There are a number of things one should be aware of as you dodge banners proclaiming carbon neutrality, and see the usual performance related slogans stripped from the sides of vehicles to be replaced with "biodiesel compatible". The first is the large amounts of 'green washing' going on - 'green washing' being the new term for all misdirections and myth-making which surrounds environmental claims.
One such dubious association is the M&S slogan on the side of the Smith's Electric vehicle -"helping us towards carbon neutrality". Well, it may be helping, but electric vehicles are far from carbon neutral. The vast majority of electricity in the UK is still generated from burning fossil fuels and, as such, such vehicles still carry a heavy carbon footprint.
There are two related but often confused issues here. One is the contribution of vehicles to global warming - and the other is the contribution to poor air quality. An electric vehicle may do less damage to the ozone layer and produce less thermal accelerant than a standard diesel; but mainly it helps to improve air quality through eliminating NOx and PM10s.
By contrast, biodiesel will pump out more NOx (slightly) than standard fuel. And as well as generally impeding humans' ability to breathe, Nitrous Oxide is 200 times more damaging as a greenhouse gas than carbon.
So don't buy into the green revolution on offer in the NEC halls - make it an opportunity for a personal information revolution. Steps towards a safer environment are essential - but they have to be in the right direction.
For more on green washing, green myths and being green behind the ears see Commercial Motor, 31 May.