THE MODERN MINT BLOG
Just before Christmas last year, Arnold Schwarzenegger (of Mr Universe, Terminator, Governor of California fame… you’ve heard of him, right?) posted a short essay on Facebook about climate change. It was titled:
I don’t give a **** if we agree about climate change
A fantastic, emotive title, but even better is what he had to say in the post – he refused to spend the time debating with naysayers who didn’t believe in climate change. Just took this waste of time and energy arguing about ‘the facts’ right out of the equation.
“To use one of the four-letter words all of you commenters love, I don’t give a damn if you believe in climate change. I couldn’t care less if you’re concerned about temperatures rising or melting glaciers. It doesn’t matter to me which of us is right about the science.”
By wiping the table clean, he could focus on what was important – that if we wish to continue living the lives we do, we need clean, renewable energy.
He then insists it is time to invest in a clean energy future, and backs it up with the simplest way to win any political argument – by quoting how much money can be made/saved by changing to renewable energy sources.
You can’t argue with the numbers!
Schwarzenegger’s essay is a masterpiece. Not just because it supports an idea we think is important and are emotionally invested in, but because he changes the terms of engagement and concentrates on the heart of the matter – making change.
He is one interesting and smart man (oh yes!) and at Modern Mint we salute the work he is doing to help the planet.
To read the whole essay you can visit Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Facebook page here.
To see how a farm in the UK is combating climate change, read our blog post on Wild Farming at Village Farm.
To turn your garden into a sustainable haven, there is only one book you need – How To Create an Eco Garden by John Walker, the earth friendly gardener.
The Amelia Project – Episode 88: Didius Julianus
Friends of mine write a sitcom podcast called The Amelia Project (I wrote about this years ago, when they started it….!) December 2024 I had some fun playing the tiny part of Fornio in episode 88 – Didius Julianus. I have not listened to the episode yet, as I am clearly not an actor… and the thought of listening to my dulcet tones for the few minutes I’m in it just… makes me feel ill. But the recording and being in the studio was great fun, the real actors were hilarious and the script is brilliant – not just funny, …
Waltham Place Topiary Workshop 2026
With the European Boxwood and Topiary Society, I run two workshops each year at Waltham Place, one of my favourite gardens. The next topiary workshop there will be on Friday September 4th 2026. Details and how to book yet to be announced, but get in touch with them now to get on the waiting list, as last year we had double the amount of people wanting a place than we had space for. The Waltham Place website is here – topiary workshop 2026. See the teaching page for how else I can help you with the topiary in your garden …
Box Hill – Novella by Adam Mars-Jones
I picked this book up back in 2020 because of the title – Box Hill – fabulous, I thought, a book about boxwood. I’ll peruse this for its respective thoughts on the plant I clip most when I make topiary. I didn’t read the blurb on the back. Didn’t know the author (although I knew the publisher, Fitzcarraldo Editions, as I love many of the essays they have published… so trusted the author would be worth spending time with.) By page 2 I realised this novel wasn’t quite what I had expected. I started the book at 10pm, after getting …