I’ve been writing The People’s Zero for about four years now, at times with a manic fervour, at others in a distinctly half-assed fashion. Since work began I’ve boycotted Nestlé, expanded the range of Fairtrade food in Zero Towers, recycled everything I can get my hands on and generally Butterflied my heart out. But the point of the site, originally, was to follow what I was up to; following the changes a nobody can make in his life and the difference they make when added to the changes of other nobodies. That’s all being lost while I work on the articles that were originally just going to be background reading for the blog.

As time passes I find myself overtaken by events.  Dairy Milk, the UK’s largest selling chocolate bar, has become Fairtrade certified. Kit Kat, produced by the usually evil Nestlé, has just announced it’ll use Fairtrade chocolate in the UK from January 2010. It’s hard to take credit for these things when the blog’s inactive and the Fairtrade section’s not online. And as for the US electing its first black President, the whole thing was my idea – but try proving it. In summary: expanding the site has been good for the site but bad for the blog.

So here begins the great Zero blog, tracking the efforts of a particularly nobodyish nobody. I make no claims to be a great man. I am merely a man like any other. A simple man. Some would say a stupid man. But a man who will turn tears to laughter, hate to love, war to peace and everyone to everyone’s neighbour. A man who quotes Johnny Mathis lyrics to look hip to the youth.

And years from now, when my statue graces Trafalgar Square and blue plaques mark my every step we will look back at this first blog entry and say, “Never heard of him.”

Brace yourself, world.  For now it begins…

Photo credit: The Zero