environment – and so she thinks

Reading the nature of place at Wealden Literary Festival

admin — Tue, 17 May 2016 16:44:31 +0000

Given that writing is about life, and life takes places in a location, it’s actually more surprising than more word events don’t focus on the where. Even more rare is a literary soiree that embraces the ‘where’ outside – nature, environment, and landscape. The Wealden Literary Festival is a celebration of the outdoors, the natural world and the earth beneath our feet. Describing themselves as ‘a rootling of roots and a stomp across the landscapes we are part of’ it is a weekend exploring the relationship between person and place, offering talks, workshops, walks, art installations, craft stalls, local food, activities and more that aim to encourage people to reflect more on the relationship with their surroundings, explore the rhythms and patterns of place, and be inspired by their experience.

Taking place at over 18th – 19th June 2016 in the beautiful and enchanting Boldshaves Gardens, Kent, where guests will be able to explore over 100 acres of surrounding woodland and farmland. This it’s first year, and the process from idea to fruition has been something of an organic one for founders and directors Andrew and Laura Willen.

Having been London dwellers for many years, they would ‘constantly plot our escape from the confines of the city to explore some of the countless wonderful places across Britain, often armed with little more than a sleeping bag, a book and a chocolate bar or two.’

This gave them a taste of not only the extraordinary diversity of the country’s landscapes but also the fragility of those landscapes, partly caused by the detachment from our surroundings. The modern lifestyle of a top floor flat, where you don’t know your neighbours, buying packaged food that does not resemble how it may have left the ground, glued to technology all indicate a growing separation between us and our surroundings.

As a result, they’ve invited down a whole host of authors who in recent years who have written inspiring books about the natural world, our sense of place and the ways in which nature can enrich our lives.

As Andrew explains ‘The idea behind the festival therefore is to celebrate not just the written word but also the subject matter of those books, i.e. the actual, living world around us. Given the everyday importance of the natural world in all our lives, we hope that the festival might appeal to people regardless of whether they are avid readers or not.’

The two days are jam packed with a programme of events, talks, readings, and conversations. Apt for the location, Philip Walling will be telling the story of wool, money, farming and the soil as he discusses his book Counting Sheep: A Celebration of the Pastoral Heritage of Britain. There’s Patrick Barkham who walked the coastlines of Britain for his book Coastlines: The Story of our Shore, and Miriam Darlington & Charles Foster in conversation about their experiences with wild animals. Esther Woolfson will read from
Field Notes from a Hidden City, proving that nature isn’t only something that happens in rural locations, whilst Cynan Jones and Tom Bullough reflect upon the role of place and nature in fiction.

One concern of Andrew and Laura is the lack of access to nature for young people and those from more disadvantaged backgrounds. As a result, they’ve made accessibility key, with a range of activities appealing to young people, and tickets starting at only £5. Practicing what they preach, they have engaged with the local community and been working with nearby schools, universities, bookshops, galleries, businesses, artists, authors, farmers, producers and more to bring the festival alive.

Whether you’re a fan of words or the world, it’s definitely worth exploring the local landscape this weekend, engaging with the community and heading down to the Wealden Literary Festival.

It might even be sunny.

Bruce Nixon – A Better World is Possible

admin — Mon, 01 Dec 2014 18:23:00 +0000

Catastrophe is inevitable believes Nixon. Climate change, peak everything, destruction of the ecosystem, poverty and economic injustice, violence, war, terrorism and the threat of nuclear annihilation: the combination of them all threatens to engulf our world. The problems are not ones that can be solved by sticking plasters and short term measures, but a change in perspective, a ‘whole system change’ in Nixon’s words.
In this punchy and powerful book, climate change and sustainability activist Bruce Nixon argues that a global perspective of growth and prosperity that focuses purely on money will only lead to disaster. ‘We need a shift from an economy that consumes us to one that serves people and planet’ he states, and it is malaise and ‘system blindness’ that stop real change being made. Despite knowing that we are already consuming 30% more than the earth can provide, that 87% of the UK population believe the country is ‘too materialistic’ (Happy Planet Foundation, New Economics Foundation) and that the global population is set to soar, change is slow in coming. Nixon’s book recognises that alternatives to the current economic and political structures exist, that wealth disparities and debt are not inevitable, and that environmental destruction is not an enabler of human progression, saturating the book with facts and figures to prove this.
With resources and suggestions for action at the end of each chapter, the book offers hope and an alternative to the grim reality, if people are willing to act. What marks this book out as different from many books on the subject of making a better world is the stark clarity with which it displays the interlocking relationships between the various crises faced by humanity, climate, energy, food and financial. Its message that sustainable development and environmental support is not something that can be pursued as a side project or only when convenient, but necessary to meet the needs of generations of people, plants and places is one that is gaining traction, or even becoming ‘fashionable’ and Nixon’s book is an easily digestible discussion on the subject.

