In this episode, I caught up with an old friend James Thornton – an Environmental lawyer, TED speaker, and the CEO and Founder of ClientEarth, a global non-profit environmental law organisation.

James’s legal strategies have led to groundbreaking legal victories in the fight against climate change, air pollution, and biodiversity loss. His work at ClientEarth focuses on holding governments and corporations accountable for environmental harm.

He’s also an ordained Zen Buddhist priest and a prolific writer, and his new book, Nature My Teacher, is a collection of essays about our connection with the natural world.

Takeaways

• China’s ultra fast approach to environmental law
• Enforcing change through the law
• Reconnecting with nature to overcome climate anxiety

Chapters

(00:00) Introduction

(00:26) Inspiration for Client Earth

(03:55) Balancing law and compassion

(05:18) Dealing with anxiety and taking action

(09:40) Taking care of oneself: The Donkey

(13:09) Proudest cases at Client Earth

(17:10) Sources of cases

(18:58) Client Earth's work in china

(22:23) Using the law to enforce change

(25:02) Exploring the flow of money

(27:41) Message: Nature, My Teacher

Links:

Nature, My Teacher book

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Nature-My-Teacher-Alive-Threat/dp/1909954934

Visit Client Earth's Website

https://www.clientearth.org/

Visit Ben’s Website:

https://bensaunders.com/

Subscribe to the New Frontiers Newsletter:

https://bensaunders.substack.com/podcast

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, I have the immense pleasure of speaking with Patrick Grant, a Savile Row tailor, campaigner, TV presenter, and the mind behind several sustainable clothing ventures – his influence has stretched far beyond the cutting table.

The UK was once a textile powerhouse, spinning 70% of the world’s cotton within just a 40-square-mile area. Yet this golden age faced a steep decline, with employment plummeting from 1.6 million to under 100,000 today. However the true cost is in the diminished quality of our clothes, and despite purchasing five times more, we only use a third of it.

Patrick’s commitment to the industry's future is evident in his rescue and revitalisation of the Blackburn clothing manufacturer Cookson & Clegg, and 150 year old Saville Row tailor Norton & Sons. He then went on to launch Community Clothing, a sustainable clothing brand that prides itself on using plastic-free materials and being 100% made in the UK.

Beyond his business endeavours, he is also the host of the BBC’s Great British Sewing Bee and Coronation Tailors: Fit for a King.

Takeaways

• How clothes can influence how you feel and think
• The decline of the UK's textile industry
• The true cost of fast fashion
• Investing in fewer, but higher quality garments can save costs and protect our planet
• The future of the fashion industry.

Chapters

(00:00) The journey to today

(01:32) The common thread of his endeavours

(05:17) The decline of UK textile manufacturing

(10:16) Why Community Clothing is different

(15:31) Marketing is making us buy more

(19:23) Why we've lost the skill of repairing clothes

(20:20) Buying less, but better

(25:47) Sustainability in the fashion Industry

(34:21) Transitioning to a Low-Volume, High-Quality Economy

(28:01) The real cost of Fast Fashion

(29:57) Building items that last

(34:25) The future of the Fashion Industry

(36:13) How clothes can influence how you feel and think

(37:59) The 1-minute takeaway

Links:

Visit Community Clothing

https://communityclothing.co.uk/

Visit Norton & Sons

https://nortonandsons.co.uk/

Visit Ben’s Website:

https://bensaunders.com/

Subscribe to the New Frontiers Newsletter:

https://bensaunders.substack.com/podcast

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“To enjoy rather than endure”

In today's episode I sit down with Olly Hicks, an old friend, a record-breaking adventurer, and these days, the founder of a fascinating startup.

Olly's life has been deeply intertwined with the ocean. Like me, his first big expedition was at the tender age of 23, when he made history by becoming the first person to row solo across the Atlantic from America to England, and he has since used a pair of oars or a kayak paddle to propel himself more than 7,000 miles at sea.

He has witnessed some incredible sights, including what he calls the 'nightclub under the sea’ – an awe-inspiring display of bioluminescent phytoplankton lighting up the ocean as he rowed.

Transitioning from the extreme solitude of the high seas to the collaborative venture of aquaculture, Olly’s latest adventure is as the co-founder of Algapelago. This initiative is pioneering the creation of large-scale offshore kelp farms, setting a benchmark as the UK's largest licensed kelp cultivator and offering a future model on ocean sustainability.

From learning to develop grit by understanding the importance of keeping your kit dry, to the effect that solo expeditions have on your view of the world – Olly offers a fascinating insight into both individual agency and courage, and the importance of marine restoration today.

Chapters

(00:00) Intro & love for the sea

(00:45) Wonder rather than fear

(02:59) The challenges of solo expeditions

(04:27) The Overview Effect from rowing

(07:15) A new expedition at Algapelago

(11:27) Keeping your kit dry to develop grit

(14:56) Enjoy rather than endure

(16:12) The role of exploration in the 21st Century

(19:13) The future of kelp farming

(21:00) Final thoughts

Links:

Visit Algapelago

https://www.algapelago.com/

Visit Ben’s Website:

https://bensaunders.com/

Subscribe to the New Frontiers Newsletter:

https://bensaunders.substack.com/podcast

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.