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        <title>Ecological &amp; Climate Change News | Extinction Rebellion</title>
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        <description>Life as we know it is on the brink of collapse. Our governments have failed to protect us. Help us to build a powerful movement to change the course we are on.</description>
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            <title>Ecological &amp; Climate Change News | Extinction Rebellion</title>
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            <title><![CDATA[Global Newsletter #104: Advocating for solutions]]></title>
            <link>https://rebellion.global/blog/2026/02/18/global-newsletter-104</link>
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            <pubDate>Wed, 18 Feb 2026 00:26:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="/assets/uploads/104_1.jpg" alt="A photo of three men in lime-green safety vests pulling three men in orange t-shirts along the ground by their arms. "></p>
<p><em>Photo:</em> <em><a href="https://www.instagram.com/jordzy.ellis/">Jordan Ellis</a></em> <em>&amp;</em> <em><a href="https://www.instagram.com/extinctionrebellionsouthaus/">XR South Australia</a></em></p>
<p><strong>Dear rebel,</strong></p>
<p>This month, the United States <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2026/02/12/trump-repeals-landmark-epa-climate-finding/88641826007/">repealed the legal ruling</a> establishing that greenhouse gases are a threat to public health. This will allow US vehicles to be less efficient and more polluting but cheaper to make. We understand that sometimes sustainable solutions can sound like pipe dreams. Transportation that doesn’t pollute? Solar and wind power? Divestment? A future where we’re free of fossil fuels? This is the real world, you might say. We can’t risk the inconvenience. We can’t jeopardize profits. It makes us wonder: what is the real world you’re talking about? Is it the world of fossil fuel companies and car manufacturers racing to burn up a finite resource? Is it the currency zipping through online bank accounts? Or is it the measurable increase in global temperatures? The biodiversity loss affecting ecosystems across the globe? The people suffering from pollution and extreme weather in their communities?</p>
<p>One thing is certain: The real world operates on physics and biology, and science cannot be dismissed with the feckless cry of 'hoax'. The worlds of money and power, however, can be changed. And we must change them if we want the real world to be one that can sustain us. The solutions given above are just examples of what can work for different communities, and all communities must work together to discover their solutions and advocate for their future. In this month’s newsletter, you’ll see some of those solutions at work. You’ll see direct actions, better ways to spend money, and resources to learn about what the real world really looks like—and how we can make it look together.</p>
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<p><strong>This newsletter is brought to you by XR Global Support, a worldwide network of rebels who help our movement grow and need money to continue this crucial work.</strong></p>
<p><a href="https://chuffed.org/project/104770-2024-climate-justice-campaign" class="xr-button">XR GLOBAL CLIMATE JUSTICE CAMPAIGN</a></p>
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<h2 id="action-highlight%3A-xr-kigali---cancel-the-debt%2C-heal-the-planet"><strong>Action Highlight: XR Kigali - Cancel the Debt, Heal the Planet</strong></h2>
<p><img src="/assets/uploads/104_2.png" alt="A photograph of a group of people standing in front of a brick building holding signs that bear XR symbols and related slogans. The largest sign reads &quot;cancel the debt heal the planet&quot;."></p>
<p><em>Photo: XR Kigali</em></p>
<p>In November 2025, activists from Extinction Rebellion Kigali organised a 'Cancel the Debt, Heal the Planet' action in Kigali**,** Rwanda, calling attention to the connection between sovereign debt, climate vulnerability, and environmental justice. The action aligned with broader global climate justice campaigns that argue many lower income countries are constrained by debt repayments that reduce their ability to respond to climate impacts and invest in sustainable development.</p>
<p>The protest brought together youth leaders, grassroots organisers, and climate advocates in a coordinated, non-violent demonstration designed to be both educational and visually engaging. Through placards, coordinated messaging, and symbolic protest elements, participants highlighted how debt pressure can divert public funds away from climate adaptation, disaster preparedness, renewable energy transitions, and ecosystem protection. Messages throughout the action stressed that countries facing the harshest climate risks are often those that contributed least to historical greenhouse gas emissions.</p>
<p>Public engagement formed a key part of the event. Activists interacted with passersby and explained the idea of climate debt and financial justice and encouraged discussion about fair climate finance and accountability from major polluters and international lenders. Youth speakers emphasised the long-term consequences of delayed climate action and the importance of redirecting financial resources toward community resilience and locally led environmental solutions.</p>
<p>The action also helped strengthen collaboration among regional climate justice groups and amplified African perspectives within the global debt and climate conversation. Overall, the Kigali mobilisation reinforced a central message of the campaign: addressing the climate crisis effectively requires both ecological action and economic reform working together.</p>
<p><img src="/assets/uploads/104_3.png" alt="Youth climate advocate holds a &quot;Debt = Injustice — Cancel it now!&quot; placard during the Cancel the Debt, Heal the Planet action in Kigali."></p>
<hr>
<h2 id="action-roundup"><strong>Action Roundup</strong></h2>
<h4 id="january-2026-%7C-xr-australia-and-xr-south-australia%3A-pedalling-to-climate-disaster"><strong>January 2026 | XR Australia and XR South Australia: Pedalling to Climate Disaster</strong></h4>
<p><img src="/assets/uploads/104_4.png" alt="A photo of a banner that reads &quot;Santos fuels the race to extinction&quot; with an XR logo and a bicycle on fire."></p>
<p><em>Photo:</em> <em><a href="https://ausrebellion.earth/news/xrsa-say-love-tdu-dump-santos/">XR Australia</a></em></p>
<p>On 22 January, South Australian rebels <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reels/DTzAfPUkyXN/"></a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reels/DTzAfPUkyXN/">protested at the Tour Down Under</a> (TDU) cycling event over its sponsor, Santos, an oil and gas company fueling climate change. <a href="https://road.cc/content/news/fire-warning-sees-tour-down-under-stage-shortened-317783"></a> <a href="https://road.cc/content/news/fire-warning-sees-tour-down-under-stage-shortened-317783">Activists held a 'Dump Santos' rally with banners</a>, chants, and managed to get onto the race-track with 'Love TDU, Dump Santos' signs, which resulted in four rebels getting arrested. The rebels argue that a company profiting from fossil fuels has no business sponsoring a sporting event that celebrates health and endurance.</p>
<p>The irony was impossible to ignore: while Santos pushed its greenwashed image, the race itself was cut short due to extreme heat and high fire danger risk, as a direct consequence of the climate crisis the company helps drive.</p>
<p>Santos is an Australian‑headquartered oil and gas producer with extensive operations in Australia and Papua New Guinea, with plans to expand. Critics, including the <a href="https://www.accr.org.au/news/santos%E2%80%99-bid-for-oil-search-proves-net-zero-target-is-just-greenwashing/"></a> <a href="https://www.accr.org.au/news/santos%E2%80%99-bid-for-oil-search-proves-net-zero-target-is-just-greenwashing/">Australasian Centre for Corporate Responsibility (ACCR)</a>, say Santos’s claimed net‑zero target is “greenwashing” because the company continues to push for fossil fuel expansion and relies heavily on unproven carbon capture technology rather than setting stringent emissions cuts. In other words, Santos is promising a clean future while still pumping more carbon into an already overheated planet. Follow Extinction Rebellion South Australia <a href="https://www.instagram.com/extinctionrebellionsouthaus/">here</a> and XR Australia <a href="https://www.instagram.com/xrebellionaus/">here.</a></p>
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<h4 id="february-2026-%7C-xr-argentina%3A-patagonia-on-fire"><strong>February 2026 | XR Argentina: Patagonia on Fire</strong></h4>
<p><img src="/assets/uploads/104_5.jpg" alt="A poster image bearing the words &quot;patagonia en llamas apaguen el fuego ya!&quot;. Beside it is a photo of a protest march through a city."></p>
<p><em>Images: XR Argentina</em></p>
<p>Rebels in Argentina are protesting the wildfires currently destroying Patagonia. They are among the worst in decades and have already consumed more than 45,000 hectares in the last two months. Thousands of residents and tourists have been evacuated.</p>
<p>This devastation is a planned ecocide by a government that prioritises business over life. Tens of thousands of hectares are already lost while authorities are unbothered, leaving fire brigades underfunded and biodiversity in ruins. Indigenous communities, the guardians of land and water and life, are being criminalised and scapegoated for defending their territories, including facing harassment and legal attacks instead of support for their vital role in protecting ecosystems. Follow XR Argentina <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DURjg0IFlyJ/?igsh=MWRxMWw0cGR0dTZsdQ%3D%3D">here</a>.</p>
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<h2 id="positive-action"><strong>Positive Action</strong></h2>
<h4 id="education-superheroes-climate-fresk"><strong>Education Superheroes</strong> <strong><a href="https://climatefresk.org/world/">Climate Fresk</a></strong></h4>
<p><img src="/assets/uploads/104_6.jpg" alt="An image of a man opening a buttoned shirt to reveal a t-shirt with the words &quot;la fresque du climat&quot;."></p>
<p><em>Photo: Climatefresk.org</em></p>
<p>Born in France in 2018, the <a href="https://climatefresk.org/world/">Climate Fresk</a> movement has now educated over 2.3 million people in 168 countries across the world. At its heart, it’s a collaborative workshop that gets participants thinking about the causes and effects of climate change. But for many, it’s a turning point in their lives, motivating them to set up new green initiatives in their schools, workplaces and beyond.</p>
<p>Like Extinction Rebellion, Climate Fresk adopted its organisational model from Sweden’s Pirate Party, first codified in Rick Falkvinge’s 2013 handbook <em><a href="https://falkvinge.net/files/2013/04/Swarmwise-2013-by-Rick-Falkvinge-v1.1-2013Sep01.pdf">Swarmwise</a></em>. He described the “swarm” structure: a light central scaffold that empowers people with shared tools, enabling an autonomous movement that scales quickly through decentralisation and initiative.</p>
<p>Already over 100,000 trained 'Freskers' worldwide deliver the 3-hour workshop in over 45 languages, using a standard set of cards based on the latest IPCC data. The workshop guides participants towards a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms at play in climate science, how they’re interlinked, and the need to seek systemic solutions.</p>
<p>After taking part in a workshop, it’s only a small step to becoming a trained facilitator yourself so you can carry the knowledge out into your own communities. Demand for Climate Fresk workshops is huge – it’s a fun, sociable and collaborative way to learn about climate issues that’s also accessible to all audiences (there are special sets of cards for younger players).</p>
<p>Just eight years after its inception, the basic Fresk concept has morphed into a whole rich ecosystem promoting climate literacy. There are now affinity groups focusing on biodiversity, digitisation, the circular economy, soil or ocean health, textiles, and even scenario-building for business decision-makers, such as <a href="https://www.2tonnes.org/">2 Tonnes</a>. If you’re casting around for a way to have an impact in your community, this could be for you! Lots of the <a href="https://youtu.be/H481FtEZCYU">workshops and trainings are online</a> and the Fresker network is worldwide.</p>
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<h2 id="must-read"><strong>Must Read</strong></h2>
<h4 id="the-uk-government-didn%E2%80%99t-want-you-to-see-this-report-on-ecosystem-collapse.-i%E2%80%99m-not-surprised"><strong><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jan/27/uk-government-report-ecosystem-collapse-foi-national-security">The UK government didn’t want you to see this report on ecosystem collapse. I’m not surprised</a></strong></h4>
<p>A distressing report conducted by the British intelligence agencies on <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nature-security-assessment-on-global-biodiversity-loss-ecosystem-collapse-and-national-security">Global Biodiversity Loss, Ecosystem Collapse and National Security</a> provides a horrifying analysis of the true threat of the environmental catastrophe which the modern world faces.</p>
<p>The information was supposed to be made <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jan/27/uk-government-report-ecosystem-collapse-foi-national-security">public in October 2025</a>, yet it arrived in our hands months later, having been blocked by Parliament until January 2026. Furthermore, the report is an abridged version only and omits the more chilling conclusions which have since been revealed by <a href="https://www.thetimes.com/article/4a1c136c-f01d-4ecd-abfd-14621b47ea45">The Times</a>. The reason for this appalling reluctance for the study to reach public eyes? The implications for the nation’s future are so terrifyingly severe and expose the alarming negligence of all governments.</p>
<p>Large-scale crop failures, widespread natural disasters, and uncontrollable disease outbreaks loom in the future, triggering mass migration, intense global competition for limited food and resources, and likely escalating into military conflict. We are racing towards a tipping point of mass global instability, where no government has the means to protect its citizens. So why are politicians ignoring their last window of chance to make a difference?</p>
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<h2 id="must-watch"><strong>Must Watch</strong></h2>
<h4 id="voices-along-the-oil-pipeline"><strong>Voices Along the Oil Pipeline</strong></h4>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qXGRc7E_lE">Voices Along the Oil Pipeline</a> is a short, captivating documentary that follows a Ugandan mother whose life was upended by the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP). Through her struggle with displacement, documentary director <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/faridah-mbabazi-n-39b2462a5/">Faridah Mbabazi</a> brings a deeply personal lens to a project framed as 'progress and innovation'. Environmental groups and civil society organisations have raised concerns about resident displacement, compensation disputes, environmental risks, climate impacts, and threats to local livelihoods and ecosystems. Activists, including Ugandan rebels, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DR4IAUyjB9I/">spotlight one mother’s story</a> as emblematic of the broader social costs borne by vulnerable communities. The documentary echoes concerns raised by regional and international campaigns, including <a href="https://www.stopeacop.net/home">Stop EACOP</a> who have been denouncing the social and environmental impacts of the Total pipeline for years. This documentary is a deeply human, must-watch account that asks who truly pays the price for so-called progress.<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qXGRc7E_lE">Watch Voices Along The Oil Pipeline</a> (13 minutes) Follow <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DR4IAUyjB9I/">XR Justice Movement Uganda</a>.</p>
<p><a href="https://extinctionrebellion.uk/tag/eacop/">Visit the XR Archives to see our actions on EACOP</a></p>
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<h2 id="quick-watch"><strong>Quick Watch</strong></h2>
<h4 id="xr-2026-campaign"><strong>XR 2026 Campaign</strong></h4>
<p>Die ins, protests, marches, speeches, posters, chants, music, and art are just a few ways XR Rebels across this beautiful planet offer their time and solidarity to fight to keep Earth beautiful and healthy. Donations help make this powerful work possible. With gratitude, XR Global welcomes donations here. View XR Global’s 2026 campaign donation video <a href="https://youtu.be/kD4eQr8Fvyo">here</a>.</p>
<p><img src="/assets/uploads/104_7.png" alt="Three photos of outdoor scenes featuring people holding Spanish-language protest signs."></p>
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<h2 id="worth-a-second-look"><strong>Worth a Second Look</strong></h2>
<h4 id="community-%26-xreadiness"><strong>Community &amp;</strong> <strong><a href="https://rebellion.global/xreadiness/">XReadiness</a></strong></h4>
<p>The beginning of this year has been gruelling for many people around the world. From <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/28/deaths-ice-2026-"></a> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/28/deaths-ice-2026-">murders by ICE</a> through climate disasters, each week has brought discouraging news. Australia has experienced <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/jan/31/day-and-night-theres-no-relief-five-ways-this-heatwave-is-one-of-australias-worst-on-record"></a> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/jan/31/day-and-night-theres-no-relief-five-ways-this-heatwave-is-one-of-australias-worst-on-record">extreme heatwaves</a>and there have been devastating <a href="https://apnews.com/article/argentina-patagonia-milei-trump-austerity-wildfires-drought-f07520babbbb3ea18f9da96d47a7c3b4"></a> <a href="https://apnews.com/article/argentina-patagonia-milei-trump-austerity-wildfires-drought-f07520babbbb3ea18f9da96d47a7c3b4">fires in Patagonia</a>. Meanwhile, there have been dangerously cold temperatures in much of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/January_23%E2%80%9327,_2026_North_American_winter_storm"></a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/January_23%E2%80%9327,_2026_North_American_winter_storm">USA and Canada</a>. Large parts of Europe have had back-to-back storms causing extensive damage from Ireland and the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/britain-france-goretti-storm-d9d2d60fcc34a7a3be8033c5d739e843"></a> <a href="https://apnews.com/article/britain-france-goretti-storm-d9d2d60fcc34a7a3be8033c5d739e843">UK</a> in the west, to <a href="https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/climate-energy/new-tempest-threatens-portugal-one-week-after-storm-kristin-2026-02-03/"></a> <a href="https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/climate-energy/new-tempest-threatens-portugal-one-week-after-storm-kristin-2026-02-03/">Portugal</a> and Spain in the south. <a href="https://reliefweb.int/report/mozambique/flash-update-no5-heavy-rains-and-floods-central-and-southern-mozambique-26-january-2026?_gl=1*1aor4uz*_ga*Mzc0NzA1MDIuMTc1Mzg4OTMyMg..*_ga_E60ZNX2F68*czE3Njk2MTU3MTUkbzgkZzEkdDE3Njk2MTU3MzckajM4JGwwJGgw"></a> <a href="https://reliefweb.int/report/mozambique/flash-update-no5-heavy-rains-and-floods-central-and-southern-mozambique-26-january-2026?_gl=1*1aor4uz*_ga*Mzc0NzA1MDIuMTc1Mzg4OTMyMg..*_ga_E60ZNX2F68*czE3Njk2MTU3MTUkbzgkZzEkdDE3Njk2MTU3MzckajM4JGwwJGgw">Mozambique</a>,<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/29/world/africa/mozambique-south-africa-flood.html"></a><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/29/world/africa/mozambique-south-africa-flood.html">Zimbabwe and South Africa</a> have experienced widespread flooding.</p>
<p>How can we be ready for these events and not lose our energy and hope moving forward? By creating community in whatever way makes sense where you are. The <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4qXXNnjGHQ"></a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4qXXNnjGHQ">Singing Resistance</a> in Minneapolis is an inspiring example. And for practical ideas about how to get through whatever may be coming in your area, have a look at the <a href="https://rebellion.global/assets/pdf/xreadiness/Foldable_XReadiness_A4_v1.pdf"></a> <a href="https://rebellion.global/assets/pdf/xreadiness/Foldable_XReadiness_A4_v1.pdf">checklists</a> in the <a href="https://rebellion.global/xreadiness/"></a> <a href="https://rebellion.global/xreadiness/">XReadiness Guide</a>, free online. Read more about why community and preparedness go hand in hand <a href="https://rebellion.global/blog/2025/11/23/xreadiness-1/"></a> <a href="https://rebellion.global/blog/2025/11/23/xreadiness-1/">here</a>.</p>
<hr>
<h2 id="film-review"><strong>Film Review</strong></h2>
<h4 id="rebellion"><strong><a href="https://rebellion-documentary.com/">Rebellion</a></strong></h4>
<p><img src="/assets/uploads/104_8.jpg" alt="The word &quot;rebellion&quot; writing in green and yellow."></p>
<p>Back in 2018, two <a href="https://www.moviemaker.com/how-we-made-extinction-rebellion/"></a> <a href="https://www.moviemaker.com/how-we-made-extinction-rebellion/">young filmmakers</a> were asked if they’d be interested in filming a new climate group just starting to organize. No one knew if anything would come of it, but they gamely went along, working practically every weekend for nearly six months, and recorded a tremendous amount of material. All this preparation paid off with the unbelievable success that was Extinction Rebellion’s launch in 2019 when XR shut down London for ten glorious days. Directors Maia Kenworthy and Elena Sánchez Bellot kept their cameras rolling throughout and kept going because the hardest thing after one success is repeating it. Clocking in at just an hour and a half, their documentary, <a href="https://rebellion-documentary.com/watch"></a> <a href="https://rebellion-documentary.com/">Rebellion</a> is a fascinating fly-on-the-wall look at how XR began, grew, fractured, evolved, and is still here. It is equally compelling for those new to XR and for those who have been around since the early days. <a href="https://rebellion-documentary.com/">Nominated for a Bafta,</a> <a href="https://rebellion-documentary.com/">Rebellion</a> originally came out in 2022 but it has recently become more widely available <a href="https://rebellion-documentary.com/watch"></a> <a href="https://rebellion-documentary.com/watch">to rent and watch online.</a> Watch the trailer <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4srA0zZQHc"></a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4srA0zZQHc">here</a>.</p>
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<h2 id="rebel-with-your-wallet"><a href="https://click.actionnetwork.org/ss/c/u001.EtNV8HBC60Tl7UuGmXS3sc6tKlWVsImjwRt1cUCQGaNGCx9PGdC7uxYzGbgRSfLODOjRKca1fYN1cffzGEuKRGeSopz9ogN7QID-fWMZ-ubEzhGgzC95piiaiMVjmyvDayi_uZQ0e4LCrvNmzSZNkYgFe0IS7dymIIJO3tzheuvwm7G4noktyIjVBfCM-WRikc4YBD1hAwkD-u38sVDXNthv4hSW-VBGsPU9JFf2_A7DNZ32Frp-qvIEnkHnuPljDWktzZ0fXe_7bvTzdjGYMmq2Ylw2XjyFqaaz4KU4xIHEjApPnyOw_BR_Ek-xjEZgpdYNL7jL8lNZA7V0waykPfdtYq6f1CzpNVzeMlYQzjYGSdI5XqKO9FzJff_4ix2x/4d8/4NAy5X_JT6q7iRqtjpY26w/h1/h001.FfW-i0K1wCDTKEYDXGscoWV9JVUf818Lm-t8n5XRRzw">Rebel with your wallet</a></h2>
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<h2 id="from-our-readers"><strong>From our Readers</strong></h2>
<p>We’d like to hear from you! Please email us at: <em><a href="mailto:xr-newsletter@protonmail.com">xr-newsletter@protonmail.com</a></em></p>
<hr>
<p>Forward this newsletter to a friend. If this was forwarded to you, join us and <a href="https://actionnetwork.org/forms/newsletter-sign-up-17">subscribe</a> to the XR Global Newsletter. If you have any questions or feedback, we want to hear from you. Get in touch at <a href="mailto:xr-newsletter@protonmail.com">xr-newsletter@protonmail.com</a></p>
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<p><em>P.S. Want to take action?Make a donation to help</em> <em><a href="https://click.actionnetwork.org/ss/c/u001.EtNV8HBC60Tl7UuGmXS3sc6tKlWVsImjwRt1cUCQGaNGCx9PGdC7uxYzGbgRSfLODOjRKca1fYN1cffzGEuKRGeSopz9ogN7QID-fWMZ-ubEzhGgzC95piiaiMVjmyvDayi_uZQ0e4LCrvNmzSZNkYgFe0IS7dymIIJO3tzheuvwm7G4noktyIjVBfCM-WRikc4YBD1hAwkD-u38sVDXNthv4hSW-VBGsPU9JFf2_A7DNZ32Frp-qvIEnkHnuPljDWktzZ0fXe_7bvTzdjGYMmq2Ylw2XjyFqaaz4KU4xIHEjApPnyOw_BR_Ek-xjEZgpdYNL7jL8lNZA7V0waykPfdtYq6f1CzpNVzeMlYQzjYGSdI5XqKO9FzJff_4ix2x/4d8/4NAy5X_JT6q7iRqtjpY26w/h1/h001.FfW-i0K1wCDTKEYDXGscoWV9JVUf818Lm-t8n5XRRzw">power the rebellion</a>!</em></p>
