"For Our Children's Earth: Building the Soil, Sustaining the Future." A talk given at Braziers Park College.

              

               "Soil is the foundation of life and community."

I gave a talk at Braziers Park College last Friday, to begin their Wider Community Weekend, entitled "For Our Children's Earth - building the soil, sustaining the future." 

Here is a summary: 

“Soil is the fragile living skin of the Earth. It is living because it contains an amazing number of different organisms, and a billion microbes are present in a single teaspoonful of soil. It is fragile because it is prone to degradation, principally by erosion. According the United Nations, 30% of the world's crop-land has been abandoned over the past 40 years due to degradation and desertification. 

However, we must produce 60% more food by 2050, to match a population that is predicted to increase from 8.3 billion now, to 9.8 billion, then. Thus, we are destroying the productivity of that same land from which we demand a relentless increase in production. Is disaster inevitable? 

Soil is also connected to water and energy supplies. Lose the soil, and we lose everything. Local community resilience, permaculture, and changing our education system are all critical to a thriving future. Things have to change."

The audience was enthusiastic and engaging, providing excellent questions for the Q&A session, ranging from the nature and properties of soil itself, through energy, human ecological overshoot, national and world governance, Transition Towns, and the need to transform the university system in the times at hand.

I sold some copies of my black-comedy novel, "University Shambles", one to a very warm and friendly American chap, who gave me £20, and said, "Keep the rest as a donation for all your good work." I wrote a dedication in the book for him: “To Samir: Soil is the foundation of life and community,” which I believe is actually the truth!

He also asked me where I bought my shirts from, as he thought they were very smart and wanted some to wear himself. 

Never thought of myself as a fashion icon, but there you go! :-)

"Becoming Nature Positive" & "Transition Town Reading: What If a Better World Were Possible?" Film double bill, Tuesday June 9th (2026), 7 pm, Reading Biscuit Factory.

"While many of the World's problems are global – the climate emergency, resource scarcity, pollution, overconsumption and wealth inequality – the local level is becoming an increasingly potent source of adaptable, systemic change."

 

                                        

Overview.

Reading Climate Festival is pleased to bring you this FREE screening, in collaboration with Transition Town Reading and the Reading Biscuit Factory.

A double bill of short films highlighting both the global impact of the climate and nature crises, and celebrating and inspiring positive action right here in Reading.

The event will now be held at The Minghella Cinema, University of Reading's Whiteknights Campus, on Tuesday June 9th at 7.30 pm (Doors open at 7.00 pm).

                                                   Here is the booking link

• The venue for this screening has been moved! It is now The Minghella Cinema at the University of Reading's Whiteknights Campus. If you booked your free ticket via Reading Biscuit Factory (who have temporarily closed) it is no longer valid so please BOOK AGAIN through this page.

Overview of the films.

‘Becoming Nature Positive'

A new 30-minute film created by the Nature Positive Initiative and co-produced with Open Planet Studios, featuring top voices from across the global sustainability community.

The vision behind the film is to highlight the nature crisis, less visible than the climate crisis but equally dangerous and interconnected. While laying bare the importance to urgently halt and reverse nature loss and exploring solutions, the film sets out key elements of the transition to a nature-positive economy and society.

 

'Transition Town Reading, what if a better world were possible?'

In the heart of Reading, local changemakers are harnessing the power of nature and community to realise their vision of a better world.

While many of the World's problems are global – the climate emergency, resource scarcity, pollution, overconsumption and wealth inequality – the local level is becoming an increasingly potent source of adaptable, systemic change.

Our film celebrates and brings together 7 brilliant community led initiatives across energy, water, waste, nature connection and ecosystem restoration.

These include, pub dwellers rallying to restore their local marsh, a community owned hydro-power project, solar energy installed all across town, community tree planting, and Solar Punk stories of the future, writ large across public walkways.

The film is about the joy of possibility in the face of uncertainty, cultivating a deep collective sense of place, and the power of local community action.

 

Post-film Panel Q&A.

The two films will be followed by an audience Q&A with a panel of local experts and champions featured in the Transition Town film, joined by Professor Tom Oliver, Professor of Applied Ecology from the University of Reading.

This event is part of Reading Climate Festival 2026. Browse the full two-week programme here.

Reading has a new framework for collective climate action, covering the years 2026 to 2030! Local organisations and volunteers can get involved here.

"Fires & Fascism", film screening options plus Q&A with the film director, Dr Peter Knapp.

I thoroughly recommend this film "Fires and Fascism", which has already had 100+ public screenings, and merits many more!

To arrange a screening, contact Pete Knapp.

An hour’s documentary linking European wildfires and far-right politics; arguing that fires are not only because of climate change.

Commentary from Greece, Italy, Spain & Portugal showing the power of local community resilience, in dealing not only with wildfires but other challenges faced from a changing climate.

FIRES AND FASCISM is a new 57-min documentary that shows the wildfires in Europe are more than just climate change and mismanagement. It links the growing wildfires of Europe with past fascism, big business, organised crime, and the far right. It showcases how communities are engaging in direct action, protest, rewilding, and suppressing the uncontrollable fires and the far right.

The experiences and actions of 25 people across Greece, Italy, Spain, and Portugal feature, ranging between scientists, teachers, artists, gardeners, engineers, winemakers, NGOs, and authors.

