
(Number One) The Larch
It was late 1969 when the BBC aired the Monty Python’s Flying Circus episode "How to Recognise Different Types of Trees from Quite a Long Way Away”. This is perhaps best remembered for “No1 the Larch” and “No 3 The Larch”. This was a full six or seven years before I decided that I wanted to make a career in ...

It’s Just; not Fair. Companies, Reparations, Loss & Damage
Is the corporate world about to have its reparations moment? The conventional view would be a resounding ‘what are you talking about?’. Aside from a few isolated and voluntary cases, most commentary suggests that there is little legal basis to make companies pay for historic actions. At least that was the view a few years ago. The debate then was ...

The Planet will be Fine: A Booklist
Our incremental approach to sustainability is at odds with the scale of the challenge we face as society. My recent reading list has given some insights into how we got to where we are. And it provides a foundation for where we need to go next. These books take in new insights, research and discoveries to question the existing historical ...

Climate Change: Charades, Taboos and Resets
I had a liberating experience discussing climate change earlier this year. I am a trustee and volunteer at a charity that for years has been focussed on tackling the climate emergency. It is co-leading the campaign against the construction of a new coal mine in the north of England. We had a session with our members and supporters to discuss ...

Climate Smart Forestry: Smart for Some
I have been a Chartered Forester for over 30 years. Forestry was my profession until I moved into sustainability roles over 15 years ago. I was more than curious therefore to attend, for the first time in over 20 years, the Institute of Chartered Foresters annual conference, which took place in Glasgow recently. The theme was climate smart forestry. With ...