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        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Global Newsletter #103: Walk with us]]></title>
            <link>https://rebellion.global/blog/2026/01/21/global-newsletter-103</link>
            <guid>https://rebellion.global/blog/2026/01/21/global-newsletter-103</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 21 Jan 2026 15:09:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="/assets/uploads/103_1.jpg" alt="A photograph of three or four small boats in a tight group, the people on the boats holding up a yellow banner that reads &quot;Stop war for oil in the Caribbean Sea&quot;."></p>
<p><em>Photo: XR Venezuela</em></p>
<p><strong>Dear rebel,</strong></p>
<p>We look to the new year as a starting line, a time to take our futures where they are meant to go. But the first month of 2026 has felt less like an open road and more like a racetrack taking us back to where we’ve been. The United States’ actions in Venezuela, while illegitimate and aggressive, also demonstrate a nation repeating its history of extractivism and militarism. Meanwhile, other countries are experiencing a similar feeling of deja vu. In Scotland, investments made in the hope of augmenting wealth for individuals are in reality diminishing our ecosystems’ chances to thrive. In Argentina, mining companies seek growing profits at the expense of shrinking glaciers. We have seen all these narratives of greed before. It’s time to change direction.</p>
<p>To sustain climate action, we must surpass the short-lived burst of enthusiasm that the new year brings. We must remember the patterns of destruction that will stay strong unless we fight them every step of the way. We must remember that the paths taken to social and environmental health will vary depending on the community, but that our destination is the same. We must forget our tendencies to fight with our allies and focus instead on solidarity and community. No matter what our individual journeys towards a regenerative future look like—whether they involve growing healthy food, fighting legal battles, or marching in the streets—we must start now, and our pace must be steady and unyielding. If you’re wondering where and how to start, read on. There is plenty of room for you to walk beside us.</p>
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<p><strong>This newsletter is brought to you by XR Global Support, a worldwide network of rebels who help our movement grow and need money to continue this crucial work.</strong></p>
<p><a href="https://chuffed.org/project/104770-2024-climate-justice-campaign" class="xr-button">COMMIT TO CHANGE IN 2026</a></p>
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<h2 id="action-highlight"><strong>Action Highlight</strong></h2>
<p><img src="/assets/uploads/103_2.jpg" alt="A photograph evidently of the same boats and people as the previous photo, but from a different angle and closer-up. The people are holding up a white banner that reads &quot;Defendamos America Latina&quot;."></p>
<p><em>Photo: XR Venezuela</em></p>
<h4 id="venezuela---xr-statement"><strong>Venezuela - XR statement</strong></h4>
<p>In response to the United States’ recent assault on Venezuela, XR Latin America prepared a statement of their official position, which is available <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1uPKb-nDaoDds2M2ngupzrf4Ct7lUmpQZ4sMCU2lY1MQ/edit?tab=t.0#bookmark=id.hy14hb9s40tm">here</a>. The letter opens stating, “As a socio-environmental movement, we cannot remain silent in the face of the illegitimate and violent actions of the United States in Latin American territory.” The criminal Trump administration’s militaristic expansion of the U.S.’s reliance on fossil fuels by looting oil and resources from Latin America, most recently from Venezuela, highlights that the U.S. “has become the principal threat not only to Latin America, but to humanity as a whole, posing a direct danger to nature, biodiversity, and the planet itself.” XR Latin America’s letter concludes with a powerful call to action, urging socio-environmental movements to adapt their strategies in light of the rise of violent, fascist, and authoritarian capitalistic leadership. XR Rebels must resist this violent entrenchment of fossil fuel reliance and continue to fight for a healthy and safe future for our planet. <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1uPKb-nDaoDds2M2ngupzrf4Ct7lUmpQZ4sMCU2lY1MQ/edit?tab=t.0#bookmark=id.hy14hb9s40tm">Official Statement on Venezuela</a></p>
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<h2 id="action-roundup"><strong>Action Roundup</strong></h2>
<h4 id="xrscotland---strathclyde-pension-fund"><strong>XRScotland - Strathclyde Pension Fund</strong></h4>
<p><img src="/assets/uploads/103_3.png" alt="A photo of a group of people sitting on concrete steps. A banner reads &quot;Build a better future&quot;."></p>
<p><em>Image from</em> <em><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DSnesoWDXTU/?img_index=2">XR Scotland</a></em></p>
<p>Scottish Rebels joined climate and trade union groups outside the Strathclyde Pension Fund’s 50th anniversary in Glasgow to express their anger and deep concern over how workers’ pensions are being invested. <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DSvdKwVjVPL/?igsh=ZWswajM0ZWcwbHE4">Holding an “unhappy birthday” protest</a>, they highlighted the fund’s links to arms-related industries and called for an end to investments in some of the world’s biggest polluters (Shell, TotalEnergies, and Eni, to name a few) which are driving climate breakdown and contributing to the suffering of people in Gaza. Protesters appealed for compassion and accountability, urging the fund to divest from destructive industries and redirect money toward investments that respect human life and help build a fairer future for all. The Strathclyde Pension Fund invests over <strong>£400 million</strong> in fossil fuel companies. <a href="https://divest.platformlondon.org/fund/strathclyde">Read the full breakdown here</a>.</p>
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<h4 id="argentina---glacier-law"><strong>Argentina - Glacier Law</strong></h4>
<p><img src="/assets/uploads/103_4b.jpg" alt="Two photos of a group of people posing in an open plaza. In the second photo, a group of people are holding a large blue banner that says &quot;La ley de glaciares no se toca&quot;. 2 XR flags are visible."></p>
<p><em>Image: XR Argentina</em></p>
<p>Although Argentina was the first country to implement legal protections for glaciers and periglaciers, the nation’s President Javier Milei recently proposed amendments to Congress that would allow mining, fossil fuel exploration, and industrial activity in glacial and periglacial areas. On December 4th and 22nd, XR Argentina carried out actions in front of Argentina’s Congress in protest of the proposed amendments. Protecting these glaciated areas is critical for the preservation of Argentina's most precious water ecosystem. Learn more about the actions <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DS_BtJgEh1l/?igsh=MWlpOGU4dndjeDUzdA%3D%3D">here</a>.</p>
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<h2 id="positive-news"><strong>Positive News</strong></h2>
<h4 id="alaska-tests-a-theory%3A-solar-farms-help-nearby-crops-grow"><strong><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/21/climate/alaska-solar-farm-food.html">Alaska Tests a Theory: Solar Farms Help Nearby Crops Grow</a></strong></h4>
<p>Alaska might seem an unlikely place for groundbreaking solar energy projects, but both food and energy are very costly there, and the northerly state’s natural gas deposits are running out, so innovation is key – and bi-facing (or bifacial) solar panels could be part of the solution. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/21/climate/alaska-solar-farm-food.html">Researchers in the young science of agrivoltaics are studying whether the same land can be used to produce both food and energy</a>. Their testing ground is Alaska’s largest solar farm, which generates power for 1,400 homes. Could edible crops be grown between the arrays of solar panels, creating a combined food/solar farm?</p>
<p>Apparently, yes. Firstly, those bi-facing solar panels catch winter sunlight reflecting off the snow onto their backside. This can account for thirty percent of the energy produced in some seasons. As for the plants, too much sunlight would harm them – and with the Arctic warming four times faster than the rest of the planet, researchers observed that plants grow bigger if they have some shade. Not only do the solar panels offer protection from solar stress, but they also hold heat that can extend the growing season. Although it’s currently unclear whether the federal government will continue funding the project for the full three years originally planned, the scientists are enthusiastic about results they’ve measured even with only one season of data.</p>
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<h2 id="must-reads"><strong>Must Reads</strong></h2>
<h4 id="australia-to-offer-three-hours-free-solar-per-day-to-millions"><strong><a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/australia-offer-three-hours-free-solar-per-day-millions-2025-11-04/">Australia to offer three hours free solar per day to millions</a></strong><a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/australia-offer-three-hours-free-solar-per-day-millions-2025-11-04/"></a></h4>
<p>Australia has announced a new federal energy initiative called the “Solar Sharer” scheme that will give households at least three hours of free solar-generated electricity each day during peak sunshine hours. This initiative will be implemented from mid-2026 in the states of New South Wales, South Australia, and southeast Queensland. The programme is led by energy minister, Chris Bowen and aims to help consumers cut their energy bills. Importantly, the free power will only be available to households with smart meters, so households that do not have their own rooftop solar panels are encouraged to request a smart meter, broadening access to the benefits of Australia’s solar boom. Additionally, the government hopes the scheme will shift overall electricity demand away from expensive evening peak periods while reducing pressure on the grid and potentially lowering costs for all users. Learn more <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/nov/04/australia-free-solar-power-scheme-how-when-houshold-bills?CMP=greenlight_email">here</a>.</p>
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<h2 id="quick-watch"><strong>Quick Watch</strong></h2>
<h4 id="lost"><strong><a href="https://vimeo.com/1146898823?fl=pl&amp;fe=sh">Lost</a></strong></h4>
<p>The Red Rebels is a performance-art protest group which emerged from a UK branch of Extinction Rebellion, and is now expanding internationally. In <a href="https://vimeo.com/1146898823?fl=pl&amp;fe=sh">this video</a>, their unique and rousing approach to protest marks the World Biodiversity Loss Day, in mourning of species lost in our diminishing world. Cloaked in blood-red with painted faces, solemn expressions, and raised arms, their funeral-like procession through Ghent demands the attention of passersby. Through this colour, symbolism, and movement, their performance evokes an emotive response to the tragedy of biodiversity loss, and a deeper reflection on what threatened species still remain.</p>
<p>The fight against climate change has always been complex and multifaceted, and the enormity of its ambition to raise awareness of our dying world to people who don’t want to listen constantly demands new angles. Through their theatrical spin on protest action, the Red Rebels visually portray the abstract notion of loss, which is in its very nature invisible and intangible. The group captures the impacts of climate change which are not only damaging in a scientific and socioeconomic sense, but in a psychological one too. Any spectator can feel the stirrings of the rage, grief, and mourning of the climate crisis.</p>
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<h2 id="book-review"><strong>Book Review</strong></h2>
<p><img src="/assets/uploads/103_7.jpg" alt="Cover image of the book &quot;Winners Take All: The Elite Charade of Changing the World&quot; by Anand Giridharadas. "></p>
<h4 id="winners-take-all%3A-the-elite-charade-of-changing-the-world"><em><strong><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winners_Take_All:_The_Elite_Charade_of_Changing_the_World">Winners Take All: The Elite Charade of Changing the</a></strong></em> <em><strong><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winners_Take_All:_The_Elite_Charade_of_Changing_the_World">World</a></strong></em><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winners_Take_All:_The_Elite_Charade_of_Changing_the_World"></a></h4>
<p>In 2020, Jeff Bezos launched the Bezos Earth Fund by pledging $10 billion to “fight climate change and protect nature” while Amazon, the company he founded and still owns 8% of, has been <a href="https://www.iosrjournals.org/iosr-jhss/papers/Vol.30-Issue9/Ser-5/A3009050103.pdf"></a> <a href="https://www.iosrjournals.org/iosr-jhss/papers/Vol.30-Issue9/Ser-5/A3009050103.pdf">destroying the planet and driving climate change</a> since 1994. This isn’t an anomaly – it’s the rule, as journalist and author <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anand_Giridharadas">Anand Giridharadas</a> explains in his book, <strong>*Winners Take All: The Elite Charade of Changing the World</strong>.*</p>
<p>Although <em><strong>Winners Take All</strong></em> was written in 2018, the thesis is as urgent as ever: the people in power organize everything, including their philanthropy, to make sure they stay in power. Giridharadas explains that most philanthropic organizations in the world are based on principles outlined by robber baron Andrew Carnegie in 1889 in his essay “Gospel of Wealth”, namely that the rich have an obligation to society to “give back”. However, Carnegie ignored the fact that it was the industrialists’ capitalist exploitation that pushed people into poverty.</p>
<p>The current generation of tech billionaires has created <a href="https://inequality.org/article/the-gilded-age-then-the-gildest-age-now/"></a> <a href="https://inequality.org/article/the-gilded-age-then-the-gildest-age-now/">a new “gilded age”</a> in which the disparity between the wealthiest and the poorest has never been greater. And their so-called generosity is just another way to make sure the world doesn’t change.</p>
<p><em>Avoid Amazon. Support local bookshops in person when you can. Online buy your books at</em> <em><a href="https://uk.bookshop.org/">Bookshop</a></em> <em>or</em> <em><a href="https://www.hive.co.uk/">Hive</a>(UK).</em></p>
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<h2 id="dispatch-from-the-un"><strong>Dispatch from the UN</strong></h2>
<p>The Global Environment Outlook (GEO) is the UN Environment Programme’s flagship report on the state of the planet, published roughly every six years to guide global action on the environment. The seventh edition, GEO 7, released in December 2025, was produced by 287 experts from over 80 countries and delivers a very clear warning: <em>climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution, and land degradation are accelerating, and our current development paths are driving the world toward ecological collapse</em>.</p>
<p>The report also lays out urgent, actionable steps that could protect ecosystems and build a fairer and more sustainable future. Yet, <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1w9ge93w9po">according to the BBC</a>, GEO‑7 was released without its usual “Summary for Policymakers”, after governments including the US, Russia, and Saudi Arabia couldn’t agree on the science and recommendations (such as calling for a rapid phase-out of fossil fuels and major cuts to harmful subsidies). This bureaucratic deadlock could weaken the report’s urgent message, leaving those with the power to act unaware of the crisis unfolding. Meanwhile, communities and ecosystems around the world continue to suffer, reminding us that inaction has real human and environmental costs. <a href="https://www.unep.org/resources/global-environment-outlook-7">Read the full GEO-7 Report here</a></p>
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<h2 id="worth-a-second-look"><strong>Worth a Second Look</strong></h2>
<p><img src="/assets/uploads/103_6.png" alt="An etching of a heart-shape in blue with various flowers in white inside it."></p>
<h4 id="how-to-have-a-conversation-with-a-climate-change-sceptic"><strong><a href="https://rebellion.global/blog/2020/12/04/conversation-with-climate-sceptic/">How to have a conversation with a climate change sceptic</a></strong></h4>
<p>Have you ever felt the frustration of dealing with a blatant climate change denier? <a href="https://rebellion.global/blog/2020/12/04/conversation-with-climate-sceptic/">How to have a conversation with a climate change sceptic</a> offers us a quick guide to consult the next time you encounter one of these difficult interactions. Although compassion may not be the first emotion you feel surge within, author Nikki suggests reacting with compassion over judgement. It may be difficult for the average citizen to understand the severity of the climate crisis we are facing, when the world appears to remain so unnervingly calm. Our governments steer clear of words like “emergency” and “crisis”, instead framing climate change as a “debate”. The media fabricates the impression that climate change is still a distant problem, one for future generations. For now, it is simply easier to deny that <em>we all live in a house on fire.</em></p>
<p>This intentional ignorance from world leaders is a major hurdle to widespread recognition of the climate crisis, paired with the murky waters of false information in the age of the internet, where a voice is given to self-proclaimed professionals, and legitimate fact-checking is too often neglected. Interpreting climate change through politicians and media is more often an exercise in smoke and mirrors, yet scientific journals consistently prove the abnormality of global temperature rise and extinction rates with terrifying clarity. This XR blog post provides clear, scientifically-backed responses to common myths which people may use to shield themselves from the distressing truth of the state of our planet.</p>
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<h2 id="stand-with-the-global-south---power-the-rebellion"><a href="https://click.actionnetwork.org/ss/c/u001.EtNV8HBC60Tl7UuGmXS3sc6tKlWVsImjwRt1cUCQGaNGCx9PGdC7uxYzGbgRSfLODOjRKca1fYN1cffzGEuKRGeSopz9ogN7QID-fWMZ-ubEzhGgzC95piiaiMVjmyvDayi_uZQ0e4LCrvNmzSZNkYgFe0IS7dymIIJO3tzheuvwm7G4noktyIjVBfCM-WRikc4YBD1hAwkD-u38sVDXNthv4hSW-VBGsPU9JFf2_A7DNZ32Frp-qvIEnkHnuPljDWktzZ0fXe_7bvTzdjGYMmq2Ylw2XjyFqaaz4KU4xIHEjApPnyOw_BR_Ek-xjEZgpdYNL7jL8lNZA7V0waykPfdtYq6f1CzpNVzeMlYQzjYGSdI5XqKO9FzJff_4ix2x/4d8/4NAy5X_JT6q7iRqtjpY26w/h1/h001.FfW-i0K1wCDTKEYDXGscoWV9JVUf818Lm-t8n5XRRzw">Stand with the Global South - Power the Rebellion</a></h2>
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<h2 id="we-love-to-hear-from-our-readers"><strong>We Love to Hear From our Readers</strong></h2>
<p>Please email us at: <em><a href="mailto:xr-newsletter@protonmail.com">xr-newsletter@protonmail.com</a></em></p>
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<p><em>P.S. Forward this newsletter to a friend. If this was forwarded to you, join us and</em> <em><a href="https://actionnetwork.org/forms/newsletter-sign-up-17">subscribe</a></em> <em>to the XR Global Newsletter</em>.</p>
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            <title><![CDATA[Global Newsletter #102: Turning Towards Community ]]></title>
            <link>https://rebellion.global/blog/2025/12/15/global-newsletter-102</link>
            <guid>https://rebellion.global/blog/2025/12/15/global-newsletter-102</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 15 Dec 2025 15:28:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="/assets/uploads/102_1.jpg" alt="A photo of a group of people posing together outdoors. Most of the people hold flags or signs, including an XR flag."></p>
<p><em>Photo: XR Medellin</em></p>
<p><strong>Dear rebel,</strong></p>
<p>Extinction Rebellion’s <a href="https://rebellion.global/about-us/">Eighth Value</a> is to avoid blaming and shaming. In other words, “We live in a toxic system, but no one individual is to blame.” Our core demands are of changes that need to be made by those in power. Because of this, some say that XR believes the majority of people have no responsibility regarding the climate crisis, and that we expect governments and corporations to do the right thing all on their own.</p>
<p>We would like to set the record straight on this. To avoid blaming and shaming does not mean condoning the use of fossil fuels or rampant consumerism. It means understanding that not everyone has the money to buy an EV or the flexibility to ride their bike to work. It means lending a hand instead of pointing a finger. It means turning towards community instead of division.</p>
<p>If XR members felt no personal responsibility, there would be no reason for this newsletter. Instead, you’ll see that people across the globe are choosing to stand together in the streets of their home towns and demand the changes that those with power are resisting. You’ll see Ecuadorians celebrating the power of their own voices, and Peruvians defending their land. You’ll see citizens voting in local politicians who will defend our ecosystems, and calling out those who do not. You’ll have the chance to read XR Global Support’s <a href="https://rebellion.global/xreadiness/">brand-new guide</a> on survival, resilience, and community. And we hope you will feel inspired, in the words of our Eighth Value, to “embrace change that creates unity in diversity.”</p>
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<p><strong>This newsletter is brought to you by XR Global Support, a worldwide network of rebels who help our movement grow and need money to continue this crucial work.</strong></p>
<p><a href="https://chuffed.org/project/104770-2024-climate-justice-campaign" class="xr-button">BEST HOLIDAY GIFT EVER: A LIVEABLE PLANET</a></p>
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<h2 id="action-highlight"><strong>Action Highlight</strong></h2>
<h4 id="vozes-de-la-selva---voices-from-the-jungle"><strong>Vozes de la Selva - Voices from the Jungle</strong></h4>
<p><img src="/assets/uploads/102_2.jpg" alt="A photo of four people posing together, smiling and holding posters."></p>
<p><em>Photo: XR Medellin</em></p>
<p>The <strong>30th Conference of the Parties (COP)</strong> was controversial even before it began. True to form, COP30 was promoted to be a beacon of climate cooperation, however it turned out to be a largely divisive event. For months, a powerful wave of resistance has been building across Latin America as Indigenous communities and frontline groups unite with XR under the banner “Vozes de la Selva” to demand that their voices be placed at the center of all climate decisions. River flotillas in the Andes in Ecuador, youth-led climate carnivals in Chile, road blockades in Colombia and Peru, and local communities marching through the COP30 venue are all bold examples of actions united by shared demands for real climate justice. And even with COP30 now over, the movement hasn’t slowed. Actions continue across the region with more already planned for the months ahead. A reminder for us all: Real climate justice cannot happen without the people who protect the land.</p>
<p><strong>November, 2025 | Bolivia</strong></p>
<p><img src="/assets/uploads/102_3.jpg" alt="A photo of two people speaking into microphones. They stand beside and in front of a large banner that reads &quot;la tierra Amazonica sana sin venenos sin transgenicos, sin mineria&quot;."></p>
<p><em>Photo: XR Bolivia</em></p>
<p>Once again, the people find themselves betrayed by a government that hides destruction behind the false promise of “development,” sacrificing lives and territories for the benefit of powerful interests. In mid-November, rebels in Bolivia joined members of more than sixty other organizations to launch a non-violent national action in defense of what should never be under threat: the constitutional right to a healthy environment.</p>
