retrofit the house to make it more energy efficient.

And it will be through changing the minds of the large group “fence sitters” that the largest change to our environment in New Zealand will be effected. So I’d like a blog that helps Fence Sitters become more green but in a sensible affordable way.

I am a “fence sitter”, around 50 years old, married, mortgaged and 2 children who are still at school. I know there are hundreds of things that could be done to become “greener” but I am interested in finding out what are actually the best / most cost effective solutions. I’m interested in solutions for my home and solutions for New Zealand and also I am interested in seeing what is going on around the world.

I’m sure many topics of interest will come up as we go along and we’ll go down many different and unexpected avenues so please come along for the ride.

So this blog is really aimed at the Fence Sitters – but I hope it will also appeal to the Greenies.