Joy is...Connection.
A Friday 'Shining Lights' episode with Paul Powlesland. Paul is a civil barrister, environmental activist and storyteller who is bringing new significance to what it means to be a lawyer in a time of environmental crisis. After practising as a barrister in London for a decade, he founded Lawyers for Nature, as a response to the need to create greater respect, protection and representation for the natural world and those who seek to defend it within our legal system. Outside of this, he regularly writes and speaks on legal rights for the natural world, as well as representing Nature (including trees and rivers) in the courts as best he can. He has a natural affinity for water; is a swimmer; lives on a boat, and has founded a community project to restore the River Roding in East London.
Paul is a passionate advocate, whose love for the natural world and belief in the power of community runs deep. His words are urgent in a time when, as a society, we are becoming alarmingly distanced from the non-human beings that are dependent on us to be responsible guardians, and on which we are likewise inextricably dependent.
We discussed: being a wanderer; gradual 'feral-isation'; curb-side human rights advocacy; what 'rights of Nature' entails and the responsibility we have to bring Nature's voice to the table; the importance of acknowledging interdependency; the problem with Genesis and the history of power; learning from indigenous cultures; finding a language for the non-human; tree protection case studies and why the darkest hour is before the dawn; the many (many) problems being caused for rivers and the failure of companies to fulfil duties of care; co-existing with the river, developing the role of a Nature Guardian, and the rewards of mindful observation; the joy and enrichment of service; the damage caused by disassociation from Nature, and the magic and love that come from a deeper relationship with the natural world.
Thank you, Paul; now, more than ever, we need more voices like yours speaking out for those that cannot speak for themselves.
Twitter: @paulpowlesland; @lawfornature; @riverroding
Instagram: @riverrodingtrust; @right2.roam; @lawyersfornature
Join: riverrodingtrust.org.uk
Read: The Book of Trespass, Nick Hayes; The Rights of Nature, David Boyd; The Lost Rainforests of Britain, Guy Shrubsole; The Trespassers Companion, Nick Hayes
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