Dr Pete Knapp, the filmmaker, has a background in air quality and shifted careers from academia to storytelling. The film aims to start the conversation on what we do about the rise of fascist attitudes.

The documentary has taken 15 months to produce. Over £4000 was raised by crowdfunding, which paid for the equipment and filming, and activists providing free accommodation and food during filming helped greatly to reduce the cost.

Here is an article about how I made the film.

Here is a review of the film.

Here is a selection of photos from previous screenings around the UK.

Testimonies

“It’s a tremendous piece of work”

“I was truly amazed by the diversity of people and situations you succeeded in covering and linking together!”

“A powerful, thought provoking and inspirational film”

“Many, many people need to see this”

“It’s your first film, and yet still better than most climate documentaries I’ve seen!”

 

Reviews

“Knapp shows us how even the best intentions can be twisted when profit comes first.” – Prithvi Shree, Felix, 14 Nov 2025

“Overall, this was a very informative, well-researched documentary, where the real merit lies in the space the local people are given to tell their story.” – Katia Zykova, Felix, 14 Nov 2025

“What If a Better World Were Possible?" A film made by Transition Town Reading.

"In times of great change, resilient local communities will be the bedrock of future societies."

Post-film Q&A panel (L-R): Dr Tony Cowling, Austin Jacobs, Prof. Chris Rhodes, Stuart Ward, Ramandeep Nijjar, Kathryn McCann, Guglielmo Miccolupi, Natalie Ganpatsingh.

The film premiere.

Transition Town Reading have made a film, entitled: “What If a Better World Were Possible?" showcasing some of the really great "community action" projects happening in our town of Reading (UK). The filmmaker was Liam Rooney.

The film was premiered at Reading University, Minghella Studios, this week (6-5-26), aimed particularly at students. 

There will be further screenings, both for the local community and as part of the Reading Climate Festival: dates and venues to be confirmed, and more to come (watch this space!).

Meanwhile, here is a synopsis of the film:

"In the heart of Reading, local changemakers are harnessing the power of nature and community to realise their vision of a better world.

While many of the World's problems are global – the climate emergency, resource scarcity, pollution, overconsumption and wealth inequality – the local scale is becoming an increasingly potent source of adaptable, systemic change.

Our film celebrates and brings together 7 brilliant community led initiatives across energy, water, waste, nature connection and ecosystem restoration.

These include, pub dwellers rallying to restore their local marsh, a community owned hydro-power project, solar energy installed all across town, community tree planting, and Solar Punk stories of the future, writ large across public walkways.

The film is about the joy of possibility in the face of uncertainty, cultivating a deep collective sense of place, and the power of local community action. 


From What is, to What If?

The Transition Town movement begins with a shared vision, and then works step by step, action by action, until that vision becomes real.

"It is members of the community who are the force of change. We hope the film lights the way for others to see what they might also do in their own town, village, or street. We're building the story of our future, and acting together to make it real." 

- Chris Rhodes, chair of Transition Town Reading.”

Why are Fuel Prices so High?

[This was published in a local newsletter "Caversham Bridge", but given the current fuel price increases, I thought it might be helpful to post it here, not only for the residents of Caversham, but everyone].

The price of fuel has rocketed, with UK national petrol and diesel averaging 158p and 191p a litre, their highest for several years. This is a knock-on effect of the war in the Middle East, and specifically the chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20% of the world’s oil normally transits onto global markets. Due to consequent supply restrictions, the price of oil has soared to well above $100 a barrel. Since petrol and diesel are made from oil, their costs are impacted directly, with a $10 increase in oil pushing fuel prices up by around 7p per litre at the pump.


Tips for saving on money and fuel.

Shop Around: Typically, supermarket prices are among the lowest and motorway service areas the highest. Websites, such as petrolprices.com, can help find the cheapest fuel in your area, as prices often vary between different stations. Nonetheless, panic-buying fuel makes the overall situation worse.

Drive Efficiently: avoid abrupt braking and rapid acceleration, maintain a steady speed and shift gears earlier (in manual cars) – this can improve fuel economy by up to 10–30%.

Reduce Speed: Speeds of around 45–55 mph (where safe) often provide the optimum fuel efficiency.

Good Vehicle Practice: Keep tyres correctly inflated, curb unnecessary weight (e.g., empty the boot), and remove roof racks when not needed.

Combine Trips: Since a cold engine is less efficient than a warm one, combine several short trips into one.

Do Without a Car: Use public transport, carpool with neighbours and workmates, or walk/cycle wherever possible.

Work from Home: As far as is feasible, reduce commuting to minimise fuel use.


The Future.

While hoping fervently that the present situation will soon be resolved, oil will not last forever. Eventually, it will become increasingly more expensive and less available, so the present situation may provide a foretaste of what to expect, and how best to deal with this.

The idea of Transition Towns arose in anticipation of “peak oil”, which is where oil production reaches a maximum and then declines. A society with less oil will necessarily become more locally based, building more supportive, and self-sufficient communities, far less vulnerable to external shocks.

Undoubtedly, we face many interconnected and systemic challenges, but all essential efforts toward re-localisation and community resilience may provide the strongest available single buffer against the many storms that are likely to prevail upon us.