Goody, back to business as usual and arguing with Cameron (I've been ill, OK?)

Of course individual actions aren't the whole picture. Nor is Mr Robinson making any claim that they are.

Throughout the article there is an emphasis on these lifestyle changes being an addition to your giving. An as well as, not an instead of. The whole point of wearewhatwedo is that it isn't trying to fix everything. Saying that it should focus on all the world's problems is almost tantamounts to saying that any charity should have the objective "save the world" rather than focussing its efforts in one field. Having said that - I do agree that it would be nice to get the 'as well as, not instead of' message from this article on the home page of the website - can't see it there.

In my personal experience (er, that would be at least me ...) changing the lifestyle in small ways can also increase your other giving. Starting with small things can give people more awareness of the bigger issues and a better 'handle' on how they can contribute, rather than feeling overwhelmed and sticking their heads in the sand. But then I am a bit weird, maybe I'm alone on that one ...

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... nearly Vlad the Impaler

Mr Robinson does make a good point here - but individual actions aren't the whole picture.  I think it's important to emphasize that buying Fairtrade t-shirts won't rid the world of AIDS or malaria, or that 'being nice to temps' (an action on the We Are What We Do website) will end genocide.  Of course, the world would be a better place if we were all more civil and considerate. But, to paraphrase Mr Robinson, small changes x lots of people could = complacency.  Such small change is all very well, but we'd be foolish to forget that the world faces some big problems too.