<p>But the Bolivian government is trying to merge the MMAyA (Ministry of Environment and Water) with Rural Planning, while insisting on keeping Oscar Mario Justiniano as the head of environmental policy. Justiniano is openly tied to aggribusiness and deforestation. And so rebels walked through the streets of La Paz <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DRXfjsakXOC/?igsh=NmRpeWRxNjN6NGcx&amp;img_index=6">carrying posters and displaying a symbolic “buffet” of local produce</a>, each item pierced with empty syringes to illustrate the unnatural and harmful agricultural methods that could soon become a reality for Bolivians. They also held a peaceful protest outside the Ministry of Economy and Finance, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DRQih_Lkcbg/?igsh=MWhwcDdhMjgyYm40cQ%3D%3D&amp;img_index=3">offering fruit to the guards</a> as a gesture of unity. More actions are planned. Even in the face of uncertainty, Bolivia’s people stand united in protecting their environment, knowing their future is inseparable from the land. Follow XR Bolivia <a href="https://www.instagram.com/xrbolivia/">here</a>.</p>
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<p><strong>November 2025 | Amazon, Peru</strong></p>
<p><img src="/assets/uploads/102_4.jpg" alt="A photo of a group of people holding a long banner in front of a tropical forest edge. The banner reads &quot;creemos culturas regenertivas&quot;."></p>
<p><em>Photo: XR Peru</em></p>
<p>In recent weeks, Extinction Rebellion Peru (<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DQxZuHFCX5l/?igsh=eTZvNWZpb2VvbzUy">XR Peru</a>) has drawn renewed attention to the mounting crisis faced by Indigenous communities in the Peruvian Amazon. Through their initiative titled Voces de la Selva “Voices from the Jungle”, XR Peru spotlighted stories from communities in regions such as San Martín and Loreto, places under severe pressure from land grabs, extractive activities, and the expansion of industrial monocultures like oil-palm plantations. In a recent Instagram post, the group urged broader audiences to hear the perspectives of Indigenous leaders, elders, and local people who view the forest not as a resource to exploit but as a living network that sustains their cultures, livelihoods, and identities.</p>
<p>This action matters because the stakes are enormous. Over the past decade, the relentless spread of oil-palm agriculture across the Amazon has driven widespread deforestation, degraded ecosystems, and displaced whole communities. In many areas, including the traditional territories of Indigenous communities, old-growth rainforest has been destroyed to make room for plantations, often with little regard for the rights of those who lived there for generations, often with <a href="https://southafricatoday.net/environment/report-shows-peru-failed-to-stop-amazon-deforestation-for-palm-oil-and-cacao/">little regard for the law</a>.</p>
<p>For Indigenous and traditional communities, the forest is the source of food, water, medicine, cultural identity, memory, and spiritual connection to their ancestors. The loss of forest translates into the loss of livelihoods, ancestral knowledge, and biodiversity, as well as disruption to social and spiritual bonds passed down through generations. XR Peru’s “Voices from the Jungle” highlights exactly this: the forest does not need to be urbanized; it needs to be understood. ​​XR Peru’s action raises Indigenous voices by sharing firsthand testimonies and reframing the narrative about “development”, contributing to a vital movement of resistance and solidarity.</p>
<p><strong>November 2025 | Medellin, Colombia</strong></p>
<p><img src="/assets/uploads/102_5.jpg" alt="A photo of a group of people standing in a large room with a red floor. On the floor is a large, circular area."></p>
<p><em>Photo: XR Medellin</em></p>
<p>In Medellín on November 8th 2025, Extinction Rebellion Colombia (XR Colombia), together with local supporters, celebrated a moving event described as a “<a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DRvrnOkEdDK/?igsh=MXMyOW5ndnNvNDJ4Nw==">Celebration of Life and Song to the Water</a>&quot;. Through ritual, music, and gathering, the event aimed to re-affirm water as sacred, vital, and communal, countering the view of water as mere commodity, resource, or infrastructure. The gathering served as both a symbolic gesture and a call to protect water and ecosystems, honouring the deep connection between people, nature and the future of life. This resonates with a broader ethos within XR: waterways are not passive resources but living relationships deserving care. Just days later, from November 20th to 22nd, XR Colombia’s efforts intersected with a landmark national event: the <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DRdjL8DkW1o/?igsh=MXBzcWF4eGE3d2FpOA%3D%3D">Congreso Internacional de Gobernanza Cultural para la Paz: Voces Trenzando Territorios</a> in Cali. This congress brought together over 600 representatives from communities, social and cultural organisations, public institutions, and academia. Its purpose was to build a new framework for cultural governance, democracy, and peace in Colombia which is rooted in the diversity of communal cultures and popular expression.</p>
<p>During those days in Cali, participants engaged in dialogues, artistic exchanges, community-led workshops, and territorial mobilisations under themes such as listening, building collective identity, and mobilising for cultural rights. The outcome will include a national pact, also known as a “Manifiesto Nacional por las Culturas Populares, los Derechos Culturales y la Gobernanza Cultural”, intended to shape public policy and recognise cultural communities as central actors in Colombia’s future. XR Colombia’s participation and alignment with this congress signal a powerful recognition emphasising that environmental and climate justice cannot be separated from cultural justice, community memory, identity, and social inclusion. Colombia continues to grapple with environmental degradation, water insecurity, and historic inequalities linked to cultural marginalisation. Actions like these help shift dominant narratives from extractive and exploitative approaches to ones rooted in respect for life, community, memory and inclusivity.</p>
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<h2 id="action-update"><strong>Action Update</strong></h2>
<p><strong>November, 2025 | Ecuador</strong></p>
<p>Following on from our report in <a href="https://rebellion.global/blog/2025/11/17/global-newsletter-101/">last month’s newsletter</a>, XR rebels in Ecuador are celebrating a major victory as <a href="https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/ecuador-daniel-noboa-referendum-foreign-military-bases-warmongering-speech/">the public voted overwhelmingly against</a> the installation of foreign military bases and a change to Ecuador's Constitution. President Noboa’s proposal to establish a US base on the Galapagos Islands alarmed environmentalists, as the archipelago is home to more than 20% of the world’s biodiversity. Many feared that a change to the Constitution would have allowed increased extractivism. Ecuador was the first nation in the world to recognise nature as having rights, as declared in its 2008 constitution. However, economic reliance on the mining of gold, copper, and oil means that environmentally sensitive areas and Indigenous territories are still endangered. To modify the constitution would have been a significant step backward when our earth is begging for a step forward.</p>
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<h2 id="xreadiness---creating-community-now"><strong>XReadiness - Creating Community Now</strong></h2>
<p><img src="/assets/uploads/r2.jpg" alt="A hedgehog family."></p>
<p>The last thing anyone needs now is paranoid prepping and doom-laden warnings. That’s why a group of rebels from all over the world came together to create a <a href="https://rebellion.global/xreadiness/">different kind of guide</a>. We noticed a lot of government materials that encouraged emergency preparedness, but then left out most of the details about what that actually means. And we saw lots of prepper websites that assumed whatever happens, you’ll be alone in your private bunker eating canned peaches. None of that is very helpful for most people (if you have a bunker, this isn’t for you). Of course we’re also worried about living through the climate crisis and the other emergency situations that may arise from it, but we see this as a time to get ready by building community now —for before the crisis and for after the crisis, when we want to rebuild differently and so much better.</p>
<p>With these goals, we created <a href="https://rebellion.global/xreadiness/">a manual</a> that is practical and aims to help people actually prepare for whatever might be coming by including simple, actionable and adaptable checklists that individuals, families and groups can use to be more prepared every day. The components are all available <a href="https://click.actionnetwork.org/ss/c/u001.X6XUC7u8ppFLNtMO_55SZs_OQx2Q1rlxD80H_FdVCLJitFrCs0BQhEuzZm-0gBFr4sfFlVD7bQZNw9v8jzMiWzve9iKtjdh5SOdp6H1v-cGmo1Q1grATdBbAU9-x0csNEp-CfMHXTKk37C_aey2ewYG04ALnWAOJsoyOFTTXKRHZFGkhNDltF__XFxfzZwnGzDNv27hxs16b4vkRdDdH1x6HMZkS-6u5apf8XnS602yI9esJYOenQRNPpPijlZbtn9kriKgu6BWd0-OAD1zDVQ/4lt/zmcJtpqjTa67Eowhv2hTsA/h3/h001.3UUI3mSvuNDHAG-pXs3Dff73_9FktzzHTrVJwNVmokY">FREE to read</a> on the website and also to <a href="https://click.actionnetwork.org/ss/c/u001.X6XUC7u8ppFLNtMO_55SZs_OQx2Q1rlxD80H_FdVCLJitFrCs0BQhEuzZm-0gBFrkUJm3eM-2q73kS3GJqAR2Ng2AZCrA-HpxOcyutSTGnGgPTmd56R3bM849GWnCjmI7kgKKlpUBv3-Ej7HBm07lwtfLQVYflMcV-1ftT-Curu50SFhRC2UTGkiqAYY5QnY704hWe7QONraifh6Lt58drGdHoT2StoztYte69kxXMdFsoY54vfQBD6j5-TWxyMuCNr5xOBuTMPge1BnqqI3Vg/4lt/zmcJtpqjTa67Eowhv2hTsA/h4/h001.FBXYqGuueBPujAoWgKIg5mVtl-3c_R2wvtQNErpvxMY">download for free</a>. Printed <a href="https://rebellion.global/xreadiness/#xreadiness-order">packs</a> are also available to order (great gift idea!). And you can learn more about the project <a href="https://rebellion.global/blog/2025/11/23/xreadiness-1/">here</a>.</p>
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<h2 id="positive-news"><strong>Positive News</strong></h2>
<p><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/08/climate/jamaica-hurricane-solar-power.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&amp;referringSource=articleShare">After Jamaica’s Disastrous Storm, Solar Power Is a Bright Spot</a></p>
<p>In late October, Hurricane Melissa devastated Jamaica. In the wake of the disaster, electricity was not available across much of the island nation due to downed and damaged powerlines. But some residents found themselves lucky. Many Jamaicans with solar panels had electricity immediately after the storm and were able to support their neighbors by offering spaces to store perishable food and medicine and the opportunity to call loved ones. In a hurricane-prone nation, solar energy is increasing communities’ resiliency to storms like Hurricane Melissa. Read the full story <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/08/climate/jamaica-hurricane-solar-power.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&amp;referringSource=articleShare">here</a> and learn more about relief efforts <a href="https://www.directrelief.org/emergency/hurricane-melissa/?gad_source=1&amp;gad_campaignid=23275752212&amp;gbraid=0AAAAADEzrS93Moj-j98_2Qh5kI6GaVC4D">here</a>.</p>
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<h2 id="dispatch-from-a-city-near-you"><strong>Dispatch from a City Near You</strong></h2>
<p><a href="https://www.c40.org/">C40</a> represents a coalition of 97 cities - nearly a billion people - all around the world that are working to reduce fossil fuels emissions 50% by 2030, to build climate resilience, and to advance justice in climate action. C40 works to help cities set and achieve ambitious climate goals. In places like the United States, which currently has a federal administration that is hostile towards climate action, networks like C40 provide a useful space for cities to work to reach critical climate goals. Recent sub-national elections in the United States show that many states and cities there are serious about mitigating climate harms. Find out more <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2025-11-06/why-climate-mayors-feel-buoyed-by-us-elections?cmpid=BBD110625_GREENDAILY">here</a>.</p>
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<h2 id="humans-of-xr"><strong>Humans of XR</strong></h2>
<p><img src="/assets/uploads/101_8.png" alt="A image in green of a candle on a short holder burning inside an hourglass. It is clearly meant to suggest the XR logo."></p>
<p>Berta Cáceres was a Honduran land rights activist from the Lenca people who was murdered in 2016 by forces behind a controversial hydroelectric project she opposed. Born in 1971 in La Esperanza – a rural town, the highest in Honduras – Berta inherited a strong sense of social justice and solidarity from her midwife mother and was already politically active as a teenager. While at university, in her early 20s, she co-founded the Council of Popular and Indigenous Organizations of Honduras (COPINH) to oppose illegal logging and government-backed extractive projects, including mines and hydroelectric dams on environmentally sensitive or sacred Lenca territory.</p>
<p>Her passionate commitment to protecting the land and Indigenous rights was rooted in her lived experience and a sense of community survival and dignity, rather than abstract ecological theory. Following a US-backedmilitary coup in 2009, violence against activists in Honduras increased dramatically – especially towards Indigenous people. Courts twice issued warrants for Cáceres’ arrest, and she was forced into hiding for long periods. Despite the strain on her family life, the mother of four always held up motherhood as a source of strength, rather than a barrier to her political work.</p>
<p>The highest-profile campaign she led was against the Agua Zarca mega-dam on the Gualcarque River. It would have been Central America’s biggest hydropower project, choking off the local community’s main source of irrigation and drinking water. After years of peaceful protests had no effect, activists occupied the construction site in 2013. This drew massive media attention and finally forced international engineering companies and investors to withdraw from the project, citing concerns over human rights violations.</p>
<p>In 2015 Cáceres won the Goldman Environmental Prize, the “Green Nobel” honouring grassroots activists around the world. She famously said “We must undertake the struggle … wherever we may be, because we have no other spare or replacement planet. We have only this one, and we have to take action&quot;.</p>
<p>She always knew how dangerous her work was, and in March of 2016 she was murdered. While tributes poured in, her killing also sparked global outrage, culminating in the conviction of the gunmen and exposing how powerful corporate and political interests are complicit in the criminalization of activists and the suppression of human rights. Berta Cáceres is remembered as a fearless defender whose heroism continues to inspire rebels around the world today.</p>
<p><img src="/assets/uploads/102_10.jpg" alt="A photo of Berta Caceres sitting on a rock and looking over her shoulder to smile at the camera."></p>
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<h2 id="must-watch"><strong>Must Watch</strong></h2>
<p><strong><a href="https://snakeandwhale.com/">The Snake and The Whale</a></strong></p>
<p><img src="/assets/uploads/102_11.png" alt="A poster for The Snake and the Whale."></p>
<p><em>Image: The Snake and the Whale</em></p>
<p>This engrossing 98 minute <a href="https://snakeandwhale.com/">documentary</a> is about a problem that humans created and the refusal by a small, powerful minority to fix it. The film unfolds slowly, following the investigation by journalist and director John Carlos Frey, and becomes increasingly enraging and heart-breakingly tragic. The Southern Resident Orcas of the Pacific Northwest feed on salmon but they are starving to death because the salmon population has been decimated by <a href="https://www.wildsalmon.org/facts-and-information/myths-and-facts-about-lower-snake-river-dam-removal.html">four dams on the Lower Snake River</a>. This issue is ongoing, and multiple <a href="https://www.columbiariverkeeper.org/campaigns/snake-river-dam-removal/">local organizations</a>including Indigenous groups are working to shed light on the imminent yet preventable extinction of these killer whales. The film profiles inspiring individuals who have given their lives to studying and defending the whales. These experts realized that the problem was far upstream and have worked tirelessly to understand the complexities of dams, rivers, hydro power, and salmon life cycles. This <a href="https://snakeandwhale.com/awards">award-winning</a> film should help the plight of the orcas reach a wider audience and increase pressure on local politicians to remove the dams. Not yet in wide release, it is being <a href="https://snakeandwhale.com/upcoming-screenings">screened</a> around the world. Follow <a href="https://www.instagram.com/thesnakeandthewhale/">here</a> for updates.</p>
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<h2 id="worth-a-second-look"><strong>W</strong>orth a Second Look</h2>
<p><img src="/assets/uploads/101_10.png" alt="A heart-shape in blue with various flowers in white inside it."></p>
<p><strong><a href="https://rebellion.global/blog/2020/09/21/ethical-banks/">How to stop funding fossil fuels by moving to an ethical bank</a></strong></p>
<p>As we continue in our quest to create more awareness of banks funding fossil fuels, we’re digging up a blog post from the archives from 2020. Five years on, this article is truer than ever, revealing just how entrenched financial institutions remain in supporting industries that drive the climate crisis. The article exposes how most banks openly fund fossil fuels and calls on people to take control of their money. It urges switching to ethical banks that invest in renewable energy and sustainable projects, offering a bold five-step guide to make a real difference.</p>
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<h2 id="rebel-with-your-wallet"><a href="https://whydonate.com/fundraising/celebrating-impact-xr-global-south-rising">Rebel with your wallet</a></h2>
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<p>Forward this newsletter to a friend. If this was forwarded to you, join us and <a href="https://actionnetwork.org/forms/newsletter-sign-up-17">subscribe</a> to the XR Global Newsletter. If you have any questions or feedback, we want to hear from you. Get in touch at <a href="mailto:xr-newsletter@protonmail.com">xr-newsletter@protonmail.com</a>. Follow us on your <a href="http://linktr.ee/xrebellion">favourite platform</a>!</p>
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<p><em>P.S. Looking for a sustainable holiday gift? Make a donation to help</em> <em><a href="https://whydonate.com/fundraising/celebrating-impact-xr-global-south-rising">power the rebellion</a>!</em></p>
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            <title><![CDATA[XReadiness: Creating Community Now]]></title>
            <link>https://rebellion.global/blog/2025/11/23/xreadiness-1</link>
            <guid>https://rebellion.global/blog/2025/11/23/xreadiness-1</guid>
            <pubDate>Sun, 23 Nov 2025 12:14:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="/assets/uploads/r1.jpg" alt="A bird flying, with a flower on the background"></p>
<p>We know that the last thing anyone needs now is paranoid prepping and doom-laden warnings. That’s why a group of rebels from all over the world came together to create a <a href="https://rebellion.global/xreadiness/">different kind of guide</a>. We noticed a lot of government materials that encouraged emergency preparedness, but then left out most of the details about what that actually means. And we saw lots of prepper websites that assumed whatever happens, you’ll be alone in your private bunker eating canned peaches. Neither of these scenarios is very helpful for most people (if you have a bunker, this isn’t for you).</p>
<p>Of course we’re also worried about living through the climate crisis and the other emergency situations that may arise from it, but we see this as a time to get ready by building community now —for before the crisis and for after the crisis, when we want to rebuild differently and so much better.</p>
<p>With these goals, we created a manual that is practical and aims to help people actually prepare for whatever might be coming by including simple, actionable and adaptable checklists that individuals, families and groups can use to be more prepared every day. We hope we will never need our Go Bag or our Stay Shelf but we know that around the world, most of the climate disasters that are already happening have taken place with very little warning. For so many people, there hasn’t been time to get a Go Bag ready. That’s why you need to have it there by the door now, just in case. We have included five checklists: Emergency Plan, Go Bag, Stay Shelf, Car Kit and First Aid Kit.</p>
<p><img src="/assets/uploads/r2.jpg" alt="A hedgehog family."></p>
<p>In addition to getting physical items ready, one of the key aspects of XReadiness is starting a conversation. Sitting down with your family, your friends, your neighbours and working out what you would do in the event of a possible situation, like a flood or a prolonged power failure. How would you communicate without cell phones? Do you have a meeting point? You may be surprised by how many people have been worrying about these things alone. We want to talk about them together and make plans that include everyone, especially those who are more vulnerable.</p>
<p>But the ethos of this guide is not just to push you into preparedness, but to encourage you to turn towards those around you. We have the opportunity to teach and learn from each other, and thus become stronger, more resilient communities. The heart of XReadiness is the commitment to learning skills that take time and creating real community with those around you. Modern urban life has allowed many of us to skip mastering things like cooking from scratch, first aid, sewing, using a compass or growing our own food. But we still have time to learn these things and to share the knowledge we already have. This might mean taking a CPR course or asking your local municipality to set up a community garden. Maybe it’s learning how to grow cherry tomatoes in a windowbox. Maybe it’s starting to knit with your grandmother. Or teaching your nephew how to use a compass and read a map. No one individual will have all these skills which is one more reason why we need to work together.</p>
<p>Many of us live in anonymous cities. But <a href="https://www.npr.org/2025/06/10/nx-s1-5340713/north-carolina-climate-change-solutions">being ready takes a village</a>.That might mean introducing yourself to your neighbours for the first time. Or participating in a <a href="https://www.resilient-red-hook.com/">local association</a>. Or joining your <a href="https://rebellion.global/groups/#countries">nearest XR group</a>. It might mean getting outside and finding the green spaces in your neighbourhood. Or volunteering at your local library. Creating community isn’t a linear path but it is always worth it.</p>
<p>We hope you never experience a serious climate emergency, but we hope you will create the community to see you through one. <a href="https://rebellion.global/xreadiness/">Action is where readiness begins.</a></p>
<p><img src="/assets/uploads/r3.jpg" alt="A image of a candle on a short holder burning inside an hourglass. It is clearly meant to suggest the XR logo. A bird on the background"></p>
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            <title><![CDATA[Global Newsletter #101: The Universal Dream]]></title>
            <link>https://rebellion.global/blog/2025/11/17/global-newsletter-101</link>
            <guid>https://rebellion.global/blog/2025/11/17/global-newsletter-101</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 17 Nov 2025 14:20:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="/assets/uploads/101_1.jpg" alt="A photo of an outdoor street protest with a large crowd. The people in the foreground hold a large banner made of cloth, but it's hard to read. The people behind them carry signs and red flags."></p>
<p><em>Photo: XR latinoamerica</em></p>
<p><strong>Dear rebel,</strong></p>
<p>Despite centuries of political revolution, it seems those in power still have a misunderstanding. Even though you probably don’t identify with terms like <em>feudalism</em> or the <em>divine right of kings</em>, billionaires, politicians, and big business still seem to. Every action they take proclaims that they believe our lives and lands exist only for their profit. Across the world, they exploit our resources without concern for their impacts on the majority of human beings or, indeed, other living things.</p>
