We’re on day four of being snowed in up near Membury in East Devon. The kids were supposed to start back at Upottery School on Thursday but the school has been closed for the past two days and we’re not sure if it will be open on Monday. We’ve checked the Devon Council page but rather than that providing information on whether your school is closed prior to 9am on the day – it seems to be two days behind all the time, which is frankly – ridiculous! It’s Saturday now – and it’s showing the schools closed….last Thursday?

It’s irrelevant whether the school is open anyway as we can’t get anywhere on the snowy slippery hilly lanes near us with our little Ford Fiesta. We’re ok though as we heard about the weather forecast back on Tuesday and did a big shop. As much as it can be tempting to wish you had a 4×4 vehicle to get about in this weather, we don’t think a few days snow can justify buying a gas guzzling monster! It’s very dangerous out there (even for SUV’s) with local authorities urging to “Avoid travel unless absolutely essential”

They are saying this kind of weather only happens once in a generation – although we were snowed in for 4 days last winter too – our first winter in Devon…somewhere that supposedly doesn’t get this kind of weather. Two years in a row being snowed in – can this be due to climate change?

That’s me above (summer 2008) proudly wearing my Alliance Against Urban 4×4’s T-shirt on a training walk for The Rainbow Trust Children’s Charity where I raised £2000 walking up the highest mountain in North Africa. The T-shirt says “not safe, not clean, not cool.”

I understand that many farmers, foresters etc in my region need to use 4×4 vehicles to enable them to do their job properly – I see them every day loading sheep into them, scrambling up steep entrances to fields etc. but I don’t really understand why someone who is not a farmer needs such a high fuel consuming vehicle in or out of the city.

You see lots of these huge SUV’s parked in our local towns looking as shiny and clean as the day they were bought. If you are reading this and feeling your blood boil because you think I’m telling you which vehicle you should drive, please don’t just think you can do what you like and it won’t make a difference.

This earth of ours is running out of fossil fuels and we ALL need to take responsibility. Please consider choosing a cleaner, safer car with lower carbon dioxide emissions. I’ve listed some sites at the bottom which can help you choose a greener car.

I’m hoping to represent the Green Party at the next election and this is what they think about transport charges & taxes: The Green Party will introduce a vehicle purchase tax on the purchase of all new vehicles, which would be steeply graded according to a vehicle’s pollution level, fuel consumption and type of fuel.

Please choose a Greener Car – try these sites for info:

Clean Green Cars

What Car has a Green Car Guide

Top 10 Green 4×4’s

]]> http://www.sharonpavey.org/theres-snow-way-were-getting-a-4x4/feed/ 14