FORGING A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE IS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE WE FACE

from The Old Felstedian 2022

GOLF SOCIETY WELCOMES RETURN OF BACK-TO-NORMAL COMPETITIVE CALENDAR

Tackling climate change, the biggest common challenge that faces humanity, will define us and the generations of OFs that follow.

I firmly believe the starkness of the challenge cannot be under-estimated. Get it right and we will save the planet and our lives as we know them, get it wrong and our lives will be changed forever.

Now, it looks as if we are on the wrong side of the equation. Yes, attitudes are changing towards the environment, and many of us feel we are doing what we can, but are we acting fast enough and doing as much as necessary?

One OF, who is a prominent and influential thinker in this area, certainly thinks not.

Professor Sir Dieter Helm’s (d70-74) book Net Zero – How we can stop causing climate change is a seminal piece, and offers a wake-up call.

We were unfortunately unable to interview Dieter, due to his incredibly busy schedule, but in the preface to Net Zero, he states that in 30 years we have made no progress and the concentration of carbon in the atmosphere continues to increase.

Dieter adds: “…the root cause of climate change is one that is uncomfortable: our unsustainable carbon lifestyles.” To change this we will have to rebase our lifestyles, which will hurt in the short term, but we will benefit in the longer term. There is no escaping the consequences of not doing so, he adds. “If we don’t, nature will bite back”. It’s a stark warning from one of the UK’s most prominent thinkers on the issue.

We could do worse than follow the example of several OFs who we feature in this issue and who are leading the way in the green economy.

Our cover feature Anna Foster (n90-92) on page 12 is inspirational in the way she has launched a denim brand that recycles old, unwanted denim into new fashion garments. The ultimate upcycling in a sector known for fast fashion and waste on an astronomical scale. Anna is driven to offering consumers an alternative to our throwaway society, something that is built and designed to last and stand the test of time.

We also learn more about the careers of four OFs on page 14 who are working in the green sector and are passionate about tackling climate change, as well as getting to know Katherine Farr on page 16, who is the member of staff leading a project to rewild the school’s Bury pond area.