Archives for Social Movements
Drax and the biomass industry are “obstructing climate action”
Thanks to decades of climate campaigning including direct action, public education and legal challenges, it is no longer controversial to say we need to stop burning coal for electricity. We…
Vision of a police state in a Cornish village: Extinction Rebellion at the G7
“Can I politely ask you to stop moving?” The tone of the officer, barking at a group of young pedestrians, was anything but polite. Along the empty coast road through…
Climate campaigners demand Lloyd’s stop insuring coal mines
Climate campaigners in thirteen cities across the UK coordinated protests on May 17 to demand Lloyd's of London and its insurers immediately stop insuring coal mines. The campaigners were taking…
The G7 summit in Cornwall is set to re-awaken Extinction Rebellion
On June 11, the presidents and prime ministers of the seven largest developed economies plus India, South Korea, South Africa and Australia will meet in a hotel on the shores…
5 key moments in worker-led environmentalism
May Day banner. Image credit via jfantenb under CC BY-SA Since 1889, May 1st has been recognised as International Workers’ Day, a time to celebrate all the moments workers have…
Oxford University’s fossil fuel ties legitimise racism
It is no secret that fossil fuel companies are racist. As Shell’s activities in Ogoniland show, the industry exploits the lands of indigenous peoples against their will and shows higher…
The divestment movement must move beyond looking solely at fossil fuels
In 2020, after years of tireless campaigning by student and faculty activists, the University of Cambridge announced that it would be divesting from fossil fuels by 2030. “The University is…
Is opposing HS2 the best use of the left’s political energy?
Unlike most infrastructure projects, HS2 has potential ecological benefits, which means that environmentalists have to choose between two harmful options. Yet we cannot consider HS2 in the abstract: we must…
#BrightGreenDebates episode 3 highlights
In February, Bright Green launched a brand new series of events – the Bright Green Debates. Once a fortnight, Bright Green is bringing together leading figures on the left to discuss and debates the…
If the left is serious about tackling climate change, we need to back HS2
Sections of the UK’s terminally incoherent environmental movement have chosen High Speed 2 (HS2) as their latest object of opposition. The planned high-speed rail system was first proposed in 2009…