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"We had this fuel duty escalator – it was a really strong signal to people that petrol is going to get more expensive so you need to cut back in the long term and drive less. Then half a dozen lorry drivers decide to blockade fuel depots and the government caves in almost immediately," she says with more than a hint of exasperation in her voice.

A green youth

While the fuel protests may have been the tipping point, her interest in green issues goes back much further.

"I've been green ever since I was kid. I grew up in the 1980s when green issues first hit the headlines. So I learnt all about global warming and that we needed to do this and we needed to do that and it would all be fine."

"I went to college 10 years later, then started working, getting on with my life and I realised that 10-15 years had past and nothing had been done! Emissions were going up more than ever and there were 4x4s all over our streets!"

The Green candidate

Siān Berry, who lives in Kentish Town, beat off five other hopefuls with 45% of the London Green Party vote to become their Mayoral candidate. Her key campaign theme is that a greener London is also a more affordable, healthier and happier London.

Plans include providing free insulation to every home, cuts to all bus fares and off-peak tube fares and providing a living wage of at least £7.20 to all public sector employees and putting robust pressure on private employers to pay the same. Other measures include closing City of London airport and an increase in affordable housing.

All parties are green parties

With the other political parties falling over themselves to be seen as environmentally-friendly, where does that leave Green Party?

"They haven't grasped the real point of these things," says Ms. Berry. "They are setting out to make green policies synonymous with taxes and to make greener lives more expensive and more difficult."

"It's our job as politicians to set up a system so that being green is the obvious choice, the easiest choice and the cheapest choice."

Mayor Livingstone's green credentials

When asked to judge the incumbent Mayor's green record, Ms. Berry gives Ken Livingstone a definite 'could do much better' on his report card. While he introduced the congestion charge in his first term, she says he hasn't done much else to further the green agenda.

There have been more green measures in Mayor Livingstone's second term, but Ms. Berry insists that this is only because the Mayor has been dependent on the two Green Party London Assembly Members to get his budget approved. As a result, the Greens have been able to negotiate for initiatives such as making the capital more walk-friendly and a tripling of the cycling budget.

Green Business

London's economic stewardship is one of the Mayor's primary responsibilities and despite the City's booming status as the financial capital of the world, the Green Party candidate sees a different picture.

"We rely far too much on the financial services sector, which means if anything goes wrong we are very vulnerable," insists Ms. Berry. "I want to make sure we have a more sustainable economy. There are many jobs we can create that are locally based and locally sustainable that will be there whether or not there is a global recession."

A Mayor Berry would propose affordable commercial premises for local businesses in all new large retail developments.

It is also no great surprise that she is against the expansion of Heathrow. She cites a study commissioned by Green London Assembly Member Darren Johnson, which claims to suggest that airport expansion actually harms the local economy because people will spend their money on holidays abroad rather than spending it locally.

The Green Fight

Ms. Berry is realistic that she will be an underdog at the Mayoral elections, but she is relishing the chance to get involved and to put her green arguments across.

"I'm going to have my work cut out getting into the Boris & Ken show but I am looking forward to it. The hustings are going to be massively entertaining and I am going to be there with the best policies that can cut through their celebrity stuff."

And it's all because of the fuel protesters.