Okay, so what have you done to help save our planet? Is your contribution mainly in the form of moral support for campaigners and a vague conviction that “somebody should do something”, or have you actually stuck your neck out when it counts? An informal survey among PM staffers just before we went to print revealed that several had played an active part in conservation over the years, primarily by helping to publicise meaningful initiatives. That’s good.

Against that, at least two people said they had hugged both trees and bunnies at some stage of their lives – and here we’re not speaking figuratively. This came as something of a surprise, and we were left slightly disturbed by the mental image of otherwise rational adults locked in an embrace with indigenous plant life, let alone small and fluffy mammals. (Did they actually talk, or was it no more than an expression of solidarity?)

My cynicism was partly restored when a male colleague said he’d once eaten a bunny, and another journalist – to be honest, it may have been me – admitted to blowing up an innocent tree with plastic explosive during a jaunt with the military many years ago. (If this sounds weird, you should have been there. Anyway, it was an alien invader.)

On a whim, I called my wife and asked whether she had ever done anything to promote the cause of conservation – that is, aside from disposing of CFL bulbs in the approved manner. After thinking for a few seconds, she recalled a time many years ago when she and a friend (one presumes they were child activists) liberated a few sad-looking donkeys from an enclosure on the slopes of Cape Town‘s Table Mountain.

Why? Because the donkeys were destined to become “food on the hoof” for the lions in the late and unlamented Groote Schuur Zoo, which they thought was a bit unkind. Anyway, the whole concept of zoos was abhorrent; animals had not evolved for life in captivity. The fate of the freed donkeys was unknown, added my wife, but she liked to think that they made their way to a sanctuary where they lived out the remainder of their lives in peace. (Yeah, sure.)

Did this initiative contribute to the protection of our beleaguered environment? No. Was it significant in terms of conserving a threatened species? Again, no. But here’s where my cynicism takes a step back: their act, no matter how ill-considered, provides compelling evidence of that unique and scientifically inexplicable attribute of the human species, compassion. While we examine the bigger picture and do our collective best to maintain a sensible perspective, let’s not ignore the faint inner voice that says “Hey, I need to do something!” Our genes may be implacably selfish, but we’re not obliged to go the same way. In short, go green, go now, and feel free to sweat the small stuff.

Of bat cars and seals:
* Want to see a real Bat Car? Then check out a video clip showing racing driver and artist Casey Putsch taking his jet-powered vehicle for a little spin (scan the QR Code on page 67).

* The top-secret takedown of America’s No 1 terrorist target in May this year signalled a new era in special-ops warfare. In this issue, we dissect the daring, innovative tactics used by the US military to keep their enemies at bay, focusing on the weapons, tactics and training of America’s elite fighting force. As you’ll gather from our “Hell Week” video (use the QR Code on page 25 to activate your smartphone or tablet), SEALS training is not for sissies: their physical and mental challenges on land, at sea and in the air push candidates to the limit, and sometimes beyond.

- If you’re new to QR codes, read the instructions below and get ready for a fun interactive experience. If you don’t own a tablet or smartphone (where have you been, for heaven’s sake?), you can watch both videos on our Web site at  www.popularmechanics.co.za/page/videos

Step 1
Use your smartphone to download the necessary software from BeeTagg (http://get.beetagg.com). Install, then launch the application.

Step 2
Select “scan”, and the phone’s camera will be activated automatically. Position the phone so that the graphic fits inside the picture frame and hold it steady while the software is activated. (On some phones, such as the BlackBerry, you may need to take a picture of the graphic.)

Step 3
Depending on the device used, this will prompt you to “Open link” or “Go to Web”. Follow the prompt to access the above-mentioned videos on PM’s Mobisite. Download the video to your phone, then watch it. It’s as easy as that.

Go on, give a tree:
To mark Heritage Day on 24 September (and Arbour Month, for that matter), 1 000 indigenous trees will be planted in the under-greened community of Manenberg, Cape Town, as part of a “Day of 1000 Trees” initiative hosted by the organisation Greenpop and supported by RamsayMedia – publishers of Popular Mechanics. If you would like to contribute a tree and stand a chance of winning a 2-night stay for two people at Umlani Bushcamp in the Timbavati reserve worth R11 980, visit  www.greenpop.org

- Alan Duggan (aland@ramsaymedia.co.za)