AS the founder of Client-Earth, James Thornton is a lawyer offering hope. There may be some people, suspicious of the law, to whom this may seem like an oxymoron. However, Mr Thornton is an unusual lawyer, with an extraordinary brief he takes from the earth itself. On its behalf, he wants to stop climate change, save wildlife, clean up the oceans and purify the air. He’ll do this—and more—to help all of us, using legal means. Impossible? Think again. ‘So far,’ says Mr Thornton in his habitually soft, lightly American voice, ‘everything we’ve tried has been successful.’
Look at what happened to air pollution in Britain. ‘Forty thousand people were dying early from it every year. There was a clear law, to which the UK Parliament had signed up. But the Government had not brought air into compliance.’ The deadline to do so was 2010. A polite solicitor’s letter elicited the response that the Government would give no thought to the issue until at least 2025.
‘So we went to court on behalf of all breathers of air. The supreme court gave us an injunction; we have since been back to court twice. Slowly, plans are being written—too slowly, but they are being written.’ This has not only been achieved by victory in the courts. ‘Parents all over the country are demanding clean air.’ Legal action works best when supported by a popular campaign.
Denne historien er fra October 30, 2019-utgaven av Country Life UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra October 30, 2019-utgaven av Country Life UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Kitchen garden cook - Apples
'Sweet and crisp, apples are the epitome of autumn flavour'
The original Mr Rochester
Three classic houses in North Yorkshire have come to the market; the owner of one inspired Charlotte Brontë to write Jane Eyre
Get it write
Desks, once akin to instruments of torture for scribes, have become cherished repositories of memories and secrets. Matthew Dennison charts their evolution
'Sloes hath ben my food'
A possible paint for the Picts and a definite culprit in tea fraud, the cheek-suckingly sour sloe's spiritual home is indisputably in gin, says John Wright
Souvenirs of greatness
FOR many years, some large boxes have been stored and forgotten in the dark recesses of the garage. Unpacked last week, the contents turned out to be pots: some, perhaps, nearing a century old—dense terracotta, of interesting provenance.
Plants for plants' sake
The garden at Hergest Croft, Herefordshire The home of Edward Banks The Banks family is synonymous with an extraordinary collection of trees and shrubs, many of which are presents from distinguished friends, garnered over two centuries. Be prepared to be amazed, says Charles Quest-Ritson
Capturing the castle
Seventy years after Christian Dior’s last fashion show in Scotland, the brand returned under creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri for a celebratory event honouring local craftsmanship, the beauty of the land and the Auld Alliance, explains Kim Parker
Nature's own cathedral
Our tallest native tree 'most lovely of all', the stately beech creates a shaded environment that few plants can survive. John Lewis-Stempel ventures into the enchanted woods
All that money could buy
A new book explores the lost riches of London's grand houses. Its author, Steven Brindle, looks at the residences of plutocrats built by the nouveaux riches of the late-Victorian and Edwardian ages
In with the old
Diamonds are meant to sparkle in candlelight, but many now gather dust in jewellery boxes. To wear them today, we may need to reimagine them, as Hetty Lintell discovers with her grandmother's jewellery
