All across the country there is a pattern of local democracy being overridden in the name of things we allegedly need. Lately, I am awoken to the scrapings of a giant digger illegally working a few yards from a site of special scientific interest, with features of unique ecological importance, that is supposed to be […]
How much time do we spend thinking about toilet rolls? Chances are, not a lot! We might have a favourite luxury brand or maybe we’re happy with whatever is on offer this week. Millions of pounds have been spent to convince us that the toilet roll is about puppies, purity and padding, instead of a […]
Two recent conversations have made me reflect on England’s issue with water regulation. When I offered a visitor a glass of water a few days ago, she informed me that she only drinks bottled water from the supermarket because of her mistrust of South West Water, ever since a cryptosporidium outbreak in 2024. This left […]
Bournemouth and Poole Greenpeace calls on Government to “Make Polluters Pay” as Shell announces bumper profits. Activists from Bournemouth and Poole Greenpeace staged protests outside two Shell petrol stations on July 30, 2026, calling on the government to make major fossil fuel companies pay for the damage caused by the climate crisis. Campaigners gathered outside […]
The 30by30 Delivery Plan isn’t a plan, and it won’t deliver 30by30. In its dying days, Starmer’s government has just published a new plan for how it will protect and restore 30% of land for nature in England: its ‘30by30 Delivery Plan’. The problem is, it’s not a plan, and it won’t deliver 30by30. It […]
Like so many of our readers, we were horrified to hear of plans for a massive data centre in the North Devon countryside. Anyone who follows environmental and human rights campaigners in North America will know that data centres are responsible for appalling effects on the environment and people’s lives. But many will not. So […]
What are the issues that concern you most? For me, it is the climate and nature crisis. I am increasingly frustrated that this is not at the forefront of political debate in the UK, even now that the National Emergency Briefing on climate and nature has made it clear that climate breakdown is no longer […]
The UK experienced its wettest winter in over a century in 2023–24. Scientists described it as a stark reminder of the impacts of climate change, which continued in the wet winter of 2025-26. On Thursday 26 June, Extinction Rebellion Wimborne will be hosting a free public screening of ‘The People’s Emergency Briefing’ at the Allendale […]
There’s been a deluge of misinformation recently about ponies on Dartmoor. Dartmoor Nature Alliance’s Tony Whitehead looks at the origins and potential impacts of the current “pony campaigning”. He starts by looking at the origins of agri-environment schemes, which are central to this “debate”, and then how the campaigning in itself poses a threat to […]
Dorset CPRE, the Dorset branch of the Campaign to Protect Rural England, is celebrating CPRE’s centenary and plans to mark the milestone anniversary by planting hundreds of trees this autumn, including endangered species. Planting more trees is essential to offset climate change, restore wetlands, and replace trees in Dorset afflicted by disease, such as ash […]
With the recent heatwave in mind, and with summer ahead, many of us will be anticipating more time outdoors, perhaps in National Parks or on beaches. This might include eating outdoors or perhaps cooking ‘al fresco’ on a barbecue. Already ‘instant barbecues’ are on the shelves and although several large retailers such as Aldi, Lidl […]
Have you ever wondered why one American multinational brand needs to produce over 50 types of toothpaste? Plus who needs the stripey bit? Mind you, aren’t we blessed not to have lived centuries ago with no toothpaste; breath must have been a knockout … Every year, 300 million toothpaste tubes are disposed of – just […]
I’ve lived in the same part of the world in the south west of England for all of my life. I am rooted into this place, and its familiarity is comforting and has always sheltered me in tumultuous times. This little corner of Devon has always felt like a safe haven. And yet I am […]
Ladies! Here’s such a simple change you could make to your cleansing and make-up routines; swap from single-use, disposable face wipes (currently containing plastic in many cases) or cotton wool rounds, to those that are made from fabric and therefore reusable and washable. If you are clever with a needle, could you make your own? […]
In February 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine. By May of that year, oil prices had spiked sharply to well over $100 per barrel. This pushed-up global energy prices and caused particular hardship in the UK. Figure 1: Oil Prices over time (nominal) As oil prices are now rising again, this prompts the question was our approach last […]
