Being a naturally unfashionable bloke, I don't really do environmentalism. My Clarkson-esque attitudes embarrass the family so much that I'm able to avoid most social gatherings without argument, leaving time to enjoy racing cars and big garden bonfires on weekends. Alas, I failed to evade the family 'fun' day this year, when three generations of my middle-England clan gathered at the homestead to boast, argue, reminisce and generally endure each other's company for an afternoon.
I was expecting the blokes to roll up in Porsches and flash BMWs, but amazingly they turned up in two hybrid Lexus 4x4s, a Honda Insight, and a Toyota Prius.
I know these people: one fought in Sierra Leone, one
is a ruthless businessman and one even has a beard. They definitely qualify as men. Upon interrogation they came up with four main excuses for their choice of green vehicles: company car tax, congestion charge, fuel prices and wives with access to the Discovery Channel. I was tempted to start a charity: Environmentally Emasculated Men for Justice, which would hand out super-unleaded vouchers and Subarus to the worst affected.
Despite the tax benefits, a quick PESTLE analysis revealed the limited potential of such a charitable venture. One option would be to seek therapy and try to come to terms with our predicament, hoping
to survive as long as our fossil fuel reserves, and not
a day longer. Alternatively, denial seemed quite appealing: perhaps emigrate to Texas and buy a truck the size of my house.
However I cope, it's future generations who will bear the brunt of our excesses, a problem neither therapy nor denial can change. I want my grandchildren to be able to fly to South America for their gap years rather than bicycle to Torquay. I want them to feel the exhilaration of a flat-four turbo engine and not have to endure the electrical whine of some environmental compromise.
So our challenge as business pioneers is not to save the odd litre of diesel or kilowatt of electricity, but rather to invent or inspire new technology that will allow our future generations to enjoy the life we have. Whether it's waste management or wine making, innovation will set you apart. In a world of economisers, moneymakers are better than penny-pinchers. Each flight you take is an enforced break from your BlackBerry — so use the time to come up with a good energy-making idea. Then make it public: someone may take it a step further — for all of our benefits.
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