5×15′s Capitalism and its Discontents, London – review

admin — Fri, 11 Jul 2014 09:28:20 +0000

5×15. Not 75, but an evening of intellect and inspiration. A brilliant concept, developed by journalist Rosie Boycott, her daughter Daisy Leitch and the literary events promoter Eleanor O’Keeffe, the event is a highly relevant literary smorgasbord.
Five speakers, 15 minutes each. Sometimes there is no connection between the orators at all; the only link being that these are five interesting people passionate about a topic and wanting to share it with the audience.
Read more at Blue & Green Tomorrow.

Should I stay or should I go? The environmental tourist’s travel dilemma

admin — Mon, 14 Apr 2014 20:42:15 +0000

True environmental travel is about education, and not about taking selfies with a bottlenose dolphin.
We rocked and rolled across the sand dunes of Fraser Island – the largest sand island in the world, off the coast of Queensland, Australia. Our guide told us how unique the location is, how it is home to fauna and flora not found anywhere else and how it is an important ecological site for the world. “But we’re driving right over it?” I say. “How can this be good?” (And yes, I know I had chosen to do this.) “How else will you see it?” he asked me.
He had a point. But I wondered, should I even be here? However many sapling trees we plant or bananas we don’t eat in an attempt to compensate for our travel, tourism leaves a footprint on the world. We can try to be green, but by travelling and touring we are emitting gases, using fuels and ultimately harming the planet. Hardcore evangelists of the slow travel movement argue that it is impossible to be green if you fly somewhere, and that in fact, to minimise damage, it’s best if we all just stay at home.
Read more at Blue & Green Tomorrow.

Sustainable tourism: ‘going green’ doesn’t just mean a splash of colour

admin — Thu, 06 Mar 2014 19:19:12 +0000

Green has become cool. Show me a hotel, restaurant or travel company that doesn’t have a green policy or environmental statement and I will eat my organic hat.
This is, of course, fantastic: the more places that commit to recycling or saving water, the better for us and our environment. Problems appear when ‘going green’ becomes just another marketing ploy; a reason to add 25% to the cost or attract a new audience. In these cases, it is little more than daubing the signage in grassy hues.
Read more http://blueandgreentomorrow.com/features/sustainable-tourism-going-green-doesnt-just-mean-a-splash-of-colour/
http://www.glasshouseecolodge.com/index.html

Solo living is not helping the only Earth we have

admin — Sat, 19 Oct 2013 20:25:55 +0000

As well as psychological impacts (veering from, “I will die alone with cats”, to apparently increased levels of anger, selfishness and depression), the rise in solo living is having a distinct effect on the environment. More and more people are living alone, driven by a more transient workforce, changing demographics, and practicalities, as well as an altered perspective as to what counts as success and validation, and its implications upon a family and marriage. Author of Going Solo: The Extraordinary Rise and Surprising Appeal of Living Alone, Eric Klinenberg states that it is a reflection of “modern values – individual freedom, personal control and self-realisation […] It allows us to do what we want, when we want, on our own terms.”
Read more at Blue & Green Tomorrow http://blueandgreentomorrow.com/features/solo-living-is-not-helping-the-only-earth-we-have/

Festivals play a crucial role in switching on our environmental antennae

admin — Mon, 22 Jul 2013 01:59:51 +0000

Music playing, beer flowing, away from home, everyone hanging free, sweet songs flowing through the breeze, and a time when everyone is your friend. Festivals are an opportunity to step away from everyday life and forget worries, when the normal world seems very far away. Who has the time or indeed inclination to worry about their environmental impact as they harness their inner passions so closely in a field of fun? Except of course a sustainable solution is one that is both always on, and therefore is relatively easy to undertake – even at a festival.

See more at: http://blueandgreentomorrow.com/features/festivals-play-a-crucial-role-in-switching-on-our-environmental-antennas/#sthash.fWNh1CtJ.dpuf

Festivals play a crucial role in switching on our environmental antennae

admin — Sun, 21 Jul 2013 20:59:51 +0000

Economy or environment – why choose?

admin — Fri, 19 Jul 2013 11:04:25 +0000

Of the many issues and news stories in the media and our minds, the economy and the environment are two that often warrant the most column inches. This commonality is however what many deem to be the only feature that the two share. Admitting to a focus on the economy has you cut out as a bonus busting capitalist, whereas a fondness for the environment has you eternally pegged as an unwashed eco warrior. Is one really more important than the other and are they destined to be forever in conflict?
See more at: http://blueandgreentomorrow.com/features/economy-or-environment-why-choose/#sthash.6TXzmdlW.dpuf

Is a passion for fashion compatible with a concern for the world around us?

admin — Sat, 13 Jul 2013 21:13:30 +0000

Do you ever wonder what your jeans have got to do with ethics? Your shirt with water levels? How your pants may be affecting social rights on the other side of the world? Probably not, if you are like the majority of people, despite the exponential growth of a concern for ethical fashion. However, the recent events in Bangladesh have cast a more critical eye on clothing and its path to the consumer, as it seems that what we wear on the outside may be wearing out our world in many ways.
See more at: http://blueandgreentomorrow.com/features/passion-fashion-sustainability/#sthash.LdF1g0ML.dpuf