The Extreme Weather Report, October 17, 2024: This is your weather on fossil fuels.

Why I decided to question the landowner trying to ban wild camping in England… On Tuesday I was in the Supreme Court watching the case where Alexander Darwall was seeking to ban wild camping on Dartmoor- the only place in England it’s currently legal. Whilst the legal arguments concerning the statutory interpretation of the Dartmoor Commons Act 1985 were interesting, I felt that the legal process was missing many of the more interesting & pertinent questions. I was keenly aware that Darwall had never given an interview (except to a ‘friendly’ publication like Country Life) or public explanation of his actions, despite the fact that he was trying to strip the public of important rights they had enjoyed for decades (& likely centuries). I therefore waited outside court to politely ask him as many questions as I could, regarding his motivations, actions & (some might say) his hypocrisies in relation to his land. I believe his responses, or lack thereof, in the video below speak for themselves. Darwall is an almost perfect pantomime villain: the smug hedgefund manager smirking at the idea of stopping ordinary people from enjoying a night under the stars. Perhaps more importantly though, I think this video highlights the absurdity of the current system. That our precious rights to spend time in nature could be so legally flimsy that they could be imperilled by a landowner with an excess of money & a yawning gap where his soul should be. This is why, whether the case is won or lost, we need to follow the example of Scotland & bring in a new Right to Roam Act to clearly state our right to access & enjoy Nature in England & put it beyond the reach of people like Darwall.

🧵 I've put together this thread to show just how much flooding has happened around the world, and this is only for the month of September—and it's not even over yet! Please share this because I don't think the message is getting out there. Türkiye... x.com/volcaholic1/status/183…

This afternoon I joined with local councillors, residents & activists outside the Guildhall in Bath, in advance of the @GreenGroupBANES sponsored Rights of Nature motion going to a vote before the full council meeting this evening. There’s clearly local support for Rights of Nature, so here’s hoping the motion passes.

In France, the streets of Cannes turned into rivers this morning following torrential rain 🌊👀