<p>In this month’s newsletter, XR is here to tell you that we will not live their dream. We are a movement made up of members of the general public, and we have our own dreams. Our dreams do not end at the cessation of fossil fuels. Rather, they begin there. Because only a world that is not exploited, polluted, and threatened by the few can foster our real desires: to live happy, healthy lives. The specifics of our ambitions vary as widely as any population of citizens. But around the world, XR members are putting their own dreams on hold to fight for that better world. In Ecuador, they are reminding world leaders that theirs is not sacrificial land. In South Africa, they are standing up against the operation of yet more coal mines. And in Germany, rebels are demonstrating the horrors of corrupt financial institutions.</p>
<p>We know that you, like us, have dreams. Maybe you want to cure rare diseases, or maybe you just want to raise your children. But no matter your goals, they will remain vulnerable as long as the few with power and money believe theirs are the only dreams that matter. So please take a moment to draw inspiration from XR groups around the world. And then, in whatever way you are able, we hope you will help us fight for the universal dream of a better world.</p>
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<p><strong>This newsletter is brought to you by XR Global Support, a worldwide network of rebels who help our movement grow and need money to continue this crucial work.</strong></p>
<p><a href="https://chuffed.org/project/104770-2024-climate-justice-campaign" class="xr-button">BEST HOLIDAY GIFT EVER: A LIVEABLE PLANET</a></p>
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<h2 id="action-highlight"><strong>Action Highlight</strong></h2>
<h4 id="no-somos-territorios-de-sacrificio"><strong>No somos territorios de sacrificio</strong></h4>
<p><img src="/assets/uploads/101_2.jpg" alt="In the foreground of this photograph is a person wearing a colorful and highly stylized mask of knitted or crocheted yarn and holding a sign that says &quot;yo voto no&quot;."></p>
<p><em>Photo: xrcuenca</em></p>
<p><strong>November 2025 | Ecuador</strong></p>
<p>This month, XR rebels in Ecuador are fighting to protect a national natural treasure. The Galapágos Islands, a world-famous national park and marine reserve, are threatened by the proposal to put a US military base on Baltra Island. Despite the rare biodiversity of the archipelago, home to over 150 endangered animal and plant species, Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa and US President Donald Trump have been discussing the scheme since December 2024. The final decision whether to allow foreign military bases in the country will come to a head in a national referendum on 16th November.</p>
<p>Rebels in Ecuador have <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DQk34UojeWY/?igsh=MXdqeTViYmJlN2Jldg==">campaigned online and on the streets</a>, their action focusing on urging citizens to vote against the military base. Quito rebels displayed banners in the Carapungo neighbourhood and handed out potted plants to passersby adorned with a <em>vote no</em> motif, a thoughtful reminder of the human appreciation of nature when it sits before us, yet frequent neglect of our duty to protect it. Online, an impactful media campaign depicts the animals native to the Galapágos, whose home is left at risk by these military developments. The species portrayed, such as the Galapágos penguin, Galapágos sea-lion, and marine iguana, live predominantly or exclusively on the archipelago.</p>
<p><img src="/assets/uploads/101_3.jpg" alt="A group of three posters with similar designs and the same logos."></p>
<p><em>Photos: xrcuenca</em></p>
<p>To threaten the sanctity of the Galapágos is to threaten thousands of species which have lived for millions of years on the islands in geographic isolation. It is an attack on a unique pocket of biodiversity, rare in a world dominated by the atrocities of human development. During the Second World War, the operation of a previous US military base on Baltra Island led to the near-disappearance of the endangered yellow iguana population.</p>
<p>Moreover, the Ecuadorian population feels lied to. The proposition is a direct violation of the Ecuadorian constitution, which promises respect and protection of the Pacha Mama and natural spaces of the nation. What will our world become if nature reserves continue to be violated in this way? A military base on the Galapagos archipelago, skyscrapers surrounding the last pines of Yellowstone, an oil rig looming above the Great Barrier Reef? This issue strikes at the very heart of what our organisation stands for and the phenomenon from which we take our name: without rebellion, extinction is inevitable. Follow <a href="https://www.instagram.com/xrecuador/">xrecuador</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/xrcuenca/">xrcuenca</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/xrlatinoamerica/">xrlatinoamerica</a><strong>.</strong></p>
<p><img src="/assets/uploads/101_4.jpg" alt="Another three posters of the series shown before."></p>
<p><em>Photos: xrlatinoamerica</em></p>
<hr>
<h2 id="action-roundup"><strong>Action Roundup</strong></h2>
<h4 id="xr-vaal-stands-against-new-coal-mines"><strong>XR Vaal stands against new coal mines</strong></h4>
<p><img src="/assets/uploads/101_5.jpg" alt="Two photos, both in some urban place. with a few people holding signs in the background."></p>
<p><em>Photos: XR Vaal</em></p>
<p><strong>October 2025 | Gauteng, South Africa</strong></p>
<p>XR Vaal (Gauteng, South Africa) carried out a <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DQYVchGgEH6/?igsh=MXhsMHZoODF6ZnJ3cQ==">non violent direct action</a> outside the Department of Minerals, Resource, and Energy (DMRE) Regional Office at Braamfontein, Johannesburg. They were demanding clarity on the ‘prior public consent’ in the Environmental Authorisations for the coal mines issued by the Department.</p>
<p>Gauteng is the smallest province in South Africa but has the largest population and is home to Johannesburg, the biggest city in South Africa. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/xrshef/posts/-pass-the-mic-%EF%B8%8F-vaal-south-africa-today-xr-vaal-and-vaal-environmental-justice-a/1204778279962064/">Residents of the Vaal area and XR rebels</a> have been <a href="https://groundup.news/article/midvaal-communities-say-propsed-open-cast-coal-mine-threatens-their-way-of-live/">protesting open pit coal mines</a> near their communities for years.</p>
<p>Last month, XR Vaal emphasized that the company proposing the new mines, Glubay Coal, is a subsidiary of <a href="https://www.menar.com/what-we-do">Canyon Coal</a> which is continuing to ship coal to Israel, <a href="https://passblue.com/2025/04/21/coal-from-south-africa-keeps-flowing-to-israel-despite-the-icj-genocide-case/">despite South Africa’s strong public stance</a> against the war in Gaza and the genocide case it brought against Israel.</p>
<p>For more about XR Rebel Actions around the world, follow <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DQYVchGgEH6/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link">@extinctionrebellion</a></p>
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<h4 id="the-real-horror-is-the-banks"><strong>The real horror is the banks</strong></h4>
<p><img src="/assets/uploads/101_6.jpg" alt="A photo of a street-theater scene in an outdoor urban space. Someone in a polar bear suit is laying on the ground, apparently being stabbed in the chest by a character in black fur. Another performer is holding a sign that says &quot;Deutsche Bank raus aus der finanzieruns fossiler expansion&quot;!"></p>
<p><em>Photo: XR Hamburg</em></p>
<p><strong>1 November 2025 | Hamburg, Germany</strong></p>
<p>In a bold and spooky <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DQg7DSUjV79/?igsh=MWFmNGg5dzB0MmliMA%3D%3D"></a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DQg7DSUjV79/?igsh=MWFmNGg5dzB0MmliMA%3D%3D">Halloween protest</a>, German rebels took to Hamburg’s city centre to confront Deutsche Bank over its devastating role in the fossil fuel industry. Dressed as terrifying characters in a chilling nod to the holiday, rebels demanded an immediate end to all oil, gas, and coal investments. This non-violent action, part of a Germany-wide wave of demonstrations, aimed to expose the 'creepy' and destructive practices of the country’s largest financial institution.</p>
<p>Between 2016 and 2023, Deutsche Bank funneled <a href="https://bank.green/banks/deutsche_bank"></a> <a href="https://bank.green/banks/deutsche_bank">$60 billion into the fossil fuel industry</a>, making it the sixth-largest bank in Europe financing fossil fuels. Philipp Noack, Finance Campaigner at <a href="https://www.urgewald.org/en/medien/banks-provide-more-twice-much-finance-fossil-fuels-energy-transition"></a> <a href="https://www.urgewald.org/en/medien/banks-provide-more-twice-much-finance-fossil-fuels-energy-transition">Urgewald,</a> emphasised the bank’s failures: 'Deutsche Bank, in particular, is failing to transform its business model. Instead of promoting sustainable energies, it has actually cut back on financing them while simultaneously increasing its support for risky fossil fuels'.</p>
<p>Across the Atlantic, last month, rebels in Boston staged a similar demonstration targeting major U.S. banks that finance fossil fuels - you can read all about it in <a href="https://xrboston.org/press/activists-greet-boston-commuters-by-hanging-drop-dirty-banks-banners-along-storrow-drive/"></a> <a href="https://xrboston.org/press/activists-greet-boston-commuters-by-hanging-drop-dirty-banks-banners-along-storrow-drive/">October’s newsletter</a>. Follow Extinction Rebellion Hamburg <a href="https://www.instagram.com/extinctionrebellion_hamburg/">here</a>. From Hamburg to Boston, climate activists are sending a clear message**: financial institutions can no longer hide from their role in driving the climate crisis.**</p>
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<h2 id="positive-news"><strong>Positive News</strong></h2>
<h4 id="investment-in-renewables-is-surging%2C-making-the-transition-'inevitable'"><strong>Investment in renewables is surging, making the transition 'inevitable'</strong></h4>
<p>Investment in clean energy sources and storage is accelerating, helping save vast sums of money and bolstering economic resilience worldwide. And <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/nov/12/supply-boom-in-cheaper-renewables-will-seal-end-of-fossil-fuel-era-says-iea">this supply boom will 'seal the transition'</a> away from fossil fuels according to the annual report from the International Energy Agency (IEA).</p>
<p>A new study, also by the IEA, found that since 2010, over <a href="https://www.carbonbrief.org/iea-renewables-have-cut-fossil-fuel-imports-for-more-than-100-countries/">100 countries have reduced their reliance on importing coal and gas</a> for electricity generation – some by a third, and even up to half, in the case of Denmark.</p>
<p>Despite opposition from right-wing political figures in the US and elsewhere, <a href="https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/clean-energy/chart-global-renewable-energy-investment-breaks-records">investment in renewables hit a record high</a> in the first half of 2025. Europe is seeing particularly significant increases as developers redirect offshore wind projects from the US.</p>
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<h2 id="must-reads"><strong>Must Reads</strong></h2>
<p><strong><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/oct/16/plug-in-hybrids-pollute-almost-as-much-as-petrol-cars-report-finds?CMP=greenlight_email">Plug-in hybrid cars are almost as bad for the environment as petrol cars</a></strong></p>
<p>A study by Transport &amp; Environment (T&amp;E), found that plug-in hybrid vehicles -PHEVs- (long promoted as a cleaner alternative) emit nearly as much CO₂ as petrol cars in real-world driving. An analysis of 800,000 European hybrids showed emissions nearly <em>five times higher</em> than lab tests claimed, delivering a mere 19% reduction compared to petrol or diesel vehicles. Even when driven in electric mode, PHEVs emit _68 gCO₂/km_because their electric motors lack sufficient power, forcing the combustion engine to supply energy for almost one-third of the distance. This hidden fuel use disproves the perception of electric savings. The report warns that PHEVs are risky, not a long-term solution, and stresses the need to enforce <a href="https://www.transportenvironment.org/articles/closing-the-growing-phev-loophole"></a> <a href="https://www.transportenvironment.org/articles/closing-the-growing-phev-loophole">utility factor corrections</a>. Read more <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/oct/16/plug-in-hybrids-pollute-almost-as-much-as-petrol-cars-report-finds?CMP=greenlight_email"></a> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/oct/16/plug-in-hybrids-pollute-almost-as-much-as-petrol-cars-report-finds?CMP=greenlight_email">here</a> | Read the study <a href="https://www.transportenvironment.org/articles/smoke-screen-the-growing-phev-emissions-scandal"></a> <a href="https://www.transportenvironment.org/articles/smoke-screen-the-growing-phev-emissions-scandal">here</a></p>
<hr>
<p><strong><a href="https://www.smithschool.ox.ac.uk/news/carbon-offsets-have-failed-25-years-and-most-should-be-phased-out-research-0">New research proves carbon offsets are an illusion of climate action</a></strong></p>
<p>A major new review has delivered a damning verdict on the global carbon-offset system, finding that after 25 years it has <em>largely failed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions</em> in any meaningful way. The analysis exposes deep, systemic flaws from non-additionality (where credits are issued for projects that would have happened anyway), to impermanence, (as forests burn or are later cleared), to leakage (where emissions simply shift elsewhere). It also highlights double-counting and weak oversight that have allowed companies and governments to exaggerate their climate progress.</p>
<p>The researchers warn that this broken system has become a dangerous illusion and a way for polluters to buy the appearance of action while continuing business as usual. Researchers are now calling for a bold shift away from unreliable offsets toward genuine solutions: permanent carbon removal, tougher regulation, and above all, rapid, direct cuts to emissions. Read more <a href="https://www.smithschool.ox.ac.uk/news/carbon-offsets-have-failed-25-years-and-most-should-be-phased-out-research-0"></a> <a href="https://www.smithschool.ox.ac.uk/news/carbon-offsets-have-failed-25-years-and-most-should-be-phased-out-research-0">here</a> | <a href="https://www.annualreviews.org/content/journals/10.1146/annurev-environ-112823-064813"></a> <a href="https://www.annualreviews.org/content/journals/10.1146/annurev-environ-112823-064813">Read the research</a></p>
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<p><strong><a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2025/10/forest-declaration-assessment-reveals-a-forest-paradox/">Forest Declaration Assessment reveals a forest paradox</a></strong></p>
<p>A spike in the regrowth of new trees may sound like good news, but in reality is part of a larger, bleaker truth. This <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2025/10/forest-declaration-assessment-reveals-a-forest-paradox/">article from Mongabay</a> frames forest regrowth for what it truthfully is: merely a natural follow-on from excessive destruction by humans, rather than the result of any government-led initiative to slow or heal from deforestation. More new trees are growing in spaces cleared by logging, simply because those cleared spaces are increasing exponentially in number. And those new saplings are far from replacing the value of the most ancient and biodiverse forests which are disappearing the fastest.</p>
<p>We are currently seeing very little applaudable action from nations, and international environmental conferences seem to disintegrate into empty promises and ultimately, missed targets. We must not be misled by the idea that forests around us are healing, as they are not healing faster than we are destroying them.</p>
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<h2 id="quick-watch"><strong>Quick Watch</strong></h2>
<p>The great news is that solar and wind power have been expanding rapidly. The bad news is that expansion has created a backlash of disinformation. Carbon Brief has done an excellent <a href="https://interactive.carbonbrief.org/factcheck/solar/index.html">summary of common falsehoods</a>and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccu-Qdp39xA">this 2 minute video</a> is a quick and very clear explanation about how much land is needed for the U.S. to run on 100% renewables. Spoiler alert: less than is currently used for fossil fuels and biofuels.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccu-Qdp39xA">Busting a myth on how much land is needed for the U.S. to run on 100% renewables vs fossil+biofuels</a></p>
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<h2 id="book-review"><strong>Book Review</strong></h2>
<p><img src="/assets/uploads/101_7.jpg" alt="The cover image of the book, The Conceivable Future&quot;."></p>
<h4 id="the-conceivable-future-by-meghan-elizabeth-kallman-and-josephine-ferorelli"><strong>The Conceivable Future by Meghan Elizabeth Kallman and Josephine Ferorelli</strong></h4>
<p>In their book, <em><a href="https://www.conceivablefuture.org/">The Conceivable Future</a></em>, authors Meghan Elizabeth Kallman and Josephine Ferorelli skillfully unpack impossible questions like &quot;should I have children when we are living in a climate crisis?&quot; The authors began by exploring the nexus of family and climate change by hosting house parties where community members <a href="https://www.conceivablefuture.org/who-we-are-2">connected and discussed</a> the sensitive and nuanced topics of family planning and taking action in the age of climate change. The conversations and concerns shared at those events evolved into the book.</p>
<p>This book is exceptionally well researched. Kallman and Ferorelli present a compelling argument about why babies are not bad for the planet and why reproduction should not be seen as an emissions reduction tool. First, affluence, not population, is the primary driver of greenhouse gas emissions. Second, in detailing the long, shameful history of reproductive injustice in the United States and globally, the authors make clear that controlling, or encouraging the control of, the reproduction of (child-bearing) bodies is never acceptable.</p>
<p><strong>Our reviewer wrote:</strong> &quot;I do not have children, and I do not have strong climate-related concerns around whether or not to have children. But I have known people who do not want to have children for climate-related reasons. Before I picked it up, I expected that this book would be helpful for learning more about this topic in general, but I also suspected that I might not connect with the book because I do not have or want children. But I did connect with this book. It was engaging and informative, and I am glad I read it.&quot;</p>
<p><em>Avoid Amazon. Support local bookshops in person when you can. Online buy your books at</em> <em><a href="https://uk.bookshop.org/">Bookshop</a></em> <em>or</em> <em><a href="https://www.hive.co.uk/">Hive</a></em> <em>(UK).</em></p>
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<h2 id="ancestors-of-xr"><strong>Ancestors of XR</strong></h2>
<p><img src="/assets/uploads/101_8.png" alt="A image in green of a candle on a short holder burning inside an hourglass. It is clearly meant to suggest the XR logo."></p>
<h4 id="the-luddites"><strong>The Luddites</strong></h4>
<p>There’s a very old word that seems to be on everyone’s lips again, from increasing numbers of proud dumbphone owners to events like the recent 'NYC Luddite Tribunal' and Columbia University’s conference entitled 'New Luddism'. Why is the term Luddite back in circulation?</p>
<p>Two centuries ago, the Industrial Revolution brought in new mechanical innovations that would transform the nature of work and entirely reshape Western societies. Craftspeople saw their traditional skills supplanted by industrial-scale machinery that speeded up production, maximizing efficiency and profit for the factory owners. These once-independent artisans – used to owning their own tools and setting prices for what they made – were now herded into big factories where their hours, pace, and output were tightly controlled. A loosely organized resistance movement of textile workers sprang up in northern England, known as the Luddites. These bands of skilled weavers, knitters, and artisans could see that the new system wasn’t in their best interests; it would strip them of any control, concentrating ownership in a few hands and reducing workers to replaceable cogs that could be manipulated and discarded at will.</p>
<p>The Luddites are famous for rioting and smashing the mill owners’ new mechanized looms they feared would steal their livelihoods. But it wasn’t the technology itself they were against – it was <em>the fact that it eroded their autonomy and the social cohesion</em> of their communities*.* The British government suppressed these uprisings with brutal military force, shooting rioters and sentencing them to be hanged or transported to penal colonies in Australia. Although the Luddites were ultimately crushed, their name endures as a symbol of resistance to unregulated technological change. Like today’s rebels, they opposed a model of progress that prioritizes profit and productivity over human and ecological wellbeing.</p>
<p>The AI boom has been a powerful enabler of corporate automation and cost-cutting algorithms. With Big Tech fundamentally transforming modern life in the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the Luddites remind us of the moral dimension behind technological progress: a small elite are enriched, while countless others are left deskilled and economically powerless in a society that’s lost its humanity. Being a Luddite today isn’t about smashing machines, but helping smash oppressive systems – and more and more of us are proudly reclaiming the Luddite mantle.</p>
<p><img src="/assets/uploads/101_9.jpg" alt="An old card with a cartoon illustration of what looks like a man in a blue dress with black polka dots who is holding a spike and gesturing as though to spur on followers. At the bottom are the words &quot;the leader of the Luddites&quot;."></p>
<p><em>Photo: Working Class Movement Library catalogue, in public domain, via Wikimedia Commons</em></p>
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<h2 id="worth-a-second-look"><strong>Worth a Second Look</strong></h2>
<p><img src="/assets/uploads/101_10.png" alt="A heart-shape in blue with various flowers in white inside it."></p>
<p><a href="https://rebellion.global/blog/2021/12/13/wildfire-smoke-alarming-facts/">The Fallout From Faraway Fires: Nine Alarming Facts About Wildfire Smoke</a></p>
<p>Heed this warning; you may choose to live in blissful ignorance of our burning world until wildfire smoke from thousands of miles away fills your lungs on your morning commute. Through nine haunting facts about the widespread effects of wildfire smoke and its pollutants, this blog post portrays the sheer scale of the damage caused by our increasingly longer and drier summers, from the flames of the forests to the smog-blanketed cities. As more medical consequences of pollutants from wildfire smoke are discovered, we are reminded that our health and the health of the earth are intrinsically linked. Immediate action is the only way to ensure the safety of future generations.</p>
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<h2 id="extinction-rebellion-global-support-2024-financial-report"><strong>Extinction Rebellion Global Support 2024 Financial Report</strong></h2>
<p>Accountability and transparency matter. XR depends on its supporters and we’d like to share with you how your donations were used last year. Check out the XR Global 2024 Financial Report <a href="https://cloud.organise.earth/s/WHHLBswExjsHDTF?dir=/&amp;editing=false&amp;openfile=true">here</a>.</p>
<h2 id="rebel-with-your-wallet"><a href="https://click.actionnetwork.org/ss/c/u001.EtNV8HBC60Tl7UuGmXS3sc6tKlWVsImjwRt1cUCQGaNGCx9PGdC7uxYzGbgRSfLODOjRKca1fYN1cffzGEuKRGeSopz9ogN7QID-fWMZ-ubEzhGgzC95piiaiMVjmyvDayi_uZQ0e4LCrvNmzSZNkYgFe0IS7dymIIJO3tzheuvwm7G4noktyIjVBfCM-WRikc4YBD1hAwkD-u38sVDXNthv4hSW-VBGsPU9JFf2_A7DNZ32Frp-qvIEnkHnuPljDWktzZ0fXe_7bvTzdjGYMmq2Ylw2XjyFqaaz4KU4xIHEjApPnyOw_BR_Ek-xjEZgpdYNL7jL8lNZA7V0waykPfdtYq6f1CzpNVzeMlYQzjYGSdI5XqKO9FzJff_4ix2x/4d8/4NAy5X_JT6q7iRqtjpY26w/h1/h001.FfW-i0K1wCDTKEYDXGscoWV9JVUf818Lm-t8n5XRRzw">Rebel with your wallet</a></h2>
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<h2 id="from-our-readers"><strong>From our Readers</strong></h2>
<p>We’d like to hear from you! Please email us at: <em><a href="mailto:xr-newsletter@protonmail.com">xr-newsletter@protonmail.com</a></em></p>
