A day in the life of Alex Potts QC

From Kennedys Law


This article was first published in Counsel Magazine, August 2018


Website:

 https://www.alexpottsqc.com/

Trapped in "Car Dependency"; In Praise of Walkable Poundbury, Dorset

Young couples 'trapped in car dependency', BBC News

"What housing does work? The report praises Poundbury in Dorset – tacked on to the outskirts of Dorchester and built on land owned by the Duchy of Cornwall. It’s built to a traditional high-density urban pattern and has shops, businesses, and 35% affordable housing. It was designed around people rather than the car. The researchers said: “Rather than a supermarket off a roundabout, a business park on a link road, and a pub by a distributor road junction, here was everything arranged as a truly walkable neighbourhood - and it worked. “The secret is the layout of connected streets with interesting squares and courtyards, coupled with the way that offices, small shops, cafés, pubs and even a garden centre were integrated with the homes as in an authentic small town.” Ms Raggett told BBC News planners needed to change priorities to reproduce the success of Poundbury".

The Art of Leadership, Interview with Nina-Maria Potts

Listen to the podcast conversation: Professor Norman Sandridge talks to Nina-Maria Potts

A fascinating podcast on news broadcasting, leadership, management, international journalism and many other topics, practical and philosophical!

See also kallion.org

"In this episode Nina-Maria Potts, director of global news coverage for Feature Story News, talks with Norman Sandridge (classics professor at Howard University, fellow at the Center for Hellenic Studies), about what it’s like to be a leader in an international news organization and how journalism itself is a kind of leadership. They discuss how Nina evolved into her leadership role (and whether she truly thinks of herself as a leader) and how to tell a local story in such a way that it has relevance to a global audience".

"This week I'm honored to feature Nina-Maria Potts, a leader of journalists and whose journalism itself leads. This is a most timely conversation in an era when many citizens don't want to lead and don't seem to appreciate the role of media in helping us to see the global significance of an ostensibly local story".

"The format of the podcast is simple: I get to talk at length to leaders I find really interesting. We try to be really honest, spontaneous, and experimental in our conversations. We explore questions and themes that have ancient parallels... The conversations are not edited for sound bites or quick processing. The goal is to help listeners slowly reflect on and internalize all the forms and complexities of democratic leadership, as though you were a guest at cocktail party or symposium in the belly of a great volcano, where the molten energy of the next generation is preparing to erupt.
When I say that "in a democracy everyone is a leader," I don't mean that in a sappy, uplifting kind of way. I mean that, in contrast to a monarchy, oligarchy, or dictatorship--where the rules of citizenship are pretty straightforward: "keep your head down and do as you're told"--in a democracy everyone has a responsibility to investigate, define, and work for the common good (or *koinon agathon*), which means that, as leaders, they have to speak up about the problems they see, to call out bad behavior, to work to articulate a clear and inspiring vision for the future, to cheer on their fellow citizens for the good work that they do. Well, in my own small part, I hope that The Art of Leadership is cheering on our fellow citizens for the good work that they do". Norman Sandridge.


Update: Nina at 1A, Friday News Roundup – International (nationally distributed by NPR), with host Joshua Johnson and other guests, Rajini Vaidyanathan and Clemens Wergin.

From Sherborne Girls website

The world's oldest intact shipwreck: Greek trading vessel, Black Sea

World’s oldest shipwreck is discovered in Black Sea, The Times

"The world’s oldest intact shipwreck, complete with mast, rudders and rowing benches, has been found at the bottom of the Black Sea where it has been lying for more than 2,400 years".

"The world's oldest shipwreck: 2,400 year old 'Odysseus' Greek trading vessel discovered 1.3 miles down at the bottom of the Black Sea", MailOnline

"Jon Adams, the project’s chief scientist, said the wreck was very well-preserved, with the rudder and tiller still in place.

'A ship, surviving intact, from the Classical world, lying in over 2km of water, is something I would never have believed possible,' he said

'This will change our understanding of shipbuilding and seafaring in the ancient world.'"


Professor Jon Adams is a Professor of Archaeology at the University of Southampton.

Proof that humans are eating plastic; Microplastics in human stools

From EurekAlert

Microplastics discovered in human stools across the globe in 'first study of its kind' - "Researchers monitored a group of participants from 8 countries across the world with results showing that every single stool sample tested positive for the presence of microplastic and up to 9 different plastic types were identified....Lead researcher Dr. Philipp Schwabl, who is presenting the findings at the 26th UEG Week, commented: "This is the first study of its kind and confirms what we have long suspected, that plastics ultimately reach the human gut. Of particular concern is what this means to us, and especially patients with gastrointestinal diseases. While the highest plastic concentrations in animal studies have been found in the gut, the smallest microplastic particles are capable of entering the blood stream, lymphatic system and may even reach the liver. Now that we have first evidence for microplastics inside humans, we need further research to understand what this means for human health."


From MailOnline

"Experts find nine different types of microplastic in every sample taken from human guts with water bottles blamed as the source - Sources could include the eating of fish or drinking of water from plastic bottles"


From Independent


From The Guardian

"Microplastics found in human stools for the first time - Study suggests the tiny particles may be widespread in the human food chain"


Plasticphobia, BBC iPlyaerRadio 4, Costing the Earth

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0000sxv

Could the war on plastic have unintended consequences for the environment? Tom Heap reports. "Two and a half million tons of waste plastic produced every year in the UK" - Recycle this valuable resource, - turn it back into oil!.


Microplastic toxins leave shellfish at mercy of predators - research. Chemical cocktail suppresses periwinkles’ ability to avoid crabs and disrupts food chain, The Guardian

Greece: Unpaid Electricitity Bills, Cash Crisis

From eKathimerini

"Suppliers are trying to plug a hole of more than 800 million euros".