A few years ago our government urged us to stop driving petrol driven cars and instead to go for diesel. We were told that diesel is more eco-friendly than petrol, is better for our health, is more efficient, more economical and overall is much better for the planet. Interestingly it’s also more expensive – I wonder if that had anything to do with it?

We were told this week that, actually, the experts got it wrong and diesel is not only bad for the planet it’s bad for human health and, in fact, the particles emitted by diesel engines can prove to be fatal.

This kind of thing happens a lot, particularly with foodstuffs. We are told that we should avoid certain types of food whilst embracing others and then a couple of years later they change their minds. We are told we shouldn’t eat sugar then we should. Alcohol is bad for us but then we are told that it can be beneficial to our health. Certain fats are good then they’re not. Margarine is better than butter, then it’s not and on it goes.

The logical conclusion to all of this is that we can’t believe half the things we are told by those in authority and, since they don’t know what they are talking about we should just go ahead and drive what we want, consume what we want and live our lives the way we see fit based on our own judgement, experience and common sense.