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<p>Forward this newsletter to a friend. If this was forwarded to you, join us and <a href="https://actionnetwork.org/forms/newsletter-sign-up-17">subscribe</a> to the XR Global Newsletter. If you have any questions or feedback, we want to hear from you. Get in touch at <a href="mailto:xr-newsletter@protonmail.com">xr-newsletter@protonmail.com</a></p>
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<p><em>P.S. Looking for a sustainable holiday gift? Make a donation to help</em> <em><a href="https://click.actionnetwork.org/ss/c/u001.EtNV8HBC60Tl7UuGmXS3sc6tKlWVsImjwRt1cUCQGaNGCx9PGdC7uxYzGbgRSfLODOjRKca1fYN1cffzGEuKRGeSopz9ogN7QID-fWMZ-ubEzhGgzC95piiaiMVjmyvDayi_uZQ0e4LCrvNmzSZNkYgFe0IS7dymIIJO3tzheuvwm7G4noktyIjVBfCM-WRikc4YBD1hAwkD-u38sVDXNthv4hSW-VBGsPU9JFf2_A7DNZ32Frp-qvIEnkHnuPljDWktzZ0fXe_7bvTzdjGYMmq2Ylw2XjyFqaaz4KU4xIHEjApPnyOw_BR_Ek-xjEZgpdYNL7jL8lNZA7V0waykPfdtYq6f1CzpNVzeMlYQzjYGSdI5XqKO9FzJff_4ix2x/4d8/4NAy5X_JT6q7iRqtjpY26w/h1/h001.FfW-i0K1wCDTKEYDXGscoWV9JVUf818Lm-t8n5XRRzw">power the rebellion</a>!</em></p>
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            <title><![CDATA[Global Newsletter #100: Steadfast perseverance]]></title>
            <link>https://rebellion.global/blog/2025/10/31/global-newsletter-100</link>
            <guid>https://rebellion.global/blog/2025/10/31/global-newsletter-100</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 31 Oct 2025 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="/assets/uploads/100_1.png" alt="A group of animals in the grass, with the words VOCES DE LA SELVA. In the upper right is the Extinction Rebellion name and logo."></p>
<p><em>Image: XR Global</em></p>
<p><strong>Dear Rebel,</strong></p>
<p>This month, the world celebrated its victories. <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2rz08en2po">Renewables surpassed coal</a> as a source of energy in the first half of 2025. In Ecuador, the Waorani won a major legal battle to protect their land. And in Israel and Palestine, hostages and prisoners were finally released to their homes. Yet even as we acknowledge these and other valuable steps towards peace and sustainability, there is the sense that we are holding our breath. We are thinking about how these wars have gone on longer than we could have imagined, how emissions have remained higher than we dared fear. We are asking, what is the difference between a ceasefire and a peace pact? We are asking, what is the difference between less coal and no coal? And how can we not have doubts when, in just this same month, scientists announced that <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/oct/13/coral-reefs-ice-sheets-amazon-rainforest-tipping-point-global-heating-scientists-report">we have reached our first climate tipping point</a>, and the last ship in the Gaza-bound humanitarian aid flotilla was intercepted?</p>
<p>The people comprising the Global Sumud Flotilla knew the effort and risk involved in their endeavor. After all, they chose the name Sumud, which means steadfast perseverance in Arabic. So while the flotilla may have disintegrated, we must not let our hopes for peace and prosperity do the same. That is why, across the globe, Extinction Rebellion activists are carrying out tireless acts of civil disobedience and gearing up for more. And if, after reading this newsletter, you wonder how you might contribute to this spirit of perseverance, we would suggest that it might start with small steps. You might reach out to your local XR group. You might <a href="https://whydonate.com/fundraising/voices-from-the-jungle-latin-americas-amazon-defense-campaign">help our Latin American groups</a> hold mass protests at this year’s COP. You can also talk to us through our anonymous <a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdwi0Jmn1j9uZ9i49vDJm4N43tcVbdskc6VVX7A2fyVOPx4Hg/viewform?usp=sharing&amp;ouid=103009318347315064144">reader survey</a> and tell us how we can better tell the ongoing story of those who keep on keeping on.</p>
<p><strong><a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdwi0Jmn1j9uZ9i49vDJm4N43tcVbdskc6VVX7A2fyVOPx4Hg/viewform?usp=sharing&amp;ouid=103009318347315064144">XR Global Newsletter Reader Survey</a></strong></p>
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<p><strong>This newsletter is brought to you by XR Global Support, a worldwide network of rebels who help our movement grow and need money to continue this crucial work.</strong></p>
<p>[<a href="https://whydonate.com/fundraising/voices-from-the-jungle-latin-americas-amazon-defense-campaign">DEFEND THE AMAZON</a>]</p>
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<h2 id="action-highlight"><strong>Action Highlight</strong></h2>
<h4 id="the-amazon-is-burning.-we%E2%80%99re-fighting-back."><strong>The Amazon is Burning. We’re Fighting Back.</strong></h4>
<p><img src="/assets/uploads/100_2.png" alt="The image is dominated by a building much taller than all the others on which is projected in greenish-white light the XR logo and the words THE AMAZON IS BURNING."></p>
<p><em>Photo: XR Global</em></p>
<p><strong>November 2025 | Latin America</strong></p>
<p>COP30, the annual UN conference on climate change, is being held in Belém, Brazil from November 10th to 21st. Extinction Rebellion Latin American chapters will be protesting this event by holding actions all across the continent. 30 years on from the first COP and after 30 years of broken promises, our planet is at an inflection point.</p>
<p>While world leaders get cozy with agri-businesses and fossil fuel lobbyists, Indigenous communities and activists across Latin America are organizing the largest coordinated resistance in the region's history. We'll disrupt COP30 with 40 powerful actions across 10 countries - blocking illegal mining, amplifying silenced voices, and proving that real climate solutions come from the people, not politicians.</p>
<p>But we need funds to train activists, support direct actions, and make sure the voices protecting our planet's lungs can't be ignored. We must stop the destruction of our forests, the ravaging of our lands, the poisoning of our food and water, and the forced displacement of our Indigenous sisters and brothers. The forest can't wait. Neither can we. We will not simply stand by. <strong>But we need you to stand with us</strong>. COP30 in Brazil might be our last chance to show those in power that the Amazon has the power of millions behind it - and that we will never back down. Show your support <a href="https://whydonate.com/fundraising/voices-from-the-jungle-latin-americas-amazon-defense-campaign">here</a>.</p>
<p><img src="/assets/uploads/100_3.jpg" alt="A photograph of a group of people in a protest march on a city street carrying various flags and signs."></p>
<p><em>Photo: XR Bolivia</em></p>
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<h2 id="action-roundup"><strong>Action Roundup</strong></h2>
<p><img src="/assets/uploads/100_4.jpg" alt="A photograph of a foot bridge over an urban highway. A tree grows in the foreground. From the footbridge hangs a purple banner with the words DROP YOUR DIRTY BANK!"></p>
<p><img src="/assets/uploads/100_5.jpg" alt="A photograph of a bridge over an urban street. A few people on the bridge hold a purple banner with the words DOES YOUR BANK FUND CLIMATE CHANGE?"></p>
<p><em>Photos: XR Boston</em></p>
<p><strong>September 18, 2025 | Boston, USA</strong></p>
<p>On September 18, 2025, our <a href="https://xrboston.org/press/activists-greet-boston-commuters-by-hanging-drop-dirty-banks-banners-along-storrow-drive/">Boston rebels lit up the morning commute</a> with bold “Drop Dirty Banks” and “Does Your Bank Fund Climate Change?” banners draped over several footbridges, calling out Wall Street giants for bankrolling climate chaos and war. The Rebels blasted large banks like Chase, Citi, Wells Fargo, Bank of America, and TD (these banks alone contributed $175 billion in 2022!) for pouring trillions into the oil, gas, and weapons industries while pretending to be climate champions.</p>
<p>The purpose of these banners was to draw the attention of road users to the fact that these engines of destruction profit from burning the planet and human suffering, and that it is crucial to divest. As we have seen with boycotts, our money is power, and keeping it in complicit banks only fuels the crisis - withdrawing from these banks sends a direct message that we no longer want to be part of this.</p>
<p>This marks the second time Boston rebels have staged a non-violent protest drawing attention to banks that finance fossil fuels, aiming to raise public awareness and push for accountability in the financial sector. <a href="https://xrboston.org/press/queer-climate-activists-disrupt-bank-lobbies-in-gender-bending-custodial-outfits-to-clean-up-their-fossil-fuel-funding/">Read more here</a>. Here is a <a href="https://www.nomoredirtybanks.com/worlds-dirtiest-banks">list of dirty banks</a>, and here are some <a href="https://marilynwaite.com/sustainable-banking-and-investing/#us_flg">better banks</a>. Follow XR Boston <a href="https://www.instagram.com/xrboston?igsh=ajIxbTFtN2VybG5s">here</a>.</p>
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<p><img src="/assets/uploads/100_6.jpg" alt="A man in jeans and a collared shirt standing in a large crowd of people holds a small sign that reads Protegeons nos PARCS DRAW THE LINE."></p>
<p><em>Photo: XR Graben</em></p>
<p><strong>September 15–21, 2025 | DRC</strong></p>
<p><strong><a href="https://drawtheline.world/?r=AE&amp;d=DU&amp;lang=en">Draw the Line</a></strong> was a global week of events from September 15–21, 2025, culminating in a weekend of rallies, marches, and artistic interventions. Thousands of people worldwide united to show strength and resistance, calling on world leaders to take urgent and decisive climate action ahead of COP30. Draw the Line is against inequalities, tyranny, genocide, destruction, and chaos and for rights, jobs, justice, democracy, and a fulfilling life on a safe planet.</p>
<p>In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the campaign inspired a series of non-violent actions, including a significant <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DOz3M0YiGfl/?img_index=1"></a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DOz3M0YiGfl/?img_index=1">clean-up activity along Lake Kivu</a> in Goma's Kituku neighborhood. This initiative was carried out in collaboration with <a href="https://rebellion.global/groups/cd-graben/"></a> <a href="https://rebellion.global/groups/cd-graben/">Rebels in Graben</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/p/Climate-Clock-DRC-61550905002367/"></a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/p/Climate-Clock-DRC-61550905002367/">Climate Clock DRC</a>, and the <a href="https://rccrdc.org/"></a> <a href="https://rccrdc.org/">RCC DRC Network on Climate Change</a>. The clean-up aimed to raise awareness about the environmental risks posed by fossil fuel exploitation in the region, particularly the proposed sale of <a href="https://www.rainforestfoundationuk.org/drc-government-opens-52-oil-blocks-in-the-cuvette-centrale-peatlands-undermining-green-commitments/"></a> <a href="https://www.rainforestfoundationuk.org/drc-government-opens-52-oil-blocks-in-the-cuvette-centrale-peatlands-undermining-green-commitments/">52 oil blocks in the Cuvette Centrale peatlands</a>. This landscape is the world's largest continuous tropical peatland located in the Congo Basin and covering approximately 145,529 square kilometers. With the peatlands under threat, this raises the questions about the future of the Green Corridor, biodiversity protection and conservation efforts. Follow XR Graben <a href="https://www.instagram.com/xr_graben">here</a>.</p>
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<h2 id="positive-news"><strong>Positive News</strong></h2>
<p><strong><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/oct/09/toronto-waterfront-soil-plants-worms?CMP=greenlight_email">Creatures buried in soil for over a century burst back to life in Toronto waterfront</a></strong></p>
<p>Given enough time, nature finds ways to heal itself. Over 100 years ago in Toronto Canada, the city buried wetlands in over 25 feet of soil. Burying the wetlands enabled the city to develop an industrial site on the watery coastal area, killing that ecosystem - or so they thought. A recent waterfront revitalization project revealed a stunning development. As the city began removing the soil that buried the wetlands, scientists found that seeds and microorganisms were alive and growing!</p>
<p>People have filled in wetlands for centuries, this project shows that there is hope that these ecosystems can slowly restore themselves if given the chance. Read the full story <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/oct/09/toronto-waterfront-soil-plants-worms?CMP=greenlight_email">here</a>.</p>
<hr>
<h2 id="must-read"><strong>Must Read</strong></h2>
<p><strong><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/sep/10/link-oil-giants-heatwaves-research-legal-liability">Carbon emissions from oil giants directly linked to dozens of deadly heatwaves for first time</a></strong></p>
<p>Big Oil just got a lot harder to defend. In a world where it can feel hard to keep the faith, something seismic has just happened. As the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/sep/10/link-oil-giants-heatwaves-research-legal-liability">Guardian reports</a>, a landmark study recently published in <em>Nature</em> directly connects the emissions of the world’s largest fossil fuel polluters to the rising frequency and intensity of extreme heatwaves. Hailed as a “leap forward that could be used to support future climate lawsuits”, the study has been received with jubilation by environmentalists.</p>
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<h2 id="dispatch-from-gaza"><strong>Dispatch from Gaza</strong></h2>
<p>At the beginning of October, the <a href="https://globalsumudflotilla.org/about/"></a> <a href="https://globalsumudflotilla.org/about/">Global Sumud Flotilla</a>, a non-violent effort to break the blockade of Gaza, was entirely intercepted with all 44 boats seized by the Israeli forces. 462 heroes from over 45 countries took part in the flotilla, representing a peaceful attempt to deliver humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people. The flotilla’s mission highlights the importance of civil action and intervention through boycotts, protests, donations, and, most importantly, education.</p>
<p>This development in the ongoing Palestinian genocide once again exposes the relentless suffering endured by civilians, the severe limitations placed on humanitarian assistance, and the global community’s continued failure to hold Israel accountable or ensure justice for the Palestinian people. As of this writing, a ceasefire has been agreed upon and already broken. <a href="https://www.instagram.com/globalsumudflotilla/">Support Palestine and get updates here.</a></p>
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<h2 id="quick-watch"><strong>Quick Watch</strong></h2>
<p><a href="https://youtu.be/IDK-3RC5SgY?feature=shared">The Light Won’t Dim</a> is Bill McKibben's new 30-minute <a href="https://youtu.be/IDK-3RC5SgY"></a> <a href="https://youtu.be/IDK-3RC5SgY">documentary</a> from <a href="https://fossilfree.media/"></a> <a href="https://fossilfree.media/">Fossil Free Media</a> about solar power: the beautiful and liberating power of the sun. Unlike an oil refinery or a nuclear power plant, solar power is available to almost everyone, either at home or in the community. This gentle documentary, which opens with nuns from the Centro Buen Pastor in Puerto Rico, shows the life-changing power of solar for underserved communities. The film also highlights the ways that solar power can happen in spite of the current American administration and how, when climate disasters occur, it’s solar power that is up and running first. McKibben states the obvious but oft-forgotten basic facts: “We can power ourselves without breaking our planet…instead of depending on a few places around the world that have concentrations of fossil fuels and on the people who own those concentrations and end up with way more power than they should. We have an entire planet able to power itself... because everybody has sun and everybody has wind, and nobody can hoard it.” <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDK-3RC5SgY"></a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDK-3RC5SgY">The Light Won’t Dim</a> will inspire you to look around and see where you can install some solar in your community.</p>
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<h2 id="book-review"><strong>Book Review</strong></h2>
<p><img src="/assets/uploads/100_7.png" alt="The cover image from the book, Careless People."></p>
<h4 id="careless-people-by-sarah-wynn--williams"><strong>Careless People by Sarah Wynn- Williams</strong></h4>
<p>Sarah Wynn-Williams worked in the upper echelons of Facebook (now Meta) for 6 years. She tells us in <strong><a href="https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250391247/carelesspeople/">Careless People: A Cautionary Tale of Power, Greed and Lost Idealism</a></strong> that she pushed hard to join the company because she really believed that Facebook would positively change the world. But as we know now, that isn’t what happened.</p>
<p>The apt title of Wynn-Williams’ book comes from F. Scott Fitzgerald’s book, <strong>The Great Gatsby</strong>: “They were careless people, Tom and Daisy - they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made&quot;.</p>
<p>Wynn-Williams gives us a candid, close-up account of her life at Facebook, including her many dealings with Sheryl Sandberg and Mark Zuckerberg. Wynn-Williams takes pains to reassure us that she was one of the good ones. Her style is clear and fast-paced, and she dishes the dirt.</p>
<p>Most readers will think they already know how bad Facebook is - from <a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/10/181025103303.htm"></a> <a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/10/181025103303.htm">undermining democracy,</a> to <a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/10/05/1043377310/facebook-whistleblower-frances-haugen-congress"></a> <a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/10/05/1043377310/facebook-whistleblower-frances-haugen-congress">sowing division</a> and <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/meta-sued-33-state-ags-addictive-features-targeting-kids-rcna121927"></a> <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/meta-sued-33-state-ags-addictive-features-targeting-kids-rcna121927">harming young people</a>. But Facebook has repeatedly portrayed itself as the victim of its runaway success – things just went viral and users around the world adapted the platform to their own needs so quickly. What could Facebook do??? But Wynn-Williams takes us into the rooms (and private planes) where decisions about all these areas were very intentionally made. And each time, pure capitalist greed trampled every single red flag raised by lower-down employees. Evil was incentivized.</p>
<p>Social media is part of most of our lives and has been fundamental to the impact of groups like XR, but the decisions made by Mark Zuckerberg, Meta's chairman, chief executive officer, and controlling shareholder have made almost everything single bad thing in the world way worse, including the climate crisis.</p>
<p><em>Avoid Amazon. Support local bookshops in person when you can. Online buy your books at</em> <em><a href="https://uk.bookshop.org/">Bookshop</a></em> <em>or</em> <em><a href="https://www.hive.co.uk/">Hive</a>(UK).</em></p>
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<h2 id="ancestors-of-xr"><strong>Ancestors of XR</strong></h2>
<p><img src="/assets/uploads/100_8.png" alt="A image in green of a candle on a short holder burning inside an hourglass. It is clearly meant to suggest the XR logo."></p>
<h4 id="ren%C3%A9-jules-dubos-(1901%E2%80%931982)"><strong>René Jules Dubos (1901–1982)</strong></h4>
<p>French-American microbiologist René Jules Dubos was a man well ahead of his time, widely known for coining the environmentalist’s mantra “Think globally, act locally” in the 1970s. This call to consider the wider ecological impact of our choices has been hijacked as a slogan for all manner of things, but it was pretty revolutionary at the time.</p>
<p>Born in rural France in 1901, Dubos dreamed of becoming a cycling or tennis champion before an incapacitating attack of rheumatic fever at the age of eight forced a rethink. As a young man he found the study of microbiology “intensely boring”, and told his mother he would never again enter a laboratory. And yet… after reading an article by soil microbiologist Sergei Winogradsky, who suggested that “microorganisms should be studied not in artificial laboratory cultures but in their natural environments in competition with other bacteria”, Dubos embraced this ecological approach and embarked on a path that would lead him to become a famous microbiologist in America.</p>
<p>His early work focused on tuberculosis and pneumonia, and he helped pioneer antibiotics in the 1940s – although he had the foresight to warn that bacteria might become resistant to them over time. As his career unfolded, Dubos looked beyond the microscope to investigate overall patterns of disease. He found links between human wellbeing, environment, and lifestyle, and began to question the broader meaning of health and progress.</p>
<p>Dubos viewed the human body holistically as part of its surrounding ecosystem and wrote about how the conditions in your body can alter the course of a disease. For instance, if you’re stressed, your immune system is weakened, so bacteria that are already present but unnoticed can flare up into disease. These were groundbreaking ideas at the time.</p>
<p><img src="/assets/uploads/100_9.jpg" alt="The cover image of So Human and Animal."></p>
<p>Among the many books Dubos wrote, his 1968 Pulitzer Prize-winner <em>So Human an Animal: How We Are Shaped by Surroundings and Events</em> was an early warning about the dehumanizing effects of modern civilization. He believed our industrial society and reliance on technological convenience eroded humanity’s connection to nature, community, and any sense of purpose – making us “less human”. With hindsight, this was a prophetic precursor to today’s debates about mental health and urban alienation. Dubos’s philosophical and scientific thinking inspired Earth Day, first held in the US on 22 April 1970, a foundational event that helped launch the modern environmental movement.</p>
<p>René Dubos died in 1982, but his influence endures in his message that grassroots actions and stewardship at the local level are the way to protect our planet as a whole.</p>
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<h2 id="worth-a-second-look"><strong>Worth a Second Look</strong></h2>
<p><img src="/assets/uploads/100_10.png" alt="A heart-shape in blue with various flowers in white inside it."></p>
<p><strong><a href="https://rebellion.global/blog/2022/03/22/palestine-colonialism-global-climate-justice/">The ‘Desert’ was Already Blooming: Palestine, Colonialism and Global Climate Justice</a></strong></p>
<p>To some people, the climate crisis is one thing and the fight for a free Palestine is something completely unrelated. But colonialism, extractivism, and oppression are intricately intertwined and always have been all over the world and particularly in Palestine. This article from 2022 clearly lays it all out and is essential background for what is happening today. As Shireen Tawil explains, “In Palestine, <a href="https://english.alaraby.co.uk/analysis/making-desert-bloom-israels-greenwashing-negev">green colonialism has been central to Israel’s ethnic cleansing of Palestinian society</a>, cheerily embodied in the catchy slogan that it will ‘make the desert bloom’, while nefariously masking <a href="https://www.zochrot.org/en/village/56077">land seizures and displacements</a> of Palestinian communities&quot;.</p>
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<h2 id="from-our-readers"><strong>From our Readers</strong></h2>
<p>We’d like to hear from you! Please participate in our short, anonymous <a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdwi0Jmn1j9uZ9i49vDJm4N43tcVbdskc6VVX7A2fyVOPx4Hg/viewform?usp=sharing&amp;ouid=103009318347315064144">Reader Survey</a> - we need your feedback! We also appreciate hearing from readers via email. If you’d like to send us a <em>Letter to the Editor</em> for potential future publication, please email us at: <em><a href="mailto:xr-newsletter@protonmail.com">xr-newsletter@protonmail.com</a></em></p>
<p><strong><a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdwi0Jmn1j9uZ9i49vDJm4N43tcVbdskc6VVX7A2fyVOPx4Hg/viewform?usp=sharing&amp;ouid=103009318347315064144">XR Global Newsletter Reader Survey</a></strong></p>
