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In this two-part series, presenter Francis Jones embarks on a mission to embrace an eco-friendly, carbon-neutral lifestyle, gauging just how difficult it is to balance environmental awareness with modern-day living. It seems a worthy cause, albeit one that many of us might only be willing to take on with numerous conditions attached, so what inspired a man in his mid-fifties to start obsessing about bamboo toothbrushes, recyclable crisp packet initiatives and green-energy tariffs?
‘I’d like to take the credit for turning our house into a more ecologically friendly and sustainable environment, but the person responsible is my wife. She works for an environmental charity, and it was she who started the ball rolling by looking at the waste we were bringing back from the supermarkets in the autumn of last year. Committing to buying fruit and veg in a greengrocer on her way home from work, she was soon setting up a new ‘bin regime’ in the house (you’ll have to listen to the programme!), which then set in motion the introduction of a set of new systems like the use of bamboo toothbrushes, quickly followed by the delivery of a box of recycled toilet paper, which sounds horrific until it’s been explained.
‘I did have a problem with the reusable bamboo kitchen rolls she ordered, due mainly to the fact that they come out of the washing machine looking just as disgusting as when they went in, and I took some persuading to go along with the ban on car journeys under a mile, particularly when I had to walk my son to football training every week during the 2019-2020 Welsh monsoon season.
‘But, while there were disagreements, I’m no climate change sceptic and I realised by around Christmas time that if I were to help rather than hinder, I’d better show a little more enthusiasm in 2020, which is when I really started to dig a bit deeper and make a bigger commitment.
‘Let’s face it, at the turn of the year environmentalists were serving dire ultimatums about the plight of the planet, whilst Australia was burning and people in the UK - particularly those in Wales – were suffering the awful effects of flooding. You’re being bombarded with information knowing that none of this is a coincidence and wondering what you might do to bring some positives – even in the most miniscule of ways.
‘As far as the series is concerned, I’m aware that there are people living off-grid and making all kinds of personal adjustments to lead a sustainable lifestyle. I also know that, admirable though these people are, their experiences are completely unobtainable to the vast majority, necessitating either the kind of money, or the kind of commitment and skills that most of us simply don’t have.
‘Rather, my aim – as I’ve started to take much more of the initiative - has been to see if it’s possible to achieve a lifestyle that causes zero harm to the planet, whilst also focusing on the day-to-day matters of living in a terraced street, being consumed by work and bringing up kids.
‘We cover a wide range of areas in the programme, from travel – I get an offer to fly half-way around the world for work, what should I do? – to food, energy, clothing and finances. There are difficult decisions and dilemmas, and some adjustments that can be made in a couple of minutes on your laptop.
My hope is that people will gain something from my own experiences, stumbles and hiccups, and will learn something from the invaluable input from the contributors who were there to give me expert advice and counsel along the way.
‘Above all, though, I hope people will enjoy the programmes and that they’ll learn that even making the smallest of gestures can end up making a huge difference.’