Anybody taken in by the Guardian’s ‘interview’ with a recalcitrant Jeremy Clarkson where he apparently eschewed his old gas guzzling ways and took up the way of the tree hugger? I must admit it caught me out for a moment on Radio 4 before I realised the date.

It made me think, though, about the process of people becoming eco-aware.

For most people, it is a gradual process of ramping awareness until one event tips them over the edge. My own ‘Road to Damascus’ moment – seeing massive ecological damage from a nickel smelter in arctic Russia – was less about awareness of the problem and more about the realisation that, as an engineer, I could and should do something practical about such damage. But it often requires an immersive experience to do this – reading a plaintive article in the press is rarely enough.

In my experience, true Damascene conversions should be treated with care. I have met too many snake oil salesmen and obnoxious self-righteous gits who claim to have undergone such a zero to 100% overnight. And just imagine being preached at by Jeremy Clarkson. Shiver.

Photo Ed Perchick, cropped version used under the Creative Commons Licence 2.0