Miranda Richardson (MR), the BAFTA and Golden Globe award winner, has become one of our nations best loved actresses, through parts in Blackadder, Tom & Viv and Harry Potter, to name but a few. WWF-UK's Head of Campaigns, Colin Butfield (CB) talks to Miranda about elephants, Madagascar, changes she has made and hopes to make in her life, why kids matter and her latest role as a WWF ambassador.

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Interview transcript

CB: I wonder Miranda if we can start, by talking about how you recently became a WWF ambassador, which we are enormously excited about…

MR: Me too!

CB: Can you tell us a bit about how this all came about and what made you become involved with us (WWF)?

MR: I was involved in the programme Extinct (ITV TV programme in 2006) and the WWF campaign dealing with the Asian elephant. This was as a result of another TV programme Last Chance to Save, with many worthy causes and I chose the Aye-Aye and travelled to Madagascar.

MR: Every time I have a close encounter with anything to do with the natural world, I crave more. I think it is something basic to most human beings and so I was really thrilled to take part in a WWF campaign, and I wanted to do more.

I think the reason it probably hasn't happened before is I, rather in the way that people think about climate change as like, what can I do, or you know it is just me, what can I do. I thought it was about time I shook a leg and I honestly think there's only one subject in the world which is, how we're going to deal with the state the planet is in at the moment and what each individual can do about that. And we can and should, must and so when I was asked to be an ambassador, I just thought, whatever I can do. You know. Even if it just makes a few people just sit up and go I wonder why she is interested in it. It's not enough but it is something and I hope to be very useful.

CB: Talking about the individual, one of the things I was talking to you about at the ambassadors meeting was about some of the things you were looking to do to your own house.

MR: Okay, right, so modifications

CB: Absolutely, one of the main things is that 27% of our carbon emissions in the UK come from our homes. These are things all within our control.

MR:One of the things I would like to try and achieve is a modification of the house, is to have solar powered hot water, because what I do think is the system at the moment is very wasteful. I think it is very pleasing to have that thing going on, you know, sort of, it's a kind of a cycle, feels like the right sort of thing to be doing. And also, I need a much better way of hanging on to my rain water. I have a very beautiful pot with a lid at the moment, and whoever is here when it rains takes the lid off and leaves various vessels around, you know and catch it and use it. It goes back into the fish pond, goes back into the garden… whatever. It feels good. It feels more right than you know attaching the hose to the tap and it feels better.

CB: If you can save a certain amount, think that solar hot water in London will probably save you roughly half of your heating bill, your heating around the year. It's a lot of carbon emissions.

MR: It's a lot of carbon emissions and it's also very attractive to people, because if they think that they can economise, you know… hurrah… it's got to be a good thing.

CB: Exactly, even though it is a small step, the low carbon buildings program at least gives you £400 or £500 off the installation. It's a thing you have got a link to on our website. At least it is a stage in and it can help things to get more affordable.

MR: The other thing that people can do is, which is a question of honour really, is when you travel; you try and make the choices better. I mean, I don't feel particularly great about flying to Vancouver to get on the ship which went to Alaska, but, when you are on a cruise ship, depending on the cruise line you choose, it's better than flying, and you know just try and keep your holiday carbon down to a minimum, you know travel by train if you can. And if you are going to have to travel long distances, it's a different way of travelling because it takes longer but it's the benefits, it's like slow food, slow can be beautiful, you know how you get somewhere. We are so busy rushing. It's all been said before and I know, but if you reiterate it, you experience it, it does make a difference to your life and you know the life of your nearest and dearest and ultimately to the planet. In the short term, something that is very simple for people to do is, I know they jibe at the price is switch to greener light bulbs, which is not painful at all.

CB: And you can actually make your money back.

MR: And you can make your money back. And also, you know, if they are under a lamp shade, and you don't particularly like the look of them, you don't have to see them, and they are going to do their job and they are going to do it for a lot longer and you know work out incredibly cheaply. I have seen very few people as of yet re-using their bags in the supermarket, if they have to go to the supermarket. However, I have seen a lot more evidence of snapping up the organic produce. And leaving behind certain produce from certain countries that are perhaps not favourite at the moment or perhaps objecting to our caulis being flown in from wherever. But as I say there are so many different things for people to be aware of that I think a lot of people just despair of, you know think I just can't be bothered, you know, I want someone just to tell me. And we are all human, we all can forget to take our bags out, so you know, we end up having to pick bags up at the corner shop or the supermarket. The difference is in the supermarket, they're mostly recycled carrier bags now. In my local pet shop they are making a plea for people to bring in unwanted plastic bags so they can recycle them. I think plastic is one of the biggest criminals really. I mean, in this country we have a shocking record of recycling and our plastics recycling is not good.

CB: We have one of the lowest recycling rates in Europe.

MR: We do and time is of the essence. We can't just say oh well we are not there yet. But you know, give us twelve years… we have to do it now. Things have to be put in place now, and I am very surprised not to see more competition in the transport area. You know, if people don't feel they have enough faith in public transport, or they must have a car, they do need a car… it seems to be the Prius or the Lexus at the moment.

I would like these damned patio heaters to be banned from the face of the earth. I would like there to be no litter. Ever, in the world. We all have to not produce so much litter and be responsible for what we do produce. And we produce far too much. I do, you know. It's all right being as ecological as you can by buying the right products and everything but do you know, you still have wastage at the end of that, you still have the bottle, and you think you have been a good person and put it in the recycling box and then where does it go?

So, those are the important things that everybody needs to address. And you know, a bit like the war time posters, this means you! Making a point, it means everybody. Think about it, think before you act. We're just, we're so speedy, that we don't make the connection. I was thinking about this the other day and one of the things I have to say I am very good at and have been for a long time is very simply when you brush your teeth you don't run the tap. And that is something you can tell a child, you can instil it in the same way, the habit of brushing your teeth, you say and you know you shut the tap off or you fill a cup and you use that to rinse your mouth. And I think literally, it's because people don't want to interrupt the flow because they think if they interrupt the flow of water it is somehow their life is stopping, they are not achieving, they are not doing, we're so speedy. We've just got to calm down, you know, it's terrifying. And kids are incredibly resilient and I think it can start with kids, it should start with kids you know and their education and they are so community spirited, they're brilliant, what they can take on and what their imagination can tell them, the links that they make, I think they are very much in charge of our future and we have to instil the right sort of values and priorities.