Resurgence & Ecologist magazine Issue 334 • September/October 2022
Trouble brewing

In this issue of Resurgence & Ecologist we explore the theme of one of our favourite cuppas – coffee. We examine the crop’s historical roots and connections with colonialism, and consider farming practices, carbon footprint and the plant’s role in our globalised economy. We also take the story right back to where some people believe our relationship with coffee began and its cultural significance today.

In the Ecologist pages Simon Pirani looks at why and how we should confront the crisis of energy bills. In Connected Life Roman Goergen reports from Portugal, where conservationists are working with farmers to support a rewilding project, and Nicola Cutcher is prompted by a new film to take a deeper look into the dairy industry. For our feature story, Vandana K speaks with one of India’s best-known writers, Amitav Ghosh, about climate, colonialism and the living planet. In Wisdom & Wellbeing Zainab Mahmood reports on a second-hand South Asian clothing business combining fashion, culture and respect for the Earth, and in Art & Culture Huw Wahl interviews renowned sound recordist Chris Watson about his new multimedia collaboration with the Manchester Collective.

Highlights

Simon Pirani: End of the World, End of the Month – One Fight
Edward Davey: Bridging the Urban-Rural Divide
Vandana K: A New World View
Catherine Early: A Climate Conundrum
Yasmin Dahnoun: This is Your Mind on Coffee
Huw Wahl: The Action of Listening

Featured articles

End of the World, End of the Month - One Fight

Fossil fuel dependency is driving up the cost of living in the UK. Simon Pirani reports on the emerging crisis, highlighting the inadequate government response and the need to address our dependency on fossil fuels. He warns, "If we don't confront the crisis of energy bills with a 'same fight!' approach, then the populist right will step in."
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Predators and Politics

Roman Goergen reports from Portugal on one of nine projects created by Rewilding Europe which aims to bring back species that have disappeared from the continent. Rewilding is controversial, but here conservationists are working with farmers to support the project. Ultimately, success will lie in getting the balance right between wild prey and predators.
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A Climate Conundrum

Coffee is one of the world's most profitable international commodities, yet it comes with a conundrum. Catherine Early explores the carbon footprint of coffee and shares concerns about the deforestation of primary rainforest to make way for its cultivation. She finds out about certification schemes to encourage 'shade-grown' coffee, as well as futuristic solutions.
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Sweet Delight

In the third part of our series 'In the Company of Trees', Jini Reddy celebrates the sap and the shade of a species that has shaped a nation as she savours childhood memories of the Canadian maple. "The maple tree will always be synonymous with the land that shaped me, the land where half of my heart lies."
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Keeping Tradition in Sustainable Style

Awareness of the impact of the fashion industry on climate is growing and so are initiatives to address the problem. Zainab Mahmood discovers Circular Threads, a second-hand South Asian clothing business that is combining fashion, culture and respect for the Earth. The company are not only changing attitudes to clothes but bringing a community together.
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Eat to Live

George Monbiot's exploration of the future of farming has sparked debate in the environmental movement. In two separate reviews, Colin Tudge writes that the book leads us on false trails, and Brendan Montague celebrates it as a vision of urgently needed systems change.
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Picture Credits

Cover Image: Artwork by Katherine Streeter; End of the World, End of the Month - One Fight: Illustration © Maria Bloom / Ikon Images: Predators and Politics: Illustration © Xavi Reñé, for Rewilding Portugal @wildlife_erra; A Climate Conundrum: Artwork by Giulia Bernardelli @bernulia; Sweet Delight: Sugaring by Adele Taplin; Keeping Tradition in Sustainable Style: Photo by Sarah Burton @sarahburtonfielding; Eat to Live: Painting by jillthomson.com Farm illustrated: goodnote.ca