Nature Positive Impact
Issue 340 • September/October 2023
In this issue we put the spotlight on business as a catalyst for change with the theme ‘Nature Positive Impact’ and explore how ecology and people should be at the heart of the economy. In her article, Sophie Wisbrun-Overakker explains why business needs to recognise the interconnectedness of all things, and business guru Paul Polman, co-author of the book Net Positive, looks at how business can and must perform within planetary boundaries.
The Ecologist pages feature a report from Matthew Traver on the restoration of a desiccated landscape that was once the Aral Sea into a verdant forest, complete with honey gardens, and in Connected Life, Annabel Heseltine travels to Socotra in the north-west Indian Ocean and discovers the plight of the dragon’s blood tree.
In The Slow Read, political writer Mark Seddon explores the rise of a new world order. He looks at the quiet revolution shifting the power away from the US and over to China and the other BRICS countries, which is something change-makers cannot afford to ignore.
In Wisdom and Wellbeing, Stephanie Boxall discovers how we can easily deepen our relationship with Nature simply by learning to ‘read’ the clues and signs around us. Our Art & Culture pages introduce a collection of Wild Writings, and in Reviews, Satish Kumar pays tribute to three high-profile authors – Isabella Tree, Charlie Burrell and Ben Goldsmith – pioneers of the growing movement for rewilding, which is fast gaining traction.
Highlights
- Glasgow’s dance-powered nightclub: Charlotte Sterland
- Saving species: Annabel Heseltine
- The rise of a new world order: Mark Seddon
- Business within planetary boundaries: Paul Polman
- Reading the landscape: Stephanie Boxall
- Writing with a wild twist: James Canton
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Contents
Key
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Welcome
A smorgasbord of new (and old) ideas • Susan Clark
Regulars
Community - News from the Resurgence Community • Susan Clark
Resurgence Ripples - a celebration of positive action
Letters to the Editors - Letters to the Editor
A selection of letters to the Editor
Archive - Pricing Nature • Paul Evans
The takeover of environmentalism by the neo-liberals was not a paradigm but a confidence trick
Ecologist
Ecologist Editors' Picks • Yasmin Dahnoun
Top stories from The Ecologist environmental news website
Glasgow's dance-powered nightclub • Charlotte Sterland
A low carbon technology start-up is generating power from dancers
Rewilding the Aral Sea • Matthew Travers
Rewilding a desiccated seabed between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan
Owyesiga's Secret • Roman Goergen
Why conservation and wildlife groups in Uganda are worried about an isolated chimpanzee group
Connected Life
Saving a Species • Annabel Heseltine
Reporting on the plight of the ancient dragon's blood tree in Socotra
Call of the Kingfisher • Nick Penny
A diary-style love letter to the River Nene
Birds Watching • Jenny Kendler
An artist introduces her sculpture 'Bird Watching III'
The Horse as a Wild Architect • Tiffany Francis-Baker
Reflecting on the vital role horses play in our landscape's past and future
Feature Articles
The Rise of a New World Order • Mark Seddon
The world has been quietly changing under our noses
Nature Positive Impact
Ripples of Positive Impact • Sophie Wisbrun-Overakker
Regenerative Business is a powerful force for good
Business within Planetary Boundaries • Paul Polman
A former head of Unilever now works to accelerate business action on climate and equality
Ethics and Business • Satish Kumar
Businesses must become more ethical in their treatment of both workers and Nature
A Big Problem with a Small Solution • Brendan Montague
Exploring the value of E F Schumacher's 'small is beautiful' as it can be applied to the workplace
Wisdom and Wellbeing
Reading the Landscape • Stephanie Boxall
How we can deepen our relationship with Nature by learning to interpret the signs around us
Horologium Florae • Anna Ridler
Using the blossoming of flowers to keep time
Heartful Hawthorn • Brigit Anna McNeill
Introducing the bounty of hawthorn and sharing seasonal recipes
Invoking Oshún • Yasmin Dahnoun
How followers of the Yorùbá faith use dance to powerfully connect to each other and the earth
Art and Culture
Writing with a Wild Twist • James Canton
Getting into the outdoors provides inspiration for students on a Wild Writing course
Everything the Light Touches • Vandana K
An interview with award-winning novelist Janice Pariat
Reviews
Putting Nature Back in Charge • Satish Kumar
Review of The Book of Wilding: A Practical Guide to Rewilding Big and Small and God is an Octopus: Loss, Love and a Calling to Nature
Hard to Breathe • Russell Warfield
Review of Breathe: Tackling the Climate Emergency
Setting out on the Path • Tim Hannigan
Review of Between the Chalk and the Sea and Sarn Helen: A Journey through Wales, Past, Present and Future
Finding the Wonder • Adam Weymouth
Review of The Jay, the Beech and the Limpetshell: Finding Wild Things with My Kids
Holistic Gardening • Kate Blincoe
Review of The Seasoned Gardener: Exploring the Rhythm of the Gardening Year