I love my country. I love English Breakfast, tea and scones (cream on first). I love going to the pub with my friends, whether it be on a blustery winter day or in a summer beer garden. Which reminds me, I love all our quirky English customs, like how we talk about the weather, with […]
Residents gathered on the banks of the River Stour in Muscliffe, on the afternoon of Sunday March 22, 2026, to take part in a colourful and theatrical ‘World Water Wedding’, pledging their commitment to protect the river from pollution. The ceremony, organised by Extinction Rebellion Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (XR BCP), was held on World […]
We are always delighted to publish pleas for help like this email from the Chardstock Eco Group! Do send them in! For those of you who have visited the Chardstock Shop or Community Hall recently, you may have noticed the hive of activity in the creation of the new Community Garden on the site of […]
No doubt we have all been looking out of our windows wishing wistfully that the rain would stop just long enough to do at least a couple of jobs in the garden! Hopefully by the time you read this, the sun will be shining. [And it is! Ed] Plastic pollution doesn’t just come from food […]
Dear Anna I have long been disgusted by the indisputable fact that South West Water wilfully and regularly dumps sewage as a profitable policy. I was again reminded of this as I watched the TV drama ‘Dirty Business’, and the scale of it is even worse than I ever imagined. SWW are not only committing […]
Ecoanxiety… the chronic fear of environmental breakdown. Sounds horrible, doesn’t it? It’s a word that’s been bandied around a lot recently, as the “strong” men (and it is largely men) of the world tear down the policies that science and reason that the human race needs to survive. What we’re really talking about here is fear… of the […]
In December, I submitted my Extended Project Qualification, a project I participated in alongside my A-Levels which is designed to teach students how to research effectively and write in an academic way, as well as develop their passions. I titled my project ‘To what extent can the fashion industry ever be considered sustainable in the […]
Extinction Rebellion (XR) Wimborne activists have been out and about raising awareness of a fast-approaching deadline that could decide the fate of the proposed Canford incinerator. They have been talking to residents about the six-mile toxic plume which could be heading their way and singing irreverent ‘incinerator songs’. MVV Environment has appealed BCP Council’s refusal […]
According to the UK Government website, the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is “a regulatory framework that places the responsibility and costs of managing a product’s end-of-life, including packaging and waste management, on manufacturers and brand owners rather than taxpayers.” In April 2022, a Plastic Packaging Tax was introduced, whereby all plastic packaging that did not […]
I loved living in New Zealand, but I missed the understated beauty of the West Country countryside. A lot of that landscape is man-made. Centuries-old agricultural practices created a patchwork of fields, hedges, heathland and forest, to which native wildlife adapted. Unlike countries such as the United States, where agricultural fields can stretch uninterrupted for […]
The Armada Way tree-felling fiasco has certainly put Plymouth on the map. It was a disaster, not just for Plymouth’s canopy cover, but for our city’s reputation and the relationship between the public and the local authority, which wasn’t great to begin with. It was described as “environmental vandalism” by many, resulting in the then […]
Most of us love the twinkle of lights among the branches of a Christmas tree, but the dilemma facing tree buyers is whether to go for a traditional tree and risk picking pine needles out of your socks in July or opt for one of the increasingly ‘real’ looking trees in the shops? Which option […]
We interviewed organiser Simon Oldridge ahead of this crucial event on 27 November, and now we want to share Simon’s post giving us some more insights into the scale of the operation and the help he was given to pull it off. We’ve had to unlink the many names, but you can google them easily […]
In freezing temperatures on Thursday 20 November 2025, and again in persistent rain on Sunday, members of Extinction Rebellion (XR) Wimborne gathered on the footbridge over the River Allen near Wimborne Library to mark COP30 by reading aloud real testimonies from people already living with the devastating impacts of climate breakdown. The group’s action aimed […]
We talked to organiser Simon Oldridge (SO) about what those involved hope will be a watershed event on November 27 in Central Hall, Westminster. WCV: This looks very timely, coming after yet another COP and as we read that richer nations are quietly (or noisily) abandoning or watering down their net zero targets. What do […]