THE CHALLENGE:
I seem to have signed myself up to run up and down Arthur's Seat, on repeat, for 24 hours.

Given that I have beautiful mountains all around me here in the Alps, it seems a bit mad to be putting myself down for all this repetition and sleep depravation. I'd far rather be running along scenic trails and then popping back home for a cuppa. But it's called MAD Challenges for a reason, and it's all for a seriously important cause...

THE CAUSE:
First things first - fear not - I'm NOT ASKING FOR YOUR MONEY. :)

It's pretty clear that we're causing trouble on this planet. The 'freak weather' events of the last year - from droughts in England to wildfires in the Arctic - have woken most people up to that. Whether it's climate change; air pollution; oceans filled with plastic; or the rise in obesity that concerns you most - they all have one thing in common: us. We may be the cause, but we're also the solution.

Sure, we need our governments and big businesses to take action. But we also need to take action ourselves. 42% of the UK's carbon emissions are created by personal actions, at home and in personal travel. That means that almost half of our emissions are in our control, right now, today. By taking action together, as a community, not only can we have a very real impact on our environment, but we can also send a powerful message to governments and businesses that we want them to change too.

THE ASK:
So I'm asking you to support my big and very boring challenge with a small and not-very-boring action. Cycling to work, eating less meat, taking one less flight... there are lots of things to chose from.

You only need try it for two months, nothing too drastic. Do Nation will send you some tips to help you along the way (only four, no heavy bombardment of your inbox). Pick from one of the top Do Actions below, or browse more by clicking the ‘pledge’ button above.

ONE MORE THING:
Here's my deal: for every person who makes a pledge, I'll do another lap of Arthur's Seat. So go on, challenge me...

Thank you, and good luck. x

How’s the team doing?