Trees alone will not be able to solve the problem of climate change and the implementation of clean energy is fundamental to combating climate change.
The Clean Earth Collective is based in Cowes on the Isle of Wight, UK. We are collection of individuals from a wide background in different business sectors including farming and forestry. We all share a passion to fight climate change, by working together for a Climate Positive future and end the worldwide dependency on fossil fuels #CleanEarthCollective
Meet Al
Alistair has always had a passion for the natural world and the environment, from learning how we affected the ozone layer at school and the successful worldwide response in addressing the issue, to becoming a landscape painter and being awarded an art scholarship to Bradfield college.
After extensive travelling around Asia and gaining an accountancy diploma at St Aldate’s College in Oxford he returned to his primary passion and began a career in forestry, managing the woodland and the trees on the parkland of Nunwell, the oldest estate on the Isle of Wight. The main focus was to obtain grants for felling non-native trees and planting additional native trees in the parkland and woodland, whilst also gaining permission to plant Sweet Chestnut and Walnut amongst the native trees to help with the estate’s future adaption to climate change.
This led to him attending all the major UK forestry conferences of the time, working with other reputable estates, writing action plans, obtaining felling licences and gaining a detailed understanding of the role trees have in mitigating climate change. This included adaption, promoting biodiversity, and learning the process of the ‘Woodland Carbon Code.’
He also is a key part of the administration of the Green Island Veg Economy. A group on the Isle of Wight that inspires and encourages self sufficiency and growing vegetables, with an ethos of giving away and swapping as much produce as possible. During the covid lockdown this became a great passion for many people on the island and had a huge benefit for the mental wellbeing and community connection of newcomers to the lifestyle and seasoned growers alike.
The solent and the sea around the island is where to find him on his days off, either foraging and continuing to learn about edible plants or wild swimming and testing his endurance of cold water in a survival context. This has recently led him to engage in a proactive push to help address the sewage problem that much of the UK coastline currently faces.
He set up this company with the realisation that trees and a sustainable lifestyle alone will not be able to solve the problem of climate change, and whilst being part of the solution, a fast transition and implementation of clean energy is fundamental to combating climate change.
He believes that carbon offsetting, done correctly, is the most effective way of diverting finance to climate change solutions, and should not be seen as an ongoing practice, but rather as a necessary stepping stone to the development of clean energy and a better future.
