oliver balch

Oct 25, 2024 | positive.news | oliver balch

The environmentalist and barrister Paul Powlesland made history this summer when he became the first member of a UK jury to swear an oath on river water. Powlesland, the co-founder of Lawyers for Nature, explains why he considers the River Roding to be sacred “I swear by…” What? The options for members of a UK jury are fairly standard: ‘by Almighty God’, ‘by Allah’, ‘by Waheguru’, or ‘on the Gita’. Paul Powlesland chose none of these when he was called to jury service in July.

Aug 17, 2024 | theguardian.com | oliver balch |Jennifer Barclay |Jon Bryant |Mary Novakovich |Colin O'Brien |Dixe Wills

Islas Cíes, Galicia, SpainGaze west from one of the crows-nest hilltops on Monteagudo (“Sharp Mount”) island, and you can just about imagine the rooftops of Atlantis beneath the Atlantic swell. One of the three islands that comprise the Islas Cíes archipelago, about nine miles off the Galician coast, it is where Captain Nemo, hero of Jules Verne’s 1871 novel Twenty-Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, salvaged the treasure that funded his adventures. Verne’s choice of location makes sense.

Jun 28, 2024 | positive.news | oliver balch

We can work on having deeper conversations, says the author of a book about connecting in disconnected timesBody & MindCultureLifestyleSocietyWellbeingWe can work on having deeper conversations, says the author of a book about connecting in disconnected timesCommunication is homo sapiens’ superpower. A pretty ballsy assertion, right? Ballsy because it elevates us from our animal kin. Ballsier still because – well, let’s be frank – most of us are pretty rubbish at it.

Dec 20, 2023 | raconteur.net | oliver balch

Becoming a B Corporation is no easy feat. This exacting process is the organisational equivalent of an MoT test. A firm will make the grade only once the assessors have completed thorough inspections under its bonnet and it has done all the required remedial work to their satisfaction. When a company enters this exclusive club of sustainable businesses (Europe’s network of B Corps numbers just over 1,000), it usually sends out a celebratory press release.

Dec 20, 2023 | eu1.hubs.ly | oliver balch

Becoming a B Corporation is no easy feat. This exacting process is the organisational equivalent of an MoT test. A firm will make the grade only once the assessors have completed thorough inspections under its bonnet and it has done all the required remedial work to their satisfaction. When a company enters this exclusive club of sustainable businesses (Europe’s network of B Corps numbers just over 1,000), it usually sends out a celebratory press release.