Right to Roam, with Paul Powlesland

In the Season 2 finale of Non-toxic we're talking with barrister Paul Powlesland about the universal right to enjoy natural places, despite what landowners may tell you. He's the legal counsel for the activist group Right to Roam, who are pushing for greater access to England and Wale's wild places and the end of restrictions on hikers and walkers (within reason). The more time people spend in nature, Paul argues, the more they care about it. Which is critical when it comes to building the political will to fight climate change.

And because fixing the damage we've already done to the planet is the job of a lifetime, Paul has got some interesting ideas about how to tap into a more positive vision of masculinity that also repairs the planet. Why brag to your date about a fancy car when you can tell them how lush you've made the bird habitat in your garden. (Something to listen to in the morning?) And when you're with your buddies, you could be challenging them with a friendly "Do you even plant, bro?"

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Bio:

Paul Powlesland is a barrister at Garden Court Chambers. He specialises in upholding the rights of environmental activists to protest and protect the natural world, and uses environmental law and regulations to defend trees, rivers and wildlife. Paul is the legal counsel for Right to Roam and co-founder of Lawyers for Nature, and regularly gives talks and workshops on the rights of nature, the relationship between the law and the natural world and what barristers and other lawyers should do in a time of climate and ecological emergency. As a boat-dweller for many years, he is also determined to protect the rights of boaters and other Traveller groups.