About me
After working in clothing retail management for over a decade, I chose to make a massive change in my life soon after I turned 34. I decided that I wanted to do something different, something more, I wanted to go back to university and study a bachelors degree in Geography and Environmental Science. I’ve always been fascinated with the subject from an early age, and had occasionally wondered what might have happened if I’d continued with the subject from school. That, together with the coverage that climate change was (and still is) receiving on a daily basis gave me the push I needed to quit my career and follow my heart, and so in October of 2018 with the amazing support of my Wife I began my learning with the Open University.
This drive to change my life, and to succeed at university comes from a desire to improve the world, for us, and for generations to come. It is so important that we think about what we are leaving behind, and the example we can set right now. Becoming active in the green community has been eye opening the further I delve into the many different facets of living in an environmentally conscious manner. This is what I want to share as your carbon coach, ways to save the earth that don’t have to cost the earth.
my passion
I’ve been aware of the need for changes in our modern lives, to ‘do our bit’ for the Earth, for many years and the more that I read, saw and studied about the climate crisis I knew I had found my passion in life. I want to do all I can to ensure our planet survives and thrives for many generations to come. This has led me to look very closely at my own life and habits, and make changes big and small, from reducing the amount of meat I eat, to switching to plastic-free products, to breaking free of consumerism and becoming much more intentional in my shopping habits, embracing a form of minimalism.
I am very thankful for my parents planting the seeds of environmentalism in me from a young age. I have memories of crushing empty cans of pop in the garage and storing them up alongside the glass jars and bottles until we had enough to drive to Woodside carpark in nearby Hitchin where the huge recycling banks were, and my brother and I would strain to reach the opening to throw the cans and glass inside. This was of course long before kerbside recycling pick ups were a thing and I’ll be honest that I didn’t really give it much thought, I assumed that this was what everyone did, that it was the norm. Not so.
Thinking about that memory, and combining it with my studies and my conscience I had found my purpose. I’m passionate about helping people help the planet and all that entails. Changing habits, being mindful about what we do, from what we buy to what we throw away. From what we eat to what we teach our children. Every little thing adds up to a bigger picture, and everyone’s efforts really do count and mean something.
my goals
My Carbon Coach is the name I went for as that is my goal. I want to help people reduce their impact on the environment through coaching, changing shopping habits, and working together to make environmentally-friendly life changes. Basically the Marie Kondo of the carbon footprint world! Along the way this has led to so many exciting adventures. Starting a weekly litter pick and a community group to accompany it, an online eco book club, and getting an allotment despite never having grown anything before and failing at keeping successive succulents alive in our flat!
A massive goal of mine is to make Taunton, the town where I live, a cleaner and greener place through campaigning, teaching, leading by example, championing green initiatives and coming up with my own like the #TidyUpTaunton campaign I am running. I love sharing my journey of reducing my own carbon footprint and hope that it will inspire you to also make changes, or think about things from a different angle.