A fascinating deep dive on impact investment with Sir Ronald Cohen, “the father of social investment.” This is a spirited discussion about Sir Ronald’s book, Impact, exploring his vision of how impact investing is reshaping capitalism to deliver a form of capitalism that can deal with the profound social and environmental challenges we are facing—issues which he is passionate about. Sir Ronald believes financial institutions are changing profoundly -and is hugely optimistic about the work being done today on measuring impact, notably the Harvard Business School IWA impact weighted accounts project—making the connection between market value and pollution explicit. This in turn brings Ronnie’s vision closer: a world where investors can measure companies impact and “help change the behaviour of companies so that they bring solutions rather than creating or aggravating environmental and social problems.” This interview was first aired at the end of 2021.

Sir Ronald Cohen is Chairman of The Portland Trust and Bridges Ventures, amongst other roles, as a philanthropist, venture capitalist, private equity investor and social innovator over many decades. Sir Ronald was a founder of Apax Ventures, has been described as “the father of British venture capital” and “the father of social investment,” his latest book, Impact, Reshaping capitalism to drive real change, explores his vision of how impact investing is reshaping capitalism.

In this thought-provoking interview, Xander Dunlap argues that current environmental policies and "green" technologies are perpetuating ecological destruction under the guise of sustainability. He contends that solutions like solar and wind energy are wedded to capitalism and leading to increased mining, extractivism, and social control. Dunlap calls for a fundamental rethinking of how we live, advocating for grassroots movements to create more liberated, self-sufficient communities that work in harmony with local ecosystems. He emphasizes the importance of acting locally while resisting the forces of industrial modernity. Throughout the interview, Dunlap provides a powerful critique of corporate greenwashing and state-driven false solutions to the environmental crisis.

Dr. Xander Dunlap is a research fellow at the Institute of Global Sustainability, Boston University. Alexander has examined the political ecology of low-carbon technologies, extractive development and police-military transformations in Mexico, Germany, Peru, France, Spain & Portugal. Currenlty a co-editor at Human Geography, Alexander also serve on the editorial boards Energy Research & Social Science, the Journal of Political Ecology & Globalizations. His most recent book, just published, it This system is killing us: Land Grabbing, the Green Economy and Ecological Conflict is available at Pluto books and other online sites.

In this fascinating interview, conducted with my daughter, Catherine Byrne, we delve into the world of Eoghan Daltun, an Irish farmer and advocate for rewilding. Eoghan's journey is a testament to the power of nature and the importance of ecological balance. He shares his experiences running a farm and rewilding project on the Beara peninsula of Co. Cork, Ireland. His work is not just about farming, but about restoring and preserving the natural environment. His book, 'An Irish Atlantic Rainforest: A Personal Journey Into the Magic of Rewilding', is a testament to his commitment and passion for this cause. Eoghan's insights provide a unique perspective on the importance of rewilding and the role it plays in combating ecological and climate breakdown.

Eoghan Daltun is an Irish farmer and outspoken advocate for rewilding --he runs a farm and rewilding project on the Beara peninsula of Co. Cork. He is the author of an acclaimed book on his personal rewilding work on the Beara peninsula, An Irish Atlantic Rainforest: A Personal Journey Into the Magic of Rewilding. By background and training a conservator of sculpture and a sculptor in stone. This extended interview took place on Eoghan’s farm in Eyeries on the Beara peninsula.

Catherine Byrne is a forest researcher working with Evolving Forests in Devon, England and a Woodlab Fellow at Hooke Park in Dorset; Catherine is also host of a radio show on Balamii Radio, "Biorhythms" based around her nature based field recordings--some of which are included in this episode.