A Life Stripped Bare

Over the course of a year Leo Hickman conducts an unusual experiment... Is it possible, in the twenty-first century, to lead a 'normal' life - to have a job, kids, a mortgage, holidays in the sun - but at the same time be respectful to the planet and the people who share it? Could Leo live a more 'ethical' existence? Or is a 'Good Life' the preserve of fanatical eco-warrior new-age spiritualists and the organic-product-endorsing Hollywood set? Appealing for help and guidance on the internet, he is inundated with advice from the extraordinary to the extreme: 'The most sustainable food source is skips!' to 'Having children is the most unethical thing you can ever do, so try ceasing that for starters.' Then he invites three 'ethical auditors' into his home. As they explore the murkier recesses of his life - his bathroom, fridge, holiday plans, shady DIY habits - he discovers that ethical living involves a lot more than changing his brand of washing-up liquid.