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 […]
The south-west of England is a hotbed of newly evolved tree species. There’s a sentence you probably thought you would never read, but it is true. In Britain, we have numerous tree species that are endemic to these isles; they are unique species found nowhere else on the planet, species that evolved here after the […]
Extinction Rebellion Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole (XR BCP) held a striking silent actionon the morning of Sunday, 9 November, on Bournemouth Pier Approach, calling out what they describe as the “failure and hypocrisy” of the international COP climate talks ahead of COP30 in Belém, Brazil. At 11:00, the group began with a two-minute silence. Participants […]
84 per cent of Cornish residents support a ban on bottom trawling in marine protected areas (MPAs) Bottom trawling, which destroys reefs, seagrass and marine life, remains legal in all Cornish MPAs in the consultation despite bans elsewhere in the UK Iconic fish stocks are collapsing: cod in the Celtic Sea is down 98 per cent since 2012 and mackerel is down 78 percent over the last decade A new Cornwall-wide […]
Annie Hill-Smith: On 7 November at 10.00a.m. the Dartmoor National Park Authority’s Development Management Committee will hear the Tree Protection Order relating to the trees at Kenwyn. The Park’s Tree Officer is recommending that the order is granted. Hurray! The meeting will be at the DNPA’s office at Parke, just outside Bovey Tracey. I’ve lobbied […]
Do we truly have the kind of democracy in our country which is fit for the challenges of the 21st Century? Does our government fairly represent the views and aspirations of voters? How can we best tackle and mitigate the effects of climate change? All these questions, and more, will be up for debate in […]
It’s been a while since I last wrote an article. I struggled to find the time last month; I returned to my second year of sixth form to find a larger work load as well as the extra pressure of university applications and extra-curricular commitments. Most of my spare time I spent socialising rather than […]
On the surface it looks like another ‘conservation versus industry’ planning controversy, with the odds predictably stacked against nature and wildlife. A multinational quarrying company wants to expand its operations in Devon, which will mean destroying a large forest. As the company prepares its application for planning permission, a group of local residents are fighting […]
One for the women and girls, whatever your age, but also for the gents because it is important to be informed and know how this subject is affecting the ladies in your lives. We’re halfway through Environmenstrual Week, organised by non-profit Women’s Environmental Network (WEN), to raise awareness of just what is in the period […]
Activists, community groups and campaigners came together in Poole on Saturday 11 October 2025, for a march for climate justice. Extinction Rebellion Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (XR BCP) organised the event as part of Black History Month. The march highlighted the deep links between the climate crisis, colonialism and corporate exploitation — both globally and […]
Extinction Rebellion Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (XR BCP) and allied groups will march through Poole on Saturday October 11, calling for climate justice and standing in solidarity with communities around the world on the frontlines of the climate and ecological crisis. The march will begin at Poole Park at midday and finish at Poole Quay […]
Dorset Council is considering an application to extend a previously granted oil drilling plan for ten years. The decision was deferred last week by the Planning Committee after questions were raised about the “significance” of its greenhouse gas impact. It’s now likely to be decided in November or January. Objections were raised in 2023 when […]