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<h2 id="call-to-xr-local-and-national-groups---map-updating"><strong>Call to XR Local and National Groups - Map Updating</strong></h2>
<p>Please check the <a href="https://rebellion.global/groups/#countries">global XR map</a> for your group’s details and contacts and send updates to contact@rebellion.global</p>
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<p>Forward this newsletter to a friend. If this was forwarded to you, join us and <a href="https://actionnetwork.org/forms/newsletter-sign-up-17">subscribe</a> to the XR Global Newsletter. If you have any questions or feedback, we want to hear from you. Get in touch at <a href="mailto:xr-newsletter@protonmail.com">xr-newsletter@protonmail.com</a></p>
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<p><em>P.S. Forwarding this newsletter to one person is an easy way you can help the planet today.</em></p>
<p><a href="https://click.actionnetwork.org/ss/c/u001.EtNV8HBC60Tl7UuGmXS3sc6tKlWVsImjwRt1cUCQGaNGCx9PGdC7uxYzGbgRSfLODOjRKca1fYN1cffzGEuKRGeSopz9ogN7QID-fWMZ-ubEzhGgzC95piiaiMVjmyvDayi_uZQ0e4LCrvNmzSZNkYgFe0IS7dymIIJO3tzheuvwm7G4noktyIjVBfCM-WRikc4YBD1hAwkD-u38sVDXNthv4hSW-VBGsPU9JFf2_A7DNZ32Frp-qvIEnkHnuPljDWktzZ0fXe_7bvTzdjGYMmq2Ylw2XjyFqaaz4KU4xIHEjApPnyOw_BR_Ek-xjEZgpdYNL7jL8lNZA7V0waykPfdtYq6f1CzpNVzeMlYQzjYGSdI5XqKO9FzJff_4ix2x/4d8/4NAy5X_JT6q7iRqtjpY26w/h1/h001.FfW-i0K1wCDTKEYDXGscoWV9JVUf818Lm-t8n5XRRzw">Rebel with your wallet</a></p>
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            <title><![CDATA[Global Newsletter #99: Outrage into Action]]></title>
            <link>https://rebellion.global/blog/2025/09/26/global-newsletter-99</link>
            <guid>https://rebellion.global/blog/2025/09/26/global-newsletter-99</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 26 Sep 2025 10:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="/assets/uploads/99_1.jpg" alt="A photograph of what looks like a working harbour under a grey sky. The water is also grey. A large, red-hulled boat is visible in the background, as is part of a blue boat of similar size. In the foreground paddle three humans in kayaks, two of them holding small flags featuring the XR logo."></p>
<p><em>Photo: XR Norge</em></p>
<p><strong>Dear Rebel,</strong></p>
<p>“In love and rage” is XR’s signature, and it sums up what drives many of us to keep going. This month’s stories highlight both the rage and the amazing actions which manage to never lose sight of the love. If we lose our humanity, we lose what we’re fighting for. Read on to learn more about finding beauty, joy, and community as we protest fossil fuels in Norway, extractivist agriculture in Bolivia, and water contamination in the UK. And don’t miss this month’s breathtaking six- minute <a href="https://vimeo.com/289482525">quick watch</a>. Outrage into action and love into stewardship.</p>
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<p><strong>This newsletter is brought to you by XR Global Support, a worldwide network of rebels who help our movement grow and need money to continue this crucial work.</strong></p>
<p><a href="https://chuffed.org/project/104770-2024-climate-justice-campaign" class="xr-button">Donate What You Can</a></p>
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<h2 id="action-highlight"><strong>Action Highlight</strong></h2>
<h4 id="norway%E2%80%99s-climate-contradiction-is-now-impossible-to-ignore"><strong>Norway’s Climate Contradiction is Now Impossible to Ignore</strong></h4>
<p><img src="/assets/uploads/99_2.jpg" alt="A photograph of a group of people standing in front of some kind of industrial complex dominated by both horizontal and vertical pipes. The people hold green and white banners, one of which reads &quot;phase out fossil now.&quot; The other is too wrinkled to read in its entirety, but it includes the words &quot;plan for.&quot; Both feature a symbol suggesting a human running through a door. Some also hold smaller signs that can't be clearly read. Two megaphones sit on the ground. The sky is clear blue."></p>
<p><em>Photo: XR Norge</em></p>
<p><strong>2025 | Norway</strong></p>
<p>Norway may pride itself on its pristine waters and sleek electric cars, but behind the scenes, this oil-rich nation is by far Europe’s biggest producer and exporter of oil and gas. Not only that, but they’re drilling for more – even as scientists and citizens alike demand urgent change.</p>
<p>XR Norway campaigned for over a year to put the country’s contradictory stance on hydrocarbon extraction firmly at the top of the agenda for the parliamentary elections held on 7-8 September.</p>
<p>In the runup to the vote, climate activists led demands for the next government to present a genuine, science-based roadmap to phase out fossil fuels. <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DN-MBaLDCKl/?img_index=11&amp;igsh=MWtnOHYwYmpzZHZ4ag==">August saw rebels</a> join forces with the Nordic Climate Justice Coalition to rally protesters from across Europe. Hundreds of campaigners took to the streets and to the sea in the biggest wave of civil disobedience the country has ever seen against Big Oil.</p>
<p>In one headline-grabbing action, more than 200 protesters participated in a spectacular land-and-sea blockade that shut down Norway’s largest oil refinery, Mongstad, for a full 36 hours. <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DNfDTkIsUh0/?igsh=NTdiczlqMHp6Y2Nr">Greta Thunberg</a>, Norwegian singer, Aurora, and French composer, Yann Tiersen were among those campaigners who blocked site entrances and circled tankers in kayaks and sailboats.</p>
<p>Rebels also took over Oslo’s main street, Karl Johans Gate, and staged an occupation of DnB Bank’s headquarters to highlight the institution’s significant financing of the oil industry. Civil disobedience also swept through Arendal Week, Norway’s most important political forum, with rebels shutting down oil giants’ events and exposing government greenwashing.</p>
<p>With the electoral votes now counted, the minority Labour Party has narrowly won a second term in power. Their leader, Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere, says Norway will continue to explore for new oil and gas fields “but also to take forward technological steps, cut emissions, and live up to our climate obligations”.</p>
<p>This position is at odds with the urgency of climate science, and so XR Norway continues its demands to PHASE OUT FOSSIL NOW! Follow <a href="https://www.instagram.com/xrnorge?igsh=MXRudDc0OXM4dnpyOA==">XR Norge here</a>.</p>
<p><img src="/assets/uploads/99_3.jpg" alt="A photo of a small group of people holding a large banner in front of a building. Signs on the building read &quot;Norges Bank&quot; and &quot;bankplassen 2&quot;. The banner is green with white lettering and reads &quot;phase out, Norway&quot; and, in smaller lettering, &quot;fossil fuel kills! Plan for oil and gas phaseout now&quot;. One person also holds a flag, though it's hanging limp and so too little of its pattern is visible to recognize. Two other banners lay on the ground in front of the people, but these are at the wrong angle to read."></p>
<p><em>Photo: XR Norge</em></p>
<hr>
<h2 id="action-roundup"><strong>Action Roundup</strong></h2>
<p><img src="/assets/uploads/99_4.jpg" alt="Three people, each in their own photo, but the photos are arranged in a line. All three wear clothing suggesting an Andes culture, all three hold signs and appear to be indoors. The signs are in Spanish and include diacritical marks that don't seem to be available for alt text, so they must be quoted without their marks. &quot;Alimentacion basada en contra la extincion,&quot; &quot;Queremos infancias libres de agrotoxicos,&quot; and &quot;El extractivismo mata,el agua que nos falta es el monte que destruye.&quot;"></p>
<p><em>Photos: XR Bolivia</em></p>
<p><strong>August 29-30 | Sucre, Bolivia</strong></p>
<p>XR Bolivia went to Bolivia’s II National Forum, &quot;Agroecology in the Bicentennial – Sowing the future from ground up,&quot; on August 29-30 along with many other organizations,and communities. XR Bolivia has an “unwavering commitment to agroecology as the urgent and viable alternative to the extractivist, predatory, and colonial model that threatens the life, territories, and future of Bolivia”. The group has five demands:</p>
<p>● Public policies that prioritize food sovereignty.</p>
<p>● Real protection of territories against megaprojects, mining, and deforestation.</p>
<p>● Recognition and support for indigenous family and peasant agriculture.</p>
<p>● Fair financing and access to local markets with differentiated prices for agroecological producers.</p>
<p>● Active participation of youth, women, and indigenous peoples in decision-making.</p>
<p>Follow <a href="https://www.instagram.com/xrbolivia?igsh=MWo3d245Z2JmbmRycA==">XR Bolivia</a> to learn more.</p>
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<p><img src="/assets/uploads/99_5.png" alt="A photo of what looks vaguely like an outdoor wedding, though only a single bride is visible and no groom. The people standing on either side of the bride are wearing costumes that are probably meant to represent eels as they hold a banner above the bride that reads &quot;keep eels reel.&quot; They don't look very eel-like, though. A few other people stand around holding large, paper fish on poles. One person holds a video camera. Everything looks very festive and funky."></p>
<p><em>Photo: XR UK</em></p>
<p><strong>24 August 2025 | UK</strong></p>
<p>On 24 August 2025, the UK Rebels’ <a href="https://www.instagram.com/dirtywatercampaign/"></a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/dirtywatercampaign/">Dirty Water Campaign</a> launched the World Water Wedding Campaign to continue exposing an ongoing, yet growing national injustice: waterbodies across the UK are being contaminated by water treatment companies, and communities are left feeling the consequences. Access to clean, safe water is a fundamental human right, yet in the UK, water is being treated as a commodity to be bought, sold, and increasingly privatised by corporations with government approval. The Dirty Water Campaign sheds light on how water companies are legally allowed to dump untreated wastewater through sewer overflows, and, more importantly, how <a href="https://www.sas.org.uk/water-quality/water-quality-facts-and-figures/"></a> <a href="https://www.sas.org.uk/water-quality/water-quality-facts-and-figures/">this practice has become increasingly frequent</a>. Estimates suggest there were nearly a <a href="https://www.sas.org.uk/water-quality/water-quality-facts-and-figures/"></a> <a href="https://www.sas.org.uk/water-quality/water-quality-facts-and-figures/">million sewage discharges in 2024</a>. Water companies profit while polluting, greenwashing, and endangering communities and wildlife.</p>
<p>Through symbolic “<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DNu88ltWAg_/">water weddings</a>,” UK Rebels are pledging lifelong protection to their local waters, turning outrage into action and love into stewardship. Activities include heartfelt ceremonies along riverbanks, where participants pledge to protect their local waters, challenging water companies and polluters. The <a href="https://extinctionrebellion.uk/2025/08/21/meet-the-activists-marrying-their-local-river-as-part-of-extinction-rebellions-dirty-water-campaign/">campaign</a> runs from August 24 to September 24, 2025, building to a global World Water Wedding on March 22, 2026.</p>
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<p><img src="/assets/uploads/99_6.jpg" alt="A group of nine photos arranged like a poster. Eight of the photos feature groups or pairs of humans evidently at some sort of outdoor event. The ninth photo shows a group of flags, including one with the XR logo, all laid out on the grass together. Below the photos is a blue bar with lettering in various shades of lighter blue. &quot;Join us at rebellion.global donate at bit.ly/xractnow&quot; and &quot;XR Medellin col&quot;. In the center of the whole poster is the XR logo with a bee superimposed over it and surrounded by the words &quot;extinction rebellion global&quot;."></p>
<p><em>Photo: XR Medellin</em></p>
<p><strong>17 August | Medellin, Colombia</strong></p>
<p>On Sunday August 17th, XR Medellin organized a gorgeous Corner of Good Living (El Rincón del Buenvivir) at the “Bazaar of Trust” in Medellin’s Botanical Garden. It was a beautiful day, which emphasised the importance of community and joy in activism. See the videos and photo gallery <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DNiLzfXuhB7/?igsh=MTE3bTA4N280OGQxdA==">here</a>.</p>
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<h2 id="positive-news"><strong>Positive News</strong></h2>
<p><strong><a href="https://newatlas.com/energy/largest-sand-battery-finland-pornainen/">The World's Largest Sand Battery Just Went Live in Finland</a></strong></p>
<p>Forget carbon capture - the world's largest sand battery has been working in Finland since June 2025, and it’s actually even better than they expected. This marks a significant step in making renewables more able to withstand the intermittency of sun and wind. Read the full story <a href="https://newatlas.com/energy/largest-sand-battery-finland-pornainen/">here</a>.</p>
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<h2 id="must-read"><strong>Must Read</strong></h2>
<p><strong><a href="https://www.wired.com/story/african-imports-of-chinese-solar-panels-increase/?bxid=5fa7b15f8f616f7bf274fbd5&amp;cndid=62658284&amp;hasha=f84e5ac04f021896598d9107641bfee0&amp;hashc=9417d8b4b961919ffc1186b1875b2d245763fc71e609085edf732ffbc8b77586&amp;esrc=MARTECH_ORDERFORM">Africa Is Buying a Record Number of Chinese Solar Panels</a></strong></p>
<p>Nations across Africa are increasingly turning to the sun to meet their energy needs using Chinese-manufactured solar panels. Between 2024 and 2025, Angola, Cote d’Ivoire, Zambia, Chad, and others more than doubled their imports of solar panels from China, with Algeria’s imports increasing by 6,300%. This meteoric rise in solar use in Africa inspires hope for a greener future. Learn more <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/african-imports-of-chinese-solar-panels-increase/?bxid=5fa7b15f8f616f7bf274fbd5&amp;cndid=62658284&amp;hasha=f84e5ac04f021896598d9107641bfee0&amp;hashc=9417d8b4b961919ffc1186b1875b2d245763fc71e609085edf732ffbc8b77586&amp;esrc=MARTECH_ORDERFORM">here</a>.</p>
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<h2 id="quick-watch"><strong>Quick Watch</strong></h2>
<p><strong><a href="https://vimeo.com/289482525">Rise: From One Island to Another</a></strong></p>
<p>Two Poets<br>
Two Islands<br>
Same Sand<br>
Same Ice<br>
Same Rising Water.</p>
<p>From the Marshall Islands and Greenland, poets Kathy Jetñil-Kijiner and Aka Niviâna use the power of spoken word to discuss connection, climate, colonization, community, and change. The film’s photographer and filmmaker, Peter Sinclair captures grounding images of Greenland and the Marshall Islands, conveying the vastness of the land’s beauty. You can enjoy the six-minute short film <a href="https://vimeo.com/289482525">here</a>.</p>
<hr>
<h2 id="long-watch"><strong>Long Watch</strong></h2>
<p><strong><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VZSJKbzyMc">Man Spends 30 Years Turning Degraded Land into Massive Forest – Fools &amp; Dreamers</a></strong></p>
<p>Nestled in the mountains of Aotearoa (“Ah-oh teh-ah ROH-ah”) (commonly called New Zealand) is Hinewai, a 1,500 hectare Nature Reserve and Wildlife Sanctuary. In this engaging, 30-minute short film, botanist Hugh Wilsom shares his experience as the manager of Hinewai and the benefits of leaving the land alone.</p>
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<h2 id="book-review"><strong>Book Review</strong></h2>
<h4 id="ecological-memory-by-caroline-ailanthus"><strong>Ecological Memory by Caroline Ailanthus</strong></h4>
<p><img src="/assets/uploads/99_7.jpg" alt="Cover image of the book, Ecological Memory. The image is dominated by what might be New England as seen from space--the shapes of the coastline, larger islands, and various rivers are clear, and there are no political boundaries or labels as would be typical for a map. But this image of New England is painted over a yellow background that it does not completely cover, making the fact that it IS a painting visually obvious. In the lower left-hand corner, also painted, is a person--perhaps the idea is that New England has been painted on a wall, and this person is sitting beside the wall? The person is a young woman wearing green trousers and a grey t-shirt over a long-sleeved shirt with hiking boots. Her skin is dark brown, and she wears her shoulder-length hair in narrow braids. She sits staring up towards the upper-right corner of the image. At the top, in dark lettering, is the title of the book. The author's name is in smaller lettering in the lower right-hand corner."></p>
<p>Caroline Ailanthus’s <a href="https://www.saltwatermedia.com/shop/p/ecological-memory"></a> <em><a href="https://www.saltwatermedia.com/shop/p/ecological-memory">Ecological Memory</a></em> <a href="https://www.saltwatermedia.com/shop/p/ecological-memory"></a> is a gentle yet powerful reimagining of the post collapse story. Instead of centering destruction and despair, it turns toward healing, personal, ecological, and communal. At its heart are Elzy Rodriguez, a young woman with fractured memories, and Andy Cote, an ecologist carrying quiet grief. Their search for the forest Elzy recalls from childhood unfolds as a layered metaphor for memory, identity, and restoration. Their relationship grows with authenticity, balancing Elzy’s raw vulnerability with Andy’s reflective calm.</p>
<p>What sets this novel apart is its seamless blend of ecology and narrative. Concepts such as agroecology, ecological observation, and ecological memory (which entails the ability of ecosystems to recover after disturbance), emerge naturally in the story. Rather than feeling preachy, these ideas enrich the world, giving readers space to reflect on how care for the land mirrors care for the self. The slower, meditative pacing may challenge readers accustomed to fast moving plots, but here it becomes a strength, inviting moments of pause and reflection.</p>
<p>The book carries a quiet defiance against the noise and speed of modern storytelling. The most enduring message is that every act of care, whether “planting a seed, tending a garden, remembering a forest” (Ailanthus, 2019), is itself an act of healing. <em>Ecological Memory</em> is not only a novel about survival, but about resilience, connection, and the possibility of renewal. For readers seeking thoughtful, environmentally grounded fiction, it offers a story that lingers long after the final page, leaving behind both tenderness and hope.</p>
<p><em>Avoid Amazon. Support local bookshops in person when you can. Online buy your books at</em> <em><a href="https://uk.bookshop.org/">Bookshop</a></em> <em>or</em> <em><a href="https://www.hive.co.uk/">Hive</a></em> <em>(UK).</em></p>
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<h2 id="ancestors-of-xr"><strong>Ancestors of XR</strong></h2>
<p><img src="/assets/uploads/99_8.png" alt="A cartoon image in green of a candle on a short holder burning inside an hourglass. It is clearly meant to suggest the XR logo."></p>
<h4 id="rachel-carson-1907-1964"><strong>Rachel Carson 1907-1964</strong></h4>
<p>Born in rural Pennsylvania in 1907, Rachel Carson was a marine biologist-turned-writer whose courageous truth-seeking helped lay the foundations for today’s global environmental movement. When she enrolled at Pennsylvania College for Women in 1925, her intention was to become a teacher – but she became fascinated by biology, and pivoted to studying zoology instead. During the Great Depression, she had to drop out of graduate school and took a job writing a radio series about marine life, which led to other commissions. With titles like “Help Your Child to Wonder”, much of her writing was designed to awaken people to the magic and beauty of the living world.</p>
<p>An ecologist before that science was even defined, Carson was acutely aware of how human behaviours impact the environment. By 1941 she was an aquatic biologist at the US Bureau of Fisheries (only the second woman they ever hired), where she saw first-hand the harm to ecosystems caused by pesticides like DDT.</p>
<p>She turned to writing full-time in 1951 and went on to win numerous accolades – her non-fiction book, <em><a href="https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/the-sea-around-us_rachel-carson/297382/vintage/?vid=1754627179&amp;srsltid=AfmBOoqDPEe3v7qcNRGonlyO-1e_I3b6SIbHZTZRh1RFk0NV3CK0qvBtIB0">The Sea Around Us</a></em> was even turned into an Academy Award-winning <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8Gv9f_vZiM">film</a>. In 1962, Carson published her famous book, *<a href="https://www.rachelcarson.org/silent-spring">Silent Spring</a>*as a wake-up call to citizens, exposing the dangers of indiscriminate chemical use in nature. An instant bestseller thanks to her vivid storytelling and meticulous research, <em>Silent Spring</em> ranks among the books that changed the world.</p>
<p>Carson’s ideas were revolutionary because she rejected the prevailing paradigm of ‘conquering nature’ through technological progress, arguing instead that by disrupting the delicate balance of ecosystems, we harm animals, plants – and ultimately ourselves. Despite fierce resistance from the powerful chemical industry, her ideas were taken up by President John F Kennedy, and she testified before the US Senate in 1963, eventually paving the way for new environmental protection laws.</p>
<p>Rachel Carson died in 1964, but her legacy lives on generations later, with today’s climate activists seeing in her a symbol of science-driven advocacy and courage. Sixty years on, speaking truth to power is still just as urgent.</p>
<p><img src="/assets/uploads/99_9.jpg" alt="The cover image of &quot;Silent Spring.&quot; It is a close-up image (apparently not a photo) of a green leaf with veins faintly visible. The title is in large, white letters at the top. The author's name is equally large at the bottom. There is a round, brown and white logo under the title that reads &quot;fiftieth anniversary&quot; and the number, 50, and, in small, black lettering in the middle of the cover, &quot;The classic that launched the environmental movement&quot;. At the very bottom, below the author's name, small, white lettering reads &quot;Introduction by Linda Lear&quot; and &quot;Afterward by Edward O. Wilson&quot;."></p>
<p><img src="/assets/uploads/99_10.jpg" alt="A black and white photo of Rachel Carson in middle age sitting at a table and speaking into a group of microphones on small stands. Papers sit before her, probably notes. There is a pitcher of water nearby. There is a crowd of people sitting or standing behind her. The details of the room are dim and hazy."></p>
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<h2 id="worth-a-second-look"><strong>Worth a Second Look</strong></h2>
<p><img src="/assets/uploads/99_11.png" alt="An etching of a heart-shape in blue with various flowers in white inside it."></p>
<p><strong><a href="https://rebellion.global/blog/2020/11/03/civil-disobedience-examples/">15 Examples of Civil Disobedience (Which Have Made a Difference)</a></strong></p>
<p>A few of the campaigns described in <a href="https://rebellion.global/blog/2020/11/03/civil-disobedience-examples/">this blog post</a> from 2020 are still active, but many others stand as completed success stories, proof that people power matters.</p>
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<p>Get involved in XR wherever you are! Check out our <a href="https://rebellion.global/"></a> <a href="https://rebellion.global/">global website</a>, learn more about <a href="https://rebellion.global/about-us/"></a> <a href="https://rebellion.global/about-us/">our movement</a>, and connect with rebels in your <a href="https://rebellion.global/groups/#countries"></a> <a href="https://rebellion.global/groups/#countries">local area</a>. Forward this newsletter to a friend. If this was forwarded to you, join us and <a href="https://actionnetwork.org/forms/newsletter-sign-up-17">subscribe</a> to the XR Global Newsletter. If you have any questions or feedback, we want to hear from you. Get in touch at <a href="mailto:xr-newsletter@protonmail.com">xr-newsletter@protonmail.com</a></p>
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<p><em>P.S. Forwarding this newsletter to one person is an easy way you can help the planet today.</em></p>
