Lush became an active environmentalist while studying politics at Bristol University and joined the 'Dongas' protest camp at Twyford Down against the construction of one of the road schemes, a new section of the M3 motorway being built close to where she grew up in 1992.
In July 1993 Lush and five others (including Emma Must who later went on to win the Goldman Environmental Prize)[3] were imprisoned for a month for breaking a High Court injunction banning them from Twyford Down.
[11] In September 2005 Lush 'pied' motoring journalist Jeremy Clarkson after he collected an honorary degree in Engineering from Oxford Brookes University in protest at his comments on the effects of climate change.
[12][13] She also 'pied' the Transport Secretary, Alistair Darling when he appeared at the launch of the pro-aviation UK lobbying group, Future Heathrow, explaining "I was absolutely appalled.
She discovered that the estimated costs of seven major schemes had risen by £1.15 billion in a single year, increases which were criticised by the National Audit Office.
[20] Lush left CBT for a period of time on maternity leave[18] to be replaced by Richard George, co-founder of Plane Stupid,[21] before returning in 2011.