Lets start a "no car" club

It was great to see Kris Murrin on Channel 4 trying to persuade the people of Durham to get out of their cars for one day and walk or bike to work. We need more people like Kris who are willing to stake all on bringing about the changes in behaviour that we all need to make. But as part of a family who gave up their car over ten years ago, I couldn’t help but feel the programme only served to highlight how far it is we all still have to go.

If I had the time in my busy entrepreneurial schedule, I’d start a club specially for people who have, or are thinking of, giving up their car. It’s not until you’ve lived it that you realise how more pleasant a lifestyle it is to be cycling, walking or playing cards with the kids on the train rather than having them ask “Are we nearly there yet” from the back seat in between hitting each other out of boredom. I can honestly say that I get the same feeling of freedom from zipping around on my bike (yes, I admit it, with my iPod on) as Jeremy Clarkson does from his cars.

If all the people who didn’t have a car banded together as a vocal majority, we could set a higher benchmark than just walking or cycling for one day. We could also encourage others to join us, and show freedom from the car as what it is – a healthy happier and more sociable lifestyle.

Can we have it all?

In 100 years time we’ll look back at ourselves and realise how confused we were about where we were headed. We just want more and more, but secretly we know it isn’t making us happy. It’s that old Faustian pact again. Let’s consume what we can, the devil we care about tomorrow.

This kind of thinking was summed up for me perfectly on a recent trip to the cinema. The pre-feature ads offered me – with that feeling of luxuriant freedom only advertisers can give us - a car, a drink, a car, another drink, then ... a horrifically realistic warning on the dangers of drink driving.

So what’s the overall message? Fulfil your wildest consumer dreams, but make sure you do so responsibly? Or drink, drive, drink some more then smash yourself up in a car crash? Either way I have the solution – give up your car!

Offsets, jets and onsets

Managing directors tent to think they are entitled to a few privileges. I suspect that’s why Jeffersons chose to send me their leaflet on hiring private jets. But as my hand hovered over the burgeoning junk-mail bin, my eye was drawn to a line claiming ‘All flights Carbon Neutral’.

Surely this has to be one of the greatest follies of our modern age? Can we truly fly around in a private jet and feel OK about our carbon emissions? Don’t worry folks, they say, the fat cats aren’t burning up the planet in their private jets. In fact they’re causing less damage than all the train travellers crawling along down there who don’t see the need to offset your emissions.

Who had struck this Faustian deal with Jeffersons? Why our old friends the Carbon Neutral Company, of course. Originally called Future Forests, the Carbon Neutral Company changed its name when it realised that the 100 years it takes a forest to offset our carbon emissions wasn’t going to do much to slow the pace of global warming.

What worries me most about these carbon buccaneers is they are heavily funded by our own bank, Triodos. Triodos is a fantastically ethical bank, but this seems to be their Achilles Heel. I’ve lobbied them about this on many occasions, but so far to no avail.

If carbon offsetting has you puzzled, it’s all explained at http://www.cheatneutral.com/ . This site offers you the chance of guilt-free infidelity. Go ahead, sleep around! Just make sure you give some money to help some one else stay faithful .

The truth about offsetting is that it is far too cheap. The money people receive is far short of what they need to fully offset your emissions. But what I can’t understand is who is entitled to offset money? I gave up my car ten years back, so can I have some? Probably not, because I’m relatively rich. But isn’t it the rich who most need to cut their carbon?

A more positive move than offsetting would be onsetting. Cut your consumption, and give some of the money you save to encourage others to do the same. That way you could be more than guilt free, you could feel proud of yourself.

Towards a social stock exchange

It’s great to see the idea of a social stock exchange is finally gaining some acceptance in social enterprise circles. Some people say it’s too early for an exchange, but I remember discussing the idea over 10 years ago with Peter Lang and let’s face it - if things are going to carry on at this pace in reality it’s probably too late already! Remember, a bunch of brokers first started trading stocks in 1694, hanging out in a courtyard in Sweetings Alley. It was 100 years before the Exchange was officially established.

The problem is that not everybody has the same idea about what a social stock exchange would be. With some exceptions, those opposed have a background in the city, and they know what a complex and expensive beast a stock exchange is. Those in favour, on the other hand, are the social entrepreneurs who feel that, if properly structured and regulated, could be an invaluable source of finance independent of Government.

The solution is to get there in small but steady steps. Let’s start with a website where everybody interested in buying ethical shares can find out what’s on offer. Then let’s see if we can train social enterprises in how and when it’s a good idea to do an ethical public offering. Then if there starts to be some take-up, let’s find a way to make it cheaper. OK , so none of that makes for a full blown exchange. But each one is a step towards it.

We need to make a social stock exchange happen. The world’s stock exchanges have channelled gazillions into business. I know from our own share issues that there are a lot of people out there looking to make ethical investments. But we can’t look to Government to provide the answers. What we need is another of those social entrepreneurs who is willing to stake everything on a single mission. If that’s you, e-mail me!