Recently one of my facebook contacts (someone I went to school with and haven't seen for over 25 year) called me a 'tree hugger' and he didn't mean it as a compliment - although I did take it as one.

But it got me thinking, am I a true 'tree hugger' and anyway what does the term mean?

Urban Dictionary defines the phrase as

someone who loves the environment and believes it needs to be protected for the benefit of ourselves and future generations to come. Typically described as hippies. Often characterized by eating organic goods, natural fibre clothing, not consumption of meat, a general liking and respect for the environment.

Well, I'm not a veggie, I don't wear all natural clothes (although that's because I think recycling is better and therefore 98% of my clothes are second hand), and I rarely eat organic - but I do love the environment and believe it needs protecting.

But do I do enough? The answer has to be 'no' as I sit here typing this on my iPad, in a centrally heated house with a car in the drive.  But I probably do more than the majority of the population.

I walk or get public transport when I can, I recycle everything I can (and try to buy items with less packaging), I shop local when possible, don't turn the heating on when I'm at home alone (if it's cold I use a small heater in the room I'm in), all light bulbs in the house are energy saving, I usually shower instead of bath, have a water saver in the toilet cistern, and try to use grey water for watering plants in the garden. 

I have to have a car to allow me to work, but when I next buy my own (I currently have a company diesel car) I hope to get a hybrid. 

So, I do a fair amount, and if that makes me a 'tree hugger' then, as I said, I'm proud of it.