A 21st Century Renaissance
Proposal for a new Course to help lay the foundations of a People-led Global Renaissance My grand ambition is to provide an outline of a Life Strategy – actions, ideas, and attitudes – that would, if acted upon, enable human beings and our fellow creatures to live agreeably on this planet for aeons to come. … Read more
Dare to dream
By ANDY DIBBEN Modern technologies seem to be enabling us to do almost anything we want. Our main task now, is to decide what it is we do want to do, and why We have reached a point in human evolution where we seem able to achieve almost anything we can imagine. Advances in genetic … Read more
Trump, Putin, and Xi Jinping – and the nightmare of 1984
Colin Tudge suggests that the world is now more or less precisely in the state that George Orwell described 80 years ago in one of the greatest of all dystopian works of literature George Orwell wrote 1984 in 1948 when memories of World War II and Hitler were still fresh – indeed the full extent … Read more
Why don’t Starmer and Reeves try Socialism?
The labour party as it stands means Tory with a more benign exterior – and it has rapidly become deeply unpopular. colin tudge suggests that it would serve the country and the world far better – and attract far more support – if it returned to its socialist, moral roots The word “Socialism” seems to … Read more
Why is the ORFC so successful?
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One of the co-founders of the annual Oxford Real Farming Conference, Colin Tudge, reflects on its phenomenal growth and impact since its tentative launch in January 2010. Does the obvious success of the ORFC reflect a global mindshift? Is this a much-needed “green shoot”? Even if the ORFC folded tomorrow (which heaven forfend!) it will … Read more
What is “biodiversity? – and what price BNG, aka “biodiversity net gain”?
The launch of a new series to explore the ramifications of a huge and very tricky concept that has become a buzz word and is the subject of new laws. By Colin Tudge Developers or anyone else who aspires to change Britain’s landscape significantly is required these days to demonstrate that their project will achieve … Read more
1. Biodiversity: a necessary concept but not sufficient
An introduction to the first of four sections of an intended series on the infinitely complex issue of biodiversity. By Colin Tudge What, first of all, do we mean by “biodiversity”? Most obviously it is taken to mean the number of species in a given habitat. But this immediately raises a whole raft of issues. … Read more
The fork in the road
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We could still aspire to the Sunlit Uplands, says Colin Tudge – but the world’s leaders are taking us and our fellow creatures in the opposite direction. The “People-led Renaissance” is necessary and urgent Truly, humanity has reached a fork in the road; and, influential creatures that we are, whichever way we go we will … Read more
The real cost of junk food: why we need to re-think food strategy from first principles
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A new report from economist Tim Jackson at the University of Surrey tells us that our “addiction” to junk food is costing Britain £268 billion per year — which far exceeds the total budget of the NHS. Professor Jackson calls for “bold, ambitious leadership aligned across government” to provide a more propitious “legal, fiscal and … Read more