News: ISSUE FIVE

Whistle-stop walks: Phoenix Trail, Princes Risborough to Thame

February 01, 2020 by Extinction Rebellion

I’m strolling in deepest Britain, on a course originally set by a Victorian theodolite. Empty fields stretch silently away. A wren, an animated ball of feathers, tizzes urgently across my path to break the purest peace. Far in the distance a dot gradually grows. Once…

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Smartphone: Friend or Foe?

February 01, 2020 by Extinction Rebellion

Over 90% of adults under 55 own a smartphone, with excessive use linked to anxiety, social and behavioural problems. Technological advances such as smartphones are also cited as causes of the growing human disconnection with nature. We surveyed people about their smartphone use, their relationship with nature…

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INTRODUCING URBAN GREEN SPACES

February 01, 2020 by Extinction Rebellion

Researchers have found that green spaces with greater ecological diversity are particularly beneficial for our mental health. Professor Jorgensen who works at the University of Sheffield highlighted the importance of “experiences of nature – including diverse trees, plants and wildlife.” Across the world increasing numbers of people are moving to…

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THE CLIMATE AND ECOLOGICAL EMERGENCY IN AFRICA

February 01, 2020 by Extinction Rebellion

According to the International Panel on Climate Change (IPPC), Southern Africa’s temperatures are rising at twice the global average rate. While it is mainly industrial nations that are responsible for producing greenhouse gases, such as CO2, that contribute to climate change, the main victims of climate change are already suffering, in the countries of…

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This profit-based system must change

February 01, 2020 by Extinction Rebellion

I am a mother of three and a practising Muslim woman, originally from Yemen, a country torn by war. I’ve lived in Britain for 20 years. I have been environmentally aware for years. My first education on environmental issues came from the Quran when I came across verses that alerted me to…

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Thoughts on Rewilding

February 01, 2020 by Extinction Rebellion

Extinction Rebellion Rewilding (XRR) is a quickly growing group of like-minded souls eager to fight the economic and social system that in so many ways is responsible for the climate and ecological crisis we’re in. A few decades ago I was involved in eco-activism, trying, largely…

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Fossil fuels exposed

February 01, 2020 by Extinction Rebellion

A European Commission report has identified the UK as being the largest supporter of fossil fuels in the European Union, giving over £10bn annually between 2008-2016 while claiming that it has ‘no fossil fuel subsidies’. The lack of any universal agreement on what constitutes a ‘subsidy’ means the government is free to set the…

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SPEAKING TRUTH TO OBSCENE WEALTH

February 01, 2020 by Extinction Rebellion

The World Economic Forum (WEF) is a nongovernmental organisation (NGO) that was founded in 1971. The WEF’s mission is cited as ‘committed to improving the state of the world by engaging business, political, academic, and other leaders of society to shape global, regional, and industry agendas’. It is a membership-based organization, and membership is…

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A statement to the court: why I chose to be arrested

February 01, 2020 by Extinction Rebellion

MARK SLATER, 64, a retired academic and father of two from East Sussex, was arrested sitting in the road outside the Bank of England and charged with a Section 14 violation. He pleaded guilty at City of London Magistrates Court on November 8th, and read out this mitigation statement to the Judge.

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