<p><a href="https://click.actionnetwork.org/ss/c/u001.EtNV8HBC60Tl7UuGmXS3sc6tKlWVsImjwRt1cUCQGaNGCx9PGdC7uxYzGbgRSfLODOjRKca1fYN1cffzGEuKRGeSopz9ogN7QID-fWMZ-ubEzhGgzC95piiaiMVjmyvDayi_uZQ0e4LCrvNmzSZNkYgFe0IS7dymIIJO3tzheuvwm7G4noktyIjVBfCM-WRikc4YBD1hAwkD-u38sVDXNthv4hSW-VBGsPU9JFf2_A7DNZ32Frp-qvIEnkHnuPljDWktzZ0fXe_7bvTzdjGYMmq2Ylw2XjyFqaaz4KU4xIHEjApPnyOw_BR_Ek-xjEZgpdYNL7jL8lNZA7V0waykPfdtYq6f1CzpNVzeMlYQzjYGSdI5XqKO9FzJff_4ix2x/4d8/4NAy5X_JT6q7iRqtjpY26w/h1/h001.FfW-i0K1wCDTKEYDXGscoWV9JVUf818Lm-t8n5XRRzw">Rebel with your wallet</a></p>
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            <title><![CDATA[Global Newsletter #98: Stronger Together ]]></title>
            <link>https://rebellion.global/blog/2025/08/29/global-newsletter-98</link>
            <guid>https://rebellion.global/blog/2025/08/29/global-newsletter-98</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 29 Aug 2025 09:58:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="/assets/uploads/98_1.png" alt="" title="Stop Perenco"></p>
<p><em>Photo: Extinction Rebellion Rutshuru DRC</em></p>
<p><strong>Dear Rebel,</strong></p>
<p>Part of what makes the fight against the climate crisis feel so overwhelming is its vastness and complexity. It’s not simply about burning fossil fuels. It’s about the corporations who have something to gain in the short term and the governments that let them prosper. It’s about the laws we have and the ones we lack. The climate crisis is tied to the ways fossil fuels are baked into our lives, belongings, and occupations. It thrives on how our fractured societies justify the mistreatment of ourselves and our resources. That is to say, it is a systemic problem.</p>
<p>However, instead of letting that knowledge defeat us, or using it as an excuse for inaction, consider this: there are countless ways to fight back.</p>
<p>In the same way that the climate crisis has many causes, it will also have many solutions. As you’ll read in this month’s newsletter, different XR groups around the world are taking action in the ways that make sense in their communities.</p>
<p>We invite you to take inspiration from them and remember that if there is a cause that is important to you—whether it is corporate greed, local wildlife, human rights, or saving seeds—your contribution to that cause chips away at the barriers between us and a livable planet.</p>
<p>As always, together we are stronger.</p>
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<p><strong>This newsletter is brought to you by XR Global Support, a worldwide network of rebels who help our movement grow and need money to continue this crucial work.</strong></p>
<p><a href="https://chuffed.org/project/104770-2024-climate-justice-campaign" class="xr-button">Donate What You Can</a></p>
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<h2 id="action-highlight"><strong>Action Highlight</strong></h2>
<p><img src="/assets/uploads/98_2.jpg" alt="Fuera Arauco. Basta de Monicultivos"></p>
<p><em>Photo: XR Misiones</em></p>
<h4 id="29-july-%7C-san-roque-gonz%C3%A1lez-de-santa-cruz-international-bridge.-argentina---paraguay"><strong>29 July | San Roque González de Santa Cruz International Bridge. Argentina - Paraguay</strong></h4>
<p>The province of Misiones in northeastern Argentina is facing the threat of forestry extractivism, which is destroying everything in its path. The native forest is being destroyed to make way for <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0378112717320492">pine plantations</a>, generating an ecological disaster that compromises both the environmental balance and the future of local communities, including Indigenous communities living in the forest.</p>
<p><a href="https://vanguard-sos.com/conflict-and-controversy-swirl-around-vanguard-investments-in-chilean-pulp-giant-arauco/">Arauco</a>, a Chilean multinational, is primarily responsible for this devastation. Monoculture pine plantations are causing irreversible loss of biodiversity, altering hydrological cycles, and promoting forest fires and droughts. In addition, soil acidification and contamination from the use of carcinogenic agrochemicals used on crops further aggravate the environmental crisis.</p>
<p>Defending the native forest and its biodiversity is an act of justice. XR Misiones is demanding the cessation of Arauco's activities in Misiones and a definitive stop to the pine monoculture business: enough of this extractivist model that puts business before the life and well-being of communities and nature. Watch the <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DMsirUsODHZ/?igsh=bmN6NzFkdXNpM2Rx">video</a> of the recent action by XR Misiones and show your support by following them <a href="https://www.instagram.com/xr.misiones">here</a>.</p>
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<h2 id="action-roundup"><strong>Action Roundup</strong></h2>
<h4 id="14-june-%7C-limerick%2C-ireland"><strong>14 June | Limerick, Ireland</strong></h4>
<p><img src="/assets/uploads/98_3.png" alt="Stop Shannon LNG"></p>
<p><em>Photo: Extinction Rebellion Ireland</em></p>
<p>The Lower Shannon River in Ireland is a federally protected site, holding the designation of a “Special Area of Conservation” due to the presence of the only bottlenose dolphins in Irish waters, plus salmon, numerous species of lamprey, otters, mussels, and more. Despite this protection status and biodiversity, the Lower Shannon River in Kerry County is where Shannon LNG is attempting to build Ireland’s first liquified natural gas (“LNG”) terminal.</p>
<p>Shannon LNG, a subsidiary of the United States-based company New Frontier Energy, seeks to use the terminal to import fracked gas from the United States. Although Irish officials have not approved plans to build the Shannon LNG Terminal, in March 2025, officials granted Shannon LNG limited permission to begin planning the construction of a power plant in the Lower Shannon River area. <a href="https://extinctionrebellionireland.com/">Extinction Rebellion Ireland</a> is working to stop Shannon LNG. Watch the video <a href="https://youtu.be/zEnm9DiKTQw">here</a>. Follow Extinction Rebellion Ireland on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/extinctionrebellionireland/">Instagram</a>.</p>
<h4 id="28-july-%7C-butembo%2C-democratic-republic-of-congo"><strong>28 July | Butembo, Democratic Republic of Congo</strong></h4>
<p><img src="/assets/uploads/98_4.png" alt="Stop Financing our destruction"></p>
<p><em>Photo: Extinction Rebellion Rutshuru DRC</em></p>
<p>The Franco-British company <strong><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perenco">Perenco</a></strong>, which has been operating in the Democratic Republic of Congo for over 20 years, is now at the heart of an unbearable environmental disaster. In Moanda, in Congo Central, public health and biodiversity are severely threatened by Perenco’s oil activities, including in the nature reserve of the Mangrove Marine Park. To mark World Nature Conservation Day, Extinction Rebellion Rutshuru DRC mobilized with its allies in Butembo to demand the following:</p>
<p>● That PERENCO be held accountable and pay for the damage caused to the <a href="https://www.mediapart.fr/journal/dossier/international/perenco-les-abus-d-un-geant-du-petrole">environment and local communities</a>;</p>
<p>● That the Congolese government urgently review the contract binding it to this company, and if full compliance is not ensured, terminate the agreement altogether.</p>
<p>To learn more about the environmental issues in the Democratic Republic of Congo, follow XR Rutshuru DRC <a href="https://www.instagram.com/extinctionrebellionrutshurudrc/">here</a>.</p>
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<h2 id="dispatch-from-sydney%2C-australia"><strong>Dispatch from Sydney, Australia</strong></h2>
<p><img src="/assets/uploads/98_5.png" alt="Two pictures, people walking on a bridge and red rebels silent performing"></p>
<p><em>Photos: Extinction Rebellion Sydney</em></p>
<p>Our Red Rebels, known for their silent and symbolic performances, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DM5ElA9yVdv/?img_index=1"></a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DM5ElA9yVdv/?img_index=1">joined the Palestine Action Group in a national march</a> across the Sydney Harbour Bridge on 3 August 2025. Standing with the Palestinian struggle is part of standing for climate justice, as the two are deeply intertwined. Climate change is inseparable from global systems of militarism, colonialism, and extractive capitalism, all of which intensify environmental degradation and human suffering.</p>
<p>The presence of the Red Rebels at this powerful protest served as a reminder that if we are serious about tackling the climate crisis, we must challenge the political systems driving both war and the destruction of our planet. In <a href="https://extinctionrebellion.uk/2023/11/03/extinction-rebellion-uk-statement-on-palestine-israel-conflict/"></a> <a href="https://extinctionrebellion.uk/2023/11/03/extinction-rebellion-uk-statement-on-palestine-israel-conflict/">standing together</a> across struggles, we reclaim the power to imagine and build a just and sustainable future. Follow <a href="https://www.instagram.com/extinctionrebellionsydney?igsh=MXEzdmtodzhtNDBnOQ==">@extinctionrebellionsydney</a></p>
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<h2 id="positive-news"><strong>Positive News</strong></h2>
<h3 id="international-court-of-justice%3A-states-must-protect-the-environment-from-ghgs"><strong>International Court of Justice: States Must Protect the Environment from GHGs</strong></h3>
<p>On July 23, 2025, the International Court of Justice (“ICJ”) issued <a href="https://www.icj-cij.org/case/187">an advisory opinion</a> outlining Member States’ obligations to protect the climate system and environment from anthropogenic greenhouse gases and the legal consequences for failing to meet those obligations.</p>
<p>The ICJ identified the applicable binding climate change treaties, customary international laws, and other applicable international laws that outline States’ obligations to the climate system and environment. Examples of those treaties and laws include: the United Nations Framework on Climate Change; the Kyoto Protocol; the Paris Agreement; the duty to prevent significant harm to the environment; the Vienna Convention for Protection of the Ozone Layer; and the Convention on Biological Diversity. Member States’ are bound only by the agreements they are signatories to, meaning States’ may have differing obligations depending upon which treaties they have assented to.</p>
<p>The ICJ opined that States’ breaching their climate obligations must stop the wrongful action or omission, provide assurances of non-repetition, and provide full reparation to the injured state. The Court declined to specify what the exact legal consequences would be for breaches of obligations to the climate system and environment “since such consequences depend on the specific breach in question[.]” The official summary and full advisory opinion are available <a href="https://www.icj-cij.org/case/187">here</a>.</p>
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<h2 id="must-read"><strong>Must Read</strong></h2>
<h3 id="at-cop30-%26-beyond%2C-the-fight-for-climate-justice-must-end-corporate-impunity"><strong><a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2025/06/at-cop30-beyond-the-fight-for-climate-justice-must-end-corporate-impunity-commentary/">At COP30 &amp; beyond, the fight for climate justice must end corporate impunity</a></strong></h3>
<p>This commentary by Ecuadorian activist Pablo Fajardo in <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2025/06/at-cop30-beyond-the-fight-for-climate-justice-must-end-corporate-impunity-commentary/">Mongabay</a> hits home about how the climate crisis isn’t just about politics, but about powerful corporations getting away with serious environmental harm. Nothing new here. Fajardo delves into the saga of Chevron dumping over 60 billion liters of toxic waste deep within the Ecuadorian Amazon. Naturally, Chevron has bounced around dodging responsibility through legal loopholes, even after being slapped with a $9.5 billion court fine.</p>
<p>This case is a clear example of how our global systems often protect corporations instead of the people and planet. According to Fajardo, “[a]round the world, transnational corporations use Investor-State Dispute Settlement (<a href="https://10isdsstories.org/cases/case10/">ISDS</a>) systems to bully governments and evade responsibility.” He calls for real change to hold these companies accountable and deliver justice for those affected.</p>
<p>This message is especially important with COP30 coming up in November 2025, in Belém, Brazil, right in the heart of the Amazon. COP30 will gather leaders, activists, and negotiators to confront climate issues, especially in the Amazon, head-on.</p>
<p>In the lead up to COP30, Brazil’s recent track record on environmental issues hasn’t been great - XR Rebels have been <a href="https://x.com/ExtinctionR/status/1894700206853063112"></a> <a href="https://x.com/ExtinctionR/status/1894700206853063112">actioning for months</a> to stop a “<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DMgICCVxEjz/">Devastation Bill</a>” from being signed, highlighting the paradoxical nature of Brazilian leadership. We will be covering more of COP30 as the event draws closer.</p>
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<h2 id="film-review"><strong>Film Review</strong></h2>
<h3 id="flow"><strong>Flow</strong></h3>
<p>When the world goes quiet, what is left is movement, breath, and connection. <em><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flow_(2024_film)">Flow</a></em>, the Oscar-winning animated film by Latvian director Gints Zilbalodis, proves that you do not need dialogue or even humans to tell a story that lingers long after the credits roll.</p>
<p>This is not your usual animated adventure. There are no talking animals cracking jokes, no catchy songs, no wise old mentor. Instead, we follow a lone black cat navigating a surreal, waterlogged world after a mysterious flood swallows the land. Along the way, it is joined by an unlikely crew, namely a capybara, a lemur, a dog, and a secretary bird, each with their own quirks, instincts, and survival skills. Together, they drift through danger, beauty, and uncertainty.</p>
<p>The first thing you notice is the stillness. The film is completely wordless. The characters communicate in glances, subtle body language, and authentic animal sounds. Yet somehow, you feel everything, the tension of a storm, the comfort of shared warmth, the quiet grief of loss. The lack of speech does not limit the storytelling. Instead it deepens it.</p>
<p>At its heart, <em>Flow</em> is an eco-parable, but it is never preachy. Themes of adaptability, cooperation, and resilience ripple through the narrative. It is a meditation on how fragile yet enduring life can be when the natural world is reshaped by forces beyond our control. In the age of climate anxiety, the film’s message feels timely, but it never shouts. It simply shows.</p>
<p>With that said, <em>Flow</em> will not be for everyone. Some viewers may find the slow pacing and minimal plot too abstract, preferring more conventional animated storytelling. But for those willing to surrender to its rhythm, it is a rare cinematic experience: part art installation, part fable, part survival journey.</p>
<p>In a year crowded with loud, fast, and forgettable blockbusters, <em><a href="https://flowthemovie.com/">Flow</a></em> dares to drift. It invites you to listen to silence, to notice the details in motion, to feel the pull of the tide not just in the story, but in yourself.</p>
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<h2 id="quick-watch"><strong>Quick Watch</strong></h2>
<h3 id="guilt-trip%3A-pilots-torn-between-flight-and-the-fight-for-the-planet"><strong>Guilt Trip: pilots torn between flight and the fight for the planet</strong></h3>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHHA0tilyzQ">Guilt Trip</a> is a 15 minute documentary released by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHHA0tilyzQ">The Guardian: Documentaries</a> which features XR activists George Hibberd and Todd Smith, members of the group <a href="https://safe-landing.org/">Safe Landing</a>. The film follows the two pilots as they grapple with their love for flying and the stark reality of the climate crisis and their industry’s role in increasing emissions.</p>
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<h2 id="ancestors-of-xr"><strong>Ancestors of XR</strong></h2>
<p><img src="/assets/uploads/98_6.png" alt="XR hourglass"></p>
<h4 id="wangari-maathai-(1940-%E2%80%93-2011)"><strong>Wangari Maathai (1940 – 2011)</strong></h4>
<p>Wangari Maathai was born in Nyeri, Kenya. She received three advanced degrees, including a Ph.D. in Anatomy from the University of Nairobi (1971), where she taught veterinary anatomy. Professor Maathai spent her life fiercely advocating for human rights, democracy, and environmental conservation. She received 15 honorary degrees, over 50 awards from across the globe, was a board member for at least 9 international organizations, and was the founder and coordinator of the Green Belt Movement.</p>
<p>The Green Belt Movement (“GBM”) describes itself as “an environmental organization that empowers communities, particularly women, to conserve the environment and improve livelihoods. GBM was founded by Professor Wangari Maathai in 1977 under the auspices of the National Council of Women of Kenya (NCWK) to respond to the needs of rural Kenyan women who reported that their streams were drying up, their food supply was less secure, and they had to walk further and further to get firewood for fuel and fencing.” Since 1977, the GBM has planted over 51 million trees in Kenya.</p>
<p>In 2004, Professor Maathai received a Nobel Peace Prize. During her acceptance speech, Professor Maathai said, “I believe the Nobel committee was sending a message that protecting and restoring the environment contributes to peace; it is peace work. . . . I always felt that our work was not simply about planting trees. It was about inspiring people to take charge of their environment, the system that governed them, their lives, and their future.”</p>
<p>Professor Maathai’s contribution to humanity and the environment was immense. You can learn more about her life, work, and achievements <a href="https://www.greenbeltmovement.org/wangari-maathai/biography">here</a>.</p>
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<h2 id="worth-a-second-look"><strong>Worth a Second Look</strong></h2>
<p><img src="/assets/uploads/98_7.png" alt="An etching of a heart-shape in blue with various flowers in white inside it."></p>
<p><strong><a href="https://rebellion.global/blog/2021/03/12/xr-any-solutions/">Does Extinction Rebellion Offer Any Solutions?</a></strong></p>
<p>We’re reviving this article from our <a href="https://rebellion.global/news/#blog"></a> <a href="https://rebellion.global/news/#blog">collection of long-form blog posts</a> because its message is still very relevant today. Extinction Rebellion focuses less on proposing specific solutions and more on inspiring urgent action. The answers to the climate and ecological crisis are out there, given to us by scientists and communities who have been calling for change for decades. Our role is to <strong>raise the alarm loudly enough</strong> that it cannot be ignored, and to push everyone from governments, to corporations, to individuals, into meaningful action. We think you’ll find this <a href="https://rebellion.global/blog/2021/03/12/xr-any-solutions/">post</a> worth a read.</p>
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<p>Get involved in XR wherever you are! Check out our <a href="https://rebellion.global/"></a> <a href="https://rebellion.global/">global website</a>, learn more about <a href="https://rebellion.global/about-us/"></a> <a href="https://rebellion.global/about-us/">our movement</a>, and connect with rebels in your <a href="https://rebellion.global/groups/#countries"></a> <a href="https://rebellion.global/groups/#countries">local area</a>. Forward this newsletter to a friend. If this was forwarded to you, join us and <a href="https://actionnetwork.org/forms/newsletter-sign-up-17">subscribe</a> to the XR Global Newsletter. If you have any questions or feedback, we want to hear from you. Get in touch at <a href="mailto:xr-newsletter@protonmail.com">xr-newsletter@protonmail.com</a></p>
<hr>
<p><em>P.S.This newsletter is brought to you by XR Global Support, a worldwide network of rebels who help our movement grow.This year our focus is on community-led action. We are empowering local groups to build capacity, identify critical targets, and devise strategies to maximise the impact of their actions. Become a recurring donor and help us fight against climate injustice - from Peru to the Congo and beyond!</em> <em>We need your</em> <em><a href="https://click.actionnetwork.org/ss/c/u001.EtNV8HBC60Tl7UuGmXS3sc6tKlWVsImjwRt1cUCQGaNGCx9PGdC7uxYzGbgRSfLODOjRKca1fYN1cffzGEuKRGeSopz9ogN7QID-fWMZ-ubRYpU4i1o5WL98PO35S0rDNy6zkceF5lnlPhzfwLDrsk3jDUI6kqMt6GrraIxfJgD5w4xa7pAb8riHqLUJX-HsYFO85N2G3pLrYHgwwU7kX3mals6gzeB7B5EpTCvJYLwRnHRP1VJsC91XbtIVlyyPDKd2nAGh_RS3zbDcRlhG5RVUkj9vBqYSDTcMaAzVqScExzPpfgZc0Eps9vIi1ruNCvAFOJutGvJR6fdCf_Zd3iEeNBJ4YzH8sx_ncT4nCNQaT5Qnu1SzzHWYU5YStO2ozU-Eh4_h9XidEN79-uJLsk4lGnOi_h3alBs_QeXifHo/4cj/HIF6eAyJR_K0zqDwoBMUcA/h2/h001.QnvKFiTZ9Hkd6RojRzlQngcMhYcCCaFXh6ekUsqv2N4">donations</a></em> <em>for this crucial work.</em></p>
<p><a href="https://click.actionnetwork.org/ss/c/u001.EtNV8HBC60Tl7UuGmXS3sc6tKlWVsImjwRt1cUCQGaNGCx9PGdC7uxYzGbgRSfLODOjRKca1fYN1cffzGEuKRGeSopz9ogN7QID-fWMZ-ubEzhGgzC95piiaiMVjmyvDayi_uZQ0e4LCrvNmzSZNkYgFe0IS7dymIIJO3tzheuvwm7G4noktyIjVBfCM-WRikc4YBD1hAwkD-u38sVDXNthv4hSW-VBGsPU9JFf2_A7DNZ32Frp-qvIEnkHnuPljDWktzZ0fXe_7bvTzdjGYMmq2Ylw2XjyFqaaz4KU4xIHEjApPnyOw_BR_Ek-xjEZgpdYNL7jL8lNZA7V0waykPfdtYq6f1CzpNVzeMlYQzjYGSdI5XqKO9FzJff_4ix2x/4d8/4NAy5X_JT6q7iRqtjpY26w/h1/h001.FfW-i0K1wCDTKEYDXGscoWV9JVUf818Lm-t8n5XRRzw">Rebel with your wallet</a></p>
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            <title><![CDATA[Global Newsletter #97: How did we get here?]]></title>
            <link>https://rebellion.global/blog/2025/07/25/global-newsletter-97</link>
            <guid>https://rebellion.global/blog/2025/07/25/global-newsletter-97</guid>
            <pubDate>Fri, 25 Jul 2025 15:41:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="/assets/uploads/97_1.jpg" alt="You are the 99% Let's Rebel"></p>
<p><em>Photo: XR Italia</em></p>
<p><strong>Dear Rebel,</strong></p>
<p>If the news feels like a constant onslaught that you’re trying to duck and run from, it might be time to take a pause. It might be time to ask, how did we get here?</p>
<p>The Climate Crisis is an immediate threat. It plays out in our daily lives through extreme weather and social unrest, and it threatens our future with the worsening of those problems. But as this newsletter issue will tell you, our current catastrophe does not exist in a vacuum. The way earth’s resources have been used and exploited have long and complicated histories, and by learning a bit about them, we can feel a little less bewildered by current events, and perhaps a little more empowered to take action.</p>
<p>That empowerment is what will let us look toward our future with optimism and the confidence to demand better for ourselves, which is exactly what rebels from across the world have done this month. From Italy to Peru, XR groups are standing up for a livable world, and young rebels in Peru are planting the seeds of their own futures.</p>
<p>So take a step back with us. Consider how we got here. Then use that knowledge to march forward into the world we deserve.</p>
<hr>
<p><strong>This newsletter is brought to you by XR Global Support, a worldwide network of rebels who help our movement grow and need money to continue this crucial work.</strong></p>
<p><a href="https://chuffed.org/project/104770-2024-climate-justice-campaign" class="xr-button">Donate What You Can</a></p>
<hr>
<h1 id="action-highlight"><strong>Action Highlight</strong></h1>
<h3 id="planting-a-future%3A-xr-peru%E2%80%99s-school-orchards-initiative"><strong><em>Planting a Future: XR Peru’s School Orchards Initiative</em></strong></h3>
<p><img src="/assets/uploads/97_2.jpg" alt="XR Peru - School Orchard Initiative"></p>
<p><em>Photo: XR Peru - School Orchards initiative organised by XR Peru</em></p>
<p>Extinction Rebellion (XR) Peru recently led an inspiring action under the theme, &quot;Planting a Future, Cultivating Consciousness,&quot; focusing on environmental education and sustainable living through their School Orchards initiative.</p>
<p>The project involved 40 students who took part in practical, hands-on activities aimed at cultivating awareness and responsibility. Together, they built a composter and raised planting plots for growing vegetables such as lettuce, tomatoes, and aromatic herbs. These practical tasks were supported by a series of environmental education workshops, which offered vital learning on sustainability, ecological stewardship, and the pressing realities of climate change.</p>
