Resurgence & Ecologist magazine Issue 340 • September/October 2023
Nature Positive Impact

issue cover 340

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

Featured articles

Rewilding the Aral Sea

Matthew Traver reports on a glimmer of hope amidst the decades-long ecological catastrophe that destroyed the Aral Sea on the border between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. The UN Development Programme’s ‘Green Aral Sea initiative’ aims to transform the entire former seabed into a verdant forest.
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Saving a Species

Annabel Heseltine travels to Socotra in the north-west Indian Ocean and discovers the plight of the dragon’s blood tree. The tree can live for 800 years, but takes 100 years to reach maturity. Without immediate help it faces extinction.
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Ripples of Positive Impact

Business can be a force for good. Sophie Wisbrun-Overakker, a Nature Positive Impact Change Catalyst and one of the respected business voices calling for radical change, explains why the move to regenerative business is imperative and presents some of the steps that businesses can take.
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Ethics and Business

Satish Kumar considers the seismic shifts needed to move towards a business model that serves the interests of Nature, society, workers and shareholders. As a starting point, ecological ethics require us to shift our minds from the idea of ownership to that of relationship.
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Heartful Hawthorn

Brigit Anna McNeill, writer, ecotherapist and herbalist, shares her reflections on the hawthorn tree and its changing offerings throughout the year. “Hawthorn helps us honour who we truly are at our core. Matching both strength and softness, it shows us the innate, wild ability to cultivate healthy boundaries as well as gentleness.”
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Everything the Light Touches

Vandana K speaks with award-winning writer Janice Pariat, whose latest book Everything the Light Touches challenges the idea that humans are the darlings of creation. The book asks questions centred on our relationship with our planet, including, “Why are we obsessed with objectifying the abundance that exists in Nature?” and “Is there a more wholesome way to interact with it?”
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Picture Credits

Cover image: Illustration by Marian F. Moratinos; Rewilding the Aral Sea: Planting saxaul © UNDP Uzbekistan; Saving a species: Photo © Andrew Svk / Unsplash; Ripples of Positive Impact: Illustration by Marian F. Moratinos; Ethics and business: Delicado, 2021 by Benjamin Briones Grandi; Heartful hawthorn: Photo by Brigit Anna McNeill; Everything the light touches: Artwork by Chitra Merchant

Images from Resurgence and Ecologist Magazine issue 340

Inside this issue

Article is free for all to view

Welcome

A smorgasbord of new (and old) ideas

Regulars

Community - News from the Resurgence Community

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

The takeover of environmentalism by the neo-liberals was not a paradigm but a confidence trick

Ecologist

Ecologist Editors' Picks

Top stories from The Ecologist environmental news website

Glasgow's dance-powered nightclub

A low carbon technology start-up is generating power from dancers

Rewilding the Aral Sea

Rewilding a desiccated seabed between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan

Owyesiga's Secret

Why conservation and wildlife groups in Uganda are worried about an isolated chimpanzee group

Connected life

Saving a Species

Reporting on the plight of the ancient dragon's blood tree in Socotra

Call of the Kingfisher

A diary-style love letter to the River Nene

Birds Watching

An artist introduces her sculpture 'Bird Watching III'

The Horse as a Wild Architect

Reflecting on the vital role horses play in our landscape's past and future

The slow read

The Rise of a New World Order

The world has been quietly changing under our noses

Nature Positive Impact

Ripples of Positive Impact

Regenerative Business is a powerful force for good

Business within Planetary Boundaries

A former head of Unilever now works to accelerate business action on climate and equality

Ethics and Business

Businesses must become more ethical in their treatment of both workers and Nature

A Big Problem with a Small Solution

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

How we can deepen our relationship with Nature by learning to interpret the signs around us

Horologium Florae

Using the blossoming of flowers to keep time

Heartful Hawthorn

Introducing the bounty of hawthorn and sharing seasonal recipes

Invoking Oshún

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

Getting into the outdoors provides inspiration for students on a Wild Writing course

Everything the Light Touches

An interview with award-winning novelist Janice Pariat

Reviews

Putting Nature Back in Charge

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

Review of Breathe: Tackling the Climate Emergency

Setting out on the Path

Review of Between the Chalk and the Sea and Sarn Helen: A Journey through Wales, Past, Present and Future

Finding the Wonder

Review of The Jay, the Beech and the Limpetshell: Finding Wild Things with My Kids

Holistic Gardening

Review of The Seasoned Gardener: Exploring the Rhythm of the Gardening Year