It’s a word that I feel very strongly about but that I’m also very wary of using. I remember resenting certain teaching methods as a child and the sense of rebellion against being told what I should or shouldn’t be doing.
I feel responisble now. For myelf, my actions, the world around me, and above all for my wife-to-be and our sons.
It’s not easy to live by your own standards however. I appreciate that. Particularly now as I live on an island reliant on bottled water, and in a culture that is not yet conscious of the consequences of it’s choices (or lack thereof). The insfrastructure to fit my desired way of life is not readily available, and will require some large changes to deal with a shift from a negative impact on our environment, to a net-positive impact.
For me, it’s not enough to reduce the damage we do, we have to (and I believe that it’s possible) find the ways to improve the natural environments we rely on, with our everyday actions and choices, not just with one-off extraordinary projects.
Stuart Westwood 