Congratulations to King Charles on his coronation! His Royal Highness is someone I have always admired for his commitment to environmental issues.
King Charles has been campaigning on the environment since before I was born. Back in the 1960s, he was ahead of the curve speaking out about pollution and how it is destroying beaches, clogging up rivers, and spoiling the sea and air. Back then, he was often criticised for his opinions, but now we can recognise him as a visionary.
Reading some of the comments he has made over the years, I’m struck by his passion and concern for sustainability and green issues. He championed organic farming and solar power before it was popular, while lobbying for the protection of rainforests and reduced fishing.
King Charles and Queen Camilla visited Hackney City Farm, East London, on 6 May 2009.
His speeches speak about “a balanced approach to living” in which we are “aware of the total environment we live in”. He argues that conservation and pollution must be tackled hand in hand with social issues such as housing and transport. And he constantly states that the present generation must be mindful about how we leave the planet for our children and future generations.
King Charles is a particular inspiration for me because of his commitment to organic farming – something we hope to champion at Ewhurst Park. We recently planted 100 metres of hedgerows in our market garden – I read that, over the years, King Charles has planted more than 15 miles of hedgerows at his Duchy Home Farm, in Cornwall! As well as growing the organic food used in the Duchy Originals range, his farm hosts more than 1,000 people per year to teach them about healthy farming practices. Again, this is the territory that Ewhurst Park is moving into: reconnecting people with nature.
So, congratulations, Your Royal Highness! I wish you a long reign and hope you will be able to inspire world leaders to work together to reverse the damage we are doing to the planet.
