No more pooh-poohing around it

Author admits to being “crap at” the environment, writes practical guide for those hoping to become less crappy in their practices

By Marie King

Mark Watson’s most recent book, Crap At The Environment

Mark Watson is crap at the environment, or at least he used to be. The British comedian chronicles his attempt to become more environmentally friendly in his book Crap At The Environment.

The book itself is very readable with great insights for any reader, from those who are completely clueless when it comes to green living, to bona fide, save-the-world environmentalists. As a former skeptic of climate change, Watson was reformed after watching Al Gore’s award-winning film An Inconvenient Truth. The entertainer went on to spend a year of his life doing everything possible to reduce his ecological footprint.

After listening to Gore’s message, Watson was prompted to use his own celebrity to start a movement of his own, aimed at people who were self-proclaimed to be “crap at” the environment, but hoping to get better. The movement provided weekly challenges to participants, small steps that together would collectively add up to something much bigger. The book, while promoting a greener lifestyle, does not preach or advocate unrealistic changes in behavior. In fact, in Watson’s quest to become an environmentalist, he finds that many of his sacrifices lead him to a more enjoyable lifestyle with more appreciation for nature and the world itself.

As a performer, his biggest change is cutting down on flying, opting instead for travel by train or bus. In this, he discovers the joys of seeing parts of the country he’s been unfamiliar with up to this point.

Along with the newfound joys of green living, Watson does encounter some disheartening obstacles. The task of reaching a massive audience evades him and making large-scale changes in government policy becomes daunting.

Throughout his journey, he comes across those who believe the small-scale effect he’s had on individuals will never be enough to cause real change. These are very real problems that many people face as environmentalists. Watson demonstrates how important it is to use these issues to strive to learn more and be innovative in your ideas and actions.
Watson lists many websites and several books in the last pages of his book that have inspired him along the way and that contain many tips and facts on how to go about becoming good at the environment.

Among these is www.selfsufficientish.com, which chronicles the exploits of the site-owners’ attempts to live mostly off the land, www.wannaveg.com, for those interested in dabbling in part-time vegetarianism, and www.theclimateproject.org, Al Gore’s own organization. Being an environmentalist these days can be intimidating, with the exposure to criticism and constant questioning of your knowledge and actions. Crap At The Environment is a non-threatening way of challenging everyday people to be more aware of the world around them and their effects on it, without making the task seem impossible. By following Watson’s life as he tries to save the planet, the reader can see how easy some changes can be to make, and how it’s okay to mess up a bit along the way.

Information on Crap At The Environment, the movement and the book, can be found on Watson’s website, www.markwatsonthecomedian.com.

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