Here are two words for you: Personal. Responsibility.

As an advocate for the environment, I also harp on about personal responsibility when it comes to these things. If you’re not going to do something positive, then those around you won’t bother either. But if you do take positive action, then others around you may be inspired to do the same (think how wide your social circle reaches). On a larger scale, if people take action on an issue, the trend will gain momentum until it’s a fully-fledged social movement.

Now Hubbards (yes, the friendly face of breakfast cereal) has launched the Carbon Crusade, with lofty ambitions to battle climate change. Er, I mean Climate Change. Yes, it’s big, but they’re doing it one step at a time with the philosophy that every step counts.

The Carbon Crusade is a series of off-road running and walking events in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. Each participant will walk or run a 13-15km course, stopping halfway to plant four native trees. Climate change is caused by rising levels of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere, which are attributed to (among other things) the burning of fossil fuels such as oil, petrol, gas and coal. Carbon Dioxide (CO₂) is the most predominant greenhouse gas – trees absorb and store CO₂, so they’re the perfect antidote. By taking part, you’ll also get the chance to admire stunning views from usually inaccessible parts of our be-oot-iful country.

Get into it; you know you want to.

Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion psp

Who do you go tramping with?

People you can get along with, and who are reliable, and have good judgement.

You will be spending most of the time on your tramp in the company of your tramping partners. Sometimes, tramping can be pretty miserable – you can be tired, wet, hungry, frustrated, and worried, all at the same time. Such situations tend to bring out the best and worst in people. You will also have times on a tramp where you are witness to breathtaking natural beauty. These times seem better when shared with a friend you trust.

A good selection of people with the right qualities for tramping partners can be found, unsurprisingly, in a tramping club. Often, you will be able to learn much from more experienced members of tramping clubs. Mind you, there often seem to be one or two people who rub you the wrong way.

I’ve found tramping with family a good way of enriching family relationships. I started taking my kids on overnight tramps when they were about 5 or 6 years old and they have, by and large, enjoyed it. The key to tramping with children is light packs and good snacks. Half-hour chocolate stops keep their energy and spirits up, especially on the hills.

Are you a news addict like me? For me, it’s essential to know what’s been happening in New Zealand and in every corner of the world, every single day. And yet I don’t read a newspaper (aside from the occasional Sunday news with tea and toast).

So what’s the story? Well, I read the news online. It’s updated almost instantly, is archived from previous days, shows links to related news stories, and best of all, it’s free! See my earlier post for proof that I love a free lunch.

While it’s good news that Kiwis are a media savvy bunch (with 80% reading a newspaper at least once a week), the bad news is that the 750,000 daily newspapers we read are gobbling up over 640 trees every day. While newspapers are fully recyclable, many end up in our landfills. So, not only is online news up to date and full of features, it’s good for the earth.

For a daily news fix online, my choice is Stuff, where you can read a collection of top national, world, sport, business and entertainment stories. Stuff also allows you to view the day’s stories from your own local paper and is quick to update the site with breaking news stories. For more independent news and indepth political analysis, try Scoop, a self-professed “fiercely independent” online news resource.

Around the world, papers are struggling to retain readers as more and more people head online to read the news. While that’s not-so-good news for media organisations and print advertisers, newspapers going online has been great news for readers and for the environment.