If you can’t stand the cold, get out of the kitchen..

“I’m a bad advert. I take too many planes, I keep my heating on all day and night”. You might expect this quote to be from a jetsetting corporate high flyer or a socially mobile Eskimo, but surprisingly it comes from the mouth of Tracey Emin, speaking at the launch of the Royal Academy’s new climate change show, ‘Earth, Art of a Changing World’.

Emin’s quote gets to the heart of one of the key issues facing those of us who purport to be ‘green’: hypocrisy. From President Obama’s 500-strong entourage when visiting England earlier in the year, to my leaving my phone plugged in overnight occasionally, it’s difficult to act green all the time.

The heating problem raised by Emin is one of the most common quick fixes, but also among housemates one of the most contentious. At uni I had one eco-chump housemate who kept the heating on permanently because he didn’t like socks or cold floors and thoroughly enjoyed sleeping in the nude. Compromises in a house of seven are hard to come by, and I was always the bad guy for my thermostat-nazi tendencies.

Then again, everyone has different standards. At work I’ve had to create a sign advising those who take advantage of the 2 for £3 soup deals in M&S that their soup pots are indeed recyclable. My current housemate will happily take a 20 minute shower then chastise me for having the heating on (it’s not my fault I don’t have an uber-tog duvet), so we’ve both got an inner-Emin too.

So whether you’re marching with the Wave in London on Saturday, getting behind Global Cool’s new 18 Degrees of Inspiration campaign, or simply switching off the light behind you when you leave the loo at work (although do check the bathroom is empty first, I’ve had some howls of disgust from the stalls when doing this), it’s better to have Tracey Emin’s moderate double standards when it comes to acting green than to have no standards at all.

Check out the ‘Earth, Art of a Changing World‘ exhibition online

Will Saunders

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