“Only when it is dark enough can you see the stars” - Martin Luther King
May 29, 2025
On 29th May 2025 we were delighted to welcome back on site the Royal Geographical Society (RGS) for the next in their impressive series of lectures in the Blake Studio, their principal hub site for the eastern region. It was a particularly inspiring return.
Veteran campaigner Sir Jonathon Porritt CBE was our speaker for an evening of thought-provoking, intelligent commentary on the state of our fragile planet.
Jonathon is a name familiar to many, having been a powerful advocate of Friends of the Earth and the Green Party in a long career of political and ecological activism. To a large audience of RGS members, environmentalists, local politicians, pupils, parents, staff and alumni, our speaker did not pull his punches when reflecting on over 50 years of environmental campaigning.
In a data-driven and passionate address he exposed what he perceived to be abject multi-generational global failures to address the desperate plight of our planet. He touched on such diverse issues as: population explosion and rainforest destruction; access to birth control and fertility; plastic pollution and economic drivers of the oil industry; climate change and the dangers of rampant capitalism. His journey took us to some cheerless places, but Jonathon reminded us that, as Dr Martin Luther King said in his final speech in 1968 before his assassination: “I know, somehow, that only when it is dark enough can you see the stars.”
He concluded with positive, personal reflections garnered from years’ worth of public engagement which confirmed that people (especially young people) were desperate for change and often had broadly similar views of what they wanted to see done differently. In a stark message to global democracies, he stated that voters had the valuable privilege of holding the power to change the status quo, one that, in his opinion, needed a radical reset. Consequently, he had been buoyed by the upending of traditional party politics evidenced by the 2025 local elections. He was also at pains to point out the huge potential of green energy to be a driver for global economic growth.
Jonathon was very generous with his time answering questions from a knowledgeable and engaged audience for an hour afterwards, leaving us all much to ponder on.
The local RGS is now off for their summer break but has generated a compelling programme of on-site talks for the autumn. Details will be published on their website - Upcoming events - RGS - once dates are confirmed.
We are extremely grateful to the dynamic James Firebrace and his RGS team for bringing to site this year an eclectic programme of lectures on varied topics such as: African species under threat from climate change; the future of rewilding; fragile coral reefs; treasured urban commons; and the sultry delights of the French Riviera ('A sunny place,' said Somerset Maugham, 'for shady people') delivered by engaging subject specialists from around the country, as well as hosting their annual pupil micro-lecture evening last autumn. Thanks also go to our loyal and supportive audiences who enjoyed being with us throughout the year.