<p><img src="/assets/uploads/97_3.jpg" alt="Students building composters"></p>
<p><em>Photo: XR Peru - Students building composters as part of XR Peru’s School Orchards initiative</em></p>
<p>The initiative continues to thrive, with students now feeding the composter daily, monitoring the growth of the plants, and recording data. They are also preparing for the next seasonal planting, continuing the cycle of learning and care.</p>
<p>This agroecological action not only teaches sustainable agricultural practices but also has wider benefits. It helps reduce the carbon footprint, strengthens local food security, connects students with nature, and raises awareness of climate change, especially significant in a context where the Peruvian Amazon faces deforestation.</p>
<p>As XR Peru beautifully expressed, &quot;Each seed planted is an act of resistance and hope. Every student learning about agroecology becomes an agent of change&quot; (XR Peru, 2025). Follow XR Peru on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/xr.peru/">Instagram</a>.</p>
<hr>
<h2 id="dispatch-from-italy"><strong>Dispatch from Italy</strong></h2>
<p><img src="/assets/uploads/97_4.jpg" alt="Venice: Carnival of Collapse"></p>
<p><em>Photo: XR Italia</em></p>
<h3 id="carnival-of-collapse%3A-xr-italia-disrupts-bezos-wedding-in-venice"><strong>Carnival of Collapse: XR Italia Disrupts Bezos Wedding in Venice</strong></h3>
<p>In Venice, rising sea levels have become a fact of daily life. Tourists, lured by the city’s beauty but oblivious to its fragility, often scramble to buy flimsy plastic booties to wade through floodwaters—cheap, disposable symbols of denial in a city drowning under climate chaos. Each day, these booties parade through crumbling streets, only to end up in piles on waste barges. A bleak metaphor for the spectacle of collapse.</p>
<p>So when Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos and his entourage of the global elite arrived by superyacht and private jet for his extravagant wedding in late June, they were met with fierce resistance. A broad coalition of Venetians—residents, scientists, eco-defenders, artists, trade unionists, NGOs, and students—<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/jun/24/inside-the-no-space-for-bezos-movement-one-man-rents-a-city-for-three-days-thats-obscene">came together for the</a> <em><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/jun/24/inside-the-no-space-for-bezos-movement-one-man-rents-a-city-for-three-days-thats-obscene">No Space for Bezos</a></em> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/jun/24/inside-the-no-space-for-bezos-movement-one-man-rents-a-city-for-three-days-thats-obscene">campaign</a>.</p>
<p>At the start of the wedding week, activists unfurled a massive banner in Piazza San Marco: “If you can rent Venice for your wedding, you can pay more tax.” XR Italia rebels held signs reminding the world that the wealthiest <a href="https://www.carbonbrief.org/top-1-of-emitters-caused-almost-a-quarter-of-global-emissions-since-1990">1% are responsible for 25% of global emissions</a>, demanding climate justice under the slogan, <a href="https://x.com/XrItaly/status/1941923899131789467">“Tax the rich to restore the planet.”</a></p>
<p>The protests drew global media attention. In a scramble to save face, Bezos upped his donation to the city from <a href="https://x.com/XrItaly/status/1941923899131789467">€1 million to €3 million and changed the reception venue</a>—gestures as hollow as the plastic boots floating through the lagoon.</p>
<p>Throughout the week, rebels kept up the pressure with banner drops from iconic monuments, art installations, public performances, and <a href="https://x.com/XrItaly/status/1937637748657258518">bold street actions that invited new supporters</a> and drew a sharp contrast between Venice’s cultural richness and the elite’s corrosive greed.</p>
<p>The convergence of the 1% on a sinking city laid bare the <a href="https://x.com/XrItaly/status/1941923899131789467">grotesque inequities driving climate and ecological breakdown</a>. Despite bans, arrests, and political condemnation, <a href="https://x.com/XrItaly/status/1938312529987719275">rebels stood firm</a>. Signs reading “We are the 99%” and “For the cost of this wedding, you could have rebuilt Gaza” underscored global solidarity and the urgent need to fight back against systems of extraction and harm.</p>
<p>The 1% are trashing the planet and view Venice as a disposable playground. They are not welcome. Venice is not for sale.</p>
<p><strong><em>Follow XR Italia on</em> <em><a href="https://www.instagram.com/xritalia/">social media</a></em> <em>or at</em> <em><a href="http://extinctionrebellion.it">extinctionrebellion.it</a></em></strong></p>
<hr>
<h2 id="must-read"><strong>Must Read</strong></h2>
<p><strong><a href="https://degrowth.info/en/blog/we-invent-nothing-or-only-very-little-a-portrait-of-les-soulevements-de-la-terre-and-some-reflections">A portrait of Les Soulèvements de la Terre - Earth Uprisings</a></strong></p>
<p>The alliance known as Les Soulèvements de la Terre - Earth Uprisings has been around since the 1960s in Western France in various forms and continues to be an incredible alliance of groups despite aggressive attempts by the government to destroy the movement. According to this article from <a href="https://degrowth.info/en/blog/we-invent-nothing-or-only-very-little-a-portrait-of-les-soulevements-de-la-terre-and-some-reflections">degrowth</a>, “the Earth Uprisings’ tactical strategies are threefold: blockades, disarmament of harmful infrastructure — a form of sabotage renamed 'disarmament' to more accurately convey their motives and aims; and land occupation.” Read the article <a href="https://degrowth.info/en/blog/we-invent-nothing-or-only-very-little-a-portrait-of-les-soulevements-de-la-terre-and-some-reflections">here</a>.</p>
<hr>
<h2 id="book-of-the-month"><strong>Book of the Month</strong></h2>
<p><img src="/assets/uploads/97_5.jpg" alt="Cover image of the book Cobalt Red"></p>
<h3 id="cobalt-red%2C-by-siddharth-kara."><strong>Cobalt Red, by Siddharth Kara</strong>.</h3>
<p>A book that all rebels should read. Travelling deep into the land of cobalt and lithium, Siddharth Kara gives us a disturbing account of the mining practices and working conditions in the Democratic Republic of Congo.</p>
<p>Cobalt is an essential component in the lithium-ion batteries many of us have come to rely on, and the popularity of electric vehicles is only driving demand for cobalt higher and higher. Global business interests are all scrambling for a piece of the pie. The Congolese mine workers, who have <a href="https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/drc-bleeds-conflict-minerals-for-green-growth/">once again been sold out by their government to foreign business interests</a>, suffer inhumane, exploitative conditions for only a few cents a day.</p>
<p>With great difficulty, Kara managed to gather harrowing testimonies from miners, including ‘artisanal’ miners, who describe grueling hours spent in hand-dug tunnels, meager pay for heavy sacks of cobalt, and the ever-present threat of injury, collapse, or death. His resulting account uncovers the dirty truth: <strong>that there is no such thing as an ‘ethical’ supply chain in the mining industry in the DRC.</strong></p>
<p>This investigative report highlights the <a href="https://x.com/XR_RUTSHURU">critical need to engage</a> with <a href="https://x.com/GomaRebellion">developments in the DRC</a>, as they bear direct relevance to global systems and shared responsibilities of us all.</p>
<p><em>Avoid Amazon. Support local bookshops in person when you can. Online buy your books at</em> <em><a href="https://uk.bookshop.org/">Bookshop</a></em> <em>or</em> <em><a href="https://www.hive.co.uk/">Hive</a></em> <em>(UK).</em></p>
<hr>
<h3 id="quick-watch"><strong>Quick Watch</strong></h3>
<p>If you’re reading this newsletter, you probably don’t need to watch the newest eight-minute <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KZy251WiWc">video</a> from <a href="https://www.climatesciencebreakthrough.com/">Climate Science Breakthrough</a>…but you probably have at least three friends who do need to see it. Maybe they just think someone else is dealing with the climate crisis. Or that we have lots of time. Or it just seems too complicated. This is the video for them, featuring comedian <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Cross">David Cross</a>. Heads up - it’s NSFW*</p>
<p><strong><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KZy251WiWc">David Cross Meets Prof Michael Oppenheimer</a></strong></p>
<p><em>*not safe for work</em></p>
<hr>
<h3 id="ancestors-of-xr"><strong>Ancestors of XR</strong></h3>
<p><img src="/assets/uploads/97_6.png" alt="A cartoon image in green of a candle on a short holder burning inside an hourglass"></p>
<p>Henry David Thoreau's birthday was July 12. He would have been 208. He was a writer, a teacher, a philosopher, a scientist, and a maker of pencils (really!). He is most famous for his experiment in simple living, described in his book, <em>Walden,</em> but there is a lot more to him than that.</p>
<p>Thoreau was a complex man whose legacy tends to get oversimplified. For example, he protested the Mexican-American War, but he wasn't a pacifist. Rather, he believed that <em>particular</em> war to be wrong. Likewise, he was not exactly an anarchist, not exactly a transcendentalist.... He was exactly Thoreau.</p>
<p>The concept of principled civil disobedience comes directly from his essay, <em>On Civil Disobedience.</em> He discovered ecological succession, one of the foundational concepts of what later became ecology, and he advocated for the protection of animals and wild places. He took racial justice seriously, speaking out against slavery and the genocide of Native Americans and working with the Underground Railroad. His vocal support of John Brown's anti-slavery raid was largely responsible for Brown becoming an inspiration to the American abolitionist movement.</p>
<p>In his concern for science, for environmental conservation, and for human rights, in his willingness to take personal risk and to defy his own government to do what he thought was right, in his support of both civil disobedience and active rebellion in a good cause, in his unending curiosity about and love for the world, he prefigured Extinction Rebellion. Indeed, we exist now largely because he lived.</p>
<p><strong>Happy birthday, Henry!</strong></p>
<hr>
<h3 id="worth-a-second-look"><strong>Worth a Second Look</strong></h3>
<p><img src="/assets/uploads/97_7.png" alt="A cartoon image of a heart-shape in blue with various flowers in white inside it."></p>
<p>On the Extinction Rebellion Global Support <a href="https://rebellion.global/news/#blog">website</a>, under the News tab, in addition to our newsletters, you can also find signed, long form blog posts written by a large and diverse group of XR rebels and supporters over the years. We’ve been looking through this amazing writing and saw that a number of the pieces were as urgent as ever and also gave thoughtful perspectives on big questions we are still debating. So from the XR archive this month we’re recommending a second look at <strong><a href="https://rebellion.global/blog/2022/09/07/climate-change-your-fault/">Is Climate Change Your Fault? Can individual lifestyle change help to tackle the climate and ecological emergency, or is it an unhelpful distraction?</a></strong></p>
<hr>
<p>Change the language using the globe icon in the top right corner of XR Global website. French, German, Hindi, Italian, Spanish, Polish, and Portuguese translations available.</p>
<p>Get involved in XR wherever you are! Check out our <a href="https://rebellion.global/"></a> <a href="https://rebellion.global/">global website</a>, learn more about <a href="https://rebellion.global/about-us/"></a> <a href="https://rebellion.global/about-us/">our movement</a>, and connect with rebels in your <a href="https://rebellion.global/groups/#countries"></a> <a href="https://rebellion.global/groups/#countries">local area</a>. Forward this newsletter to a friend. If this was forwarded to you, join us and <a href="https://actionnetwork.org/forms/newsletter-sign-up-17">subscribe</a> to the XR Global Newsletter. If you have any questions or feedback, we want to hear from you. Get in touch at <a href="mailto:xr-newsletter@protonmail.com">xr-newsletter@protonmail.com</a></p>
<hr>
<p><em>P.S.This newsletter is brought to you by XR Global Support, a worldwide network of rebels who help our movement grow.This year our focus is on community-led action. We are empowering local groups to build capacity, identify critical targets, and devise strategies to maximise the impact of their actions. Become a recurring donor and help us fight against climate injustice - from Peru to the Congo and beyond!</em> <em>We need your</em> <em><a href="https://click.actionnetwork.org/ss/c/u001.EtNV8HBC60Tl7UuGmXS3sc6tKlWVsImjwRt1cUCQGaNGCx9PGdC7uxYzGbgRSfLODOjRKca1fYN1cffzGEuKRGeSopz9ogN7QID-fWMZ-ubRYpU4i1o5WL98PO35S0rDNy6zkceF5lnlPhzfwLDrsk3jDUI6kqMt6GrraIxfJgD5w4xa7pAb8riHqLUJX-HsYFO85N2G3pLrYHgwwU7kX3mals6gzeB7B5EpTCvJYLwRnHRP1VJsC91XbtIVlyyPDKd2nAGh_RS3zbDcRlhG5RVUkj9vBqYSDTcMaAzVqScExzPpfgZc0Eps9vIi1ruNCvAFOJutGvJR6fdCf_Zd3iEeNBJ4YzH8sx_ncT4nCNQaT5Qnu1SzzHWYU5YStO2ozU-Eh4_h9XidEN79-uJLsk4lGnOi_h3alBs_QeXifHo/4cj/HIF6eAyJR_K0zqDwoBMUcA/h2/h001.QnvKFiTZ9Hkd6RojRzlQngcMhYcCCaFXh6ekUsqv2N4">donations</a></em> <em>for this crucial work.</em></p>
<p><a href="https://click.actionnetwork.org/ss/c/u001.EtNV8HBC60Tl7UuGmXS3sc6tKlWVsImjwRt1cUCQGaNGCx9PGdC7uxYzGbgRSfLODOjRKca1fYN1cffzGEuKRGeSopz9ogN7QID-fWMZ-ubEzhGgzC95piiaiMVjmyvDayi_uZQ0e4LCrvNmzSZNkYgFe0IS7dymIIJO3tzheuvwm7G4noktyIjVBfCM-WRikc4YBD1hAwkD-u38sVDXNthv4hSW-VBGsPU9JFf2_A7DNZ32Frp-qvIEnkHnuPljDWktzZ0fXe_7bvTzdjGYMmq2Ylw2XjyFqaaz4KU4xIHEjApPnyOw_BR_Ek-xjEZgpdYNL7jL8lNZA7V0waykPfdtYq6f1CzpNVzeMlYQzjYGSdI5XqKO9FzJff_4ix2x/4d8/4NAy5X_JT6q7iRqtjpY26w/h1/h001.FfW-i0K1wCDTKEYDXGscoWV9JVUf818Lm-t8n5XRRzw">Rebel with your wallet</a></p>
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            <title><![CDATA[Global Newsletter #96: Making Good News]]></title>
            <link>https://rebellion.global/blog/2025/06/23/global-newsletter-96</link>
            <guid>https://rebellion.global/blog/2025/06/23/global-newsletter-96</guid>
            <pubDate>Mon, 23 Jun 2025 12:32:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="/assets/uploads/96_1.png" alt="Kampa for Klimatet"></p>
<p><em>Photo: Mothers Rebellion</em></p>
<p><strong>Dear Rebel,</strong></p>
<p>As a movement focused on the climate crisis, we often have to deliver bad news. Understandably, this upsets a lot of people. Bad news is hard to take. But hiding frightening truths won't make them go away, and “telling the truth” is literally our First Demand.</p>
<p>We get that good news is important for keeping everybody hopeful and engaged, and so we try to share it when we can. We're sharing some this month, here in this issue. But our good news might look a little different than what you're expecting. We hesitate to applaud token policies and pretty speeches by governments or corporations, since these are so rarely followed up by the kind of meaningful change we really need. We cannot get too excited about incremental progress when the truth is we are far behind where we need to be.</p>
<p>But we can—and do—celebrate successful acts of nonviolent civil disobedience. We celebrate people working together to build communities, help each other, and <a href="https://rebellion.global/blog/2021/01/05/citizens-assembly-climate-change/">determine their own government</a>. We celebrate mothers standing up for their children’s futures and finding new ways for all of us to be activists.</p>
<p>Someday, we will celebrate governments and big businesses finally <a href="https://rebellion.global/about-us/">telling the truth and taking immediate action.</a></p>
<p>If you’re feeling hopeless in the face of the climate crisis and looking for something to cheer you, we invite you to find solidarity with other like-minded people. Consider reaching out to <a href="https://rebellion.global/groups/#countries">your local XR group</a>. In a time of anxiety, loss, and uncertainty, we encourage you to be part of the good news yourself.</p>
<hr>
<p><strong>This newsletter is brought to you by XR Global Support, a worldwide network of rebels who help our movement grow and need money to continue this crucial work.</strong></p>
<p><a href="https://chuffed.org/project/104770-2024-climate-justice-campaign" class="xr-button">Donate What You Can</a></p>
<hr>
<h1 id="action-highlight"><strong>Action Highlight</strong></h1>
<p><img src="/assets/uploads/96_2.jpg" alt="Mothers* Rebellion for Climate Justice"></p>
<p><em>Image: Mothers Rebellion</em></p>
<h2 id="mothers-rebellion-2025"><strong>Mothers Rebellion 2025</strong></h2>
<p>On April 26th, the Saturday after Earth Day, members of <a href="https://www.mothersrebellion.com/">Mothers* Rebellion</a> around the globe came together to <a href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/protectwhatwelove?__eep__=6&amp;__tn__=*NK*F">#protectwhatwelove</a>. From north to south and east to west, groups showed up for the benefit of indispensable ecosystems and precious natural areas in their communities. Protests took place in over a dozen countries including Malawi, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Sweden, Brazil and Australia.</p>
<p>Mothers* Rebellion is a movement of mothers, caregivers, and allies in a growing global community on six continents. The asterisk is used because the movement is for more than just mothers - it’s also for grandmothers, aunties, daughters, sisters and caregivers and allies of all kinds. They are fighting for a sustainable present and future for the current and coming generations. They want to be able to look all our children in the eyes and say that we have truly done all that we can. They are turning their grief and frustration into action.</p>
<p>Mothers* Rebellion started simultaneously in both <a href="https://extinctionrebellion.se/rebellmammorna/mothers-rebellion/">Sweden</a> and the United States, in 2022. In May, 2023, the first coordinated protest was held in 21 countries on six continents. This past April’s event was the movement's eighth global protest.</p>
<p>Mothers* Rebellion uses a simple format for their protests: a circle of people sitting peacefully together in a public space, sometimes holding signs with simple messages such as the names of their children.They believe that connecting to their fear, sorrow, anger, and love for their children can give them the power they need to collectively face the climate crisis and bring about the change that is needed.</p>
<p>See photos from April 26th <a href="https://www.mothersrebellion.com/mothers-rebellion-13.5.2023/april-26-2026">here</a>. Follow Mothers* Rebellion on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/mothersrebellionglobal/">Instagram</a></p>
<p><img src="/assets/uploads/96_3.jpg" alt="Mothers* Rebellion Zimbabwe"></p>
<p>Photo: Mutare, Zimbabwe, Mothers Rebellion</p>
<hr>
<h2 id="action-round-up"><strong>Action Round Up</strong></h2>
<p><strong>14 June | USA</strong></p>
<p><img src="/assets/uploads/96_4.jpg" alt="No One Is Illegal on Stolen Land"></p>
<p><img src="/assets/uploads/96_5.jpg" alt="No Kings"></p>
<p><img src="/assets/uploads/96_6.jpg" alt="XR NYC"></p>
<p><em>Photos: XR Global, Extinction Rebellion NYC, @risenresistnyc</em></p>
<p>On Saturday, June 14th, totals vary but at least 5 million protestors peacefully gathered in more than 2100 locations across all 50 states in the United States to denounce authoritarianism and anti-immigrant actions. The protest was the largest single day protest ever in the United States. The power of the people is greater than the people in power. Photo Gallery <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/14/us/protests-cities-no-kings.html">here.</a></p>
<p><strong>25 May | Warsaw, Poland</strong></p>
<p><img src="/assets/uploads/96_7.jpg" alt="Rebel sitting on the floor. Two police next"></p>
<p><em>Photo: @lena,grycel - Extinction Rebellion Warszawa</em></p>
<p>The first round of presidential elections were held in Poland on May 18th. A week later, on May 25th, Polish rebels took a stand for the climate before the second round, demonstrating against candidate Karol Nawrocki because he opposes the EU's climate proposals and wants to continue to mine coal in Poland. Extinction Rebellion Polska and Extinction Rebellion Warszawa declared that “We need a president with a plan for a just energy transition”. Unfortunately, Nawrocki won the second round by a very slim margin: 50.89 % versus 49.11% for his opponent Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski. Support Polish rebels by following them:</p>
<p><a href="https://www.instagram.com/extinctionrebellionpolska/">Extinction Rebellion Polska</a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/extinctionrebellionwarszawa/">Extinction Rebellion Warszawa</a></p>
<hr>
<h2 id="a-deeper-dive"><strong>A Deeper Dive</strong></h2>
<h3 id="diffusing-the-next-carbon-bomb"><strong>Diffusing The Next Carbon Bomb</strong></h3>
<p>Last month, we <a href="https://rebellion.global/blog/2025/05/23/global-newsletter-95/">highlighted</a> the campaign to halt the sale of 52 new oil exploration blocks in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Now <a href="https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/diffusing-the-next-carbon-bomb-the-fight-to-stop-big-oil-in-congo/">here</a> is a chance to learn more about the growing coalition working to prevent the detonation of this massive carbon bomb and how you can help. <a href="https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/diffusing-the-next-carbon-bomb-the-fight-to-stop-big-oil-in-congo/">Read this interview</a> with one of the climate and human rights defenders leading the initiative.</p>
<hr>
<h2 id="long-read"><strong>Long Read</strong></h2>
<h3 id="sabotage-is-on-the-menu"><strong>Sabotage is On the Menu</strong></h3>
<p>In the UK, ecoactivists are increasingly turning to something new: sabotage. How far will it go? And how might it change the climate movement? Read the full story <a href="https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/sabotage-is-on-the-menu/">here</a>.</p>
<hr>
<h2 id="dispatch-from-xr-espa%C3%B1a"><strong>Dispatch from XR España</strong></h2>
<p><img src="/assets/uploads/96_8.jpg" alt="Protect and take care of yourself this Summer"></p>
<p><em>Image: XR España</em></p>
<p>Officially, 2024 was the year with the highest temperatures ever recorded. Last month brought extraordinary temperatures to the Iberian Peninsula earlier than normal. So <a href="https://www.extinctionrebellion.es/index.html">Extinction Rebellion España</a> sent us their top tips for keeping cool in 2025:</p>
<ol>
<li>Apply sunscreen.</li>
<li>Hydrate well.</li>
<li>Denounce the fact that high temperatures are the result of crimes against humanity by the fossil fuel industry for their own profit, despite knowing the climate consequences.</li>
<li>Eat lightly and look for fresh produce.</li>
<li>Avoid doing sports in the middle of the day.</li>
</ol>
<p>Remember that we all need stable weather and a fair world to live in.</p>
<p>Follow Extinction Rebellion Spain on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/esxrebellion/?link_id=5&amp;can_id=615e1b8f2b841e41c1a5362c0d76add5&amp;source=email-4-consejos-de-xr-para-tu-cuerpo-en-verano&amp;email_referrer=email_2755784&amp;email_subject=5-consejos-de-xr-para-tu-cuerpo-en-verano&amp;">Instagram</a></p>
<hr>
<h2 id="book-of-the-month"><strong>Book of the Month</strong></h2>
<h3 id="what-if-we-get-it-right%3A-visions-of-climate-futures"><strong>What If We Get It Right: Visions of Climate Futures</strong></h3>
<p>by Ayana Elizabeth Johnson</p>
<p><img src="/assets/uploads/96_9.jpg" alt="What If We Get It Right?"></p>
<p>Books on climate optimism can be irritating and disappointing because they so often ignore the many reasons for pessimism. Instead of telling us <em>why</em> we should hope in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds, they just ignore the seeming insurmountability and assert that everything will be okay. Johnson’s book is different, because it doesn’t comment on whether success is likely at all. It just explores what success might look like, and what the successes we’ve had so far <em>have</em> looked like.</p>
<p>It’s hard to work towards a victory one can’t imagine, so Johnson has gathered her friends to help us imagine it. The book consists of a series of interviews with experts in various fields, from science to finance to politics. All the interviews are fun and friendly in tone. They read like people (mostly women) having coffee together.</p>
<p>The vision presented is both genuinely encouraging and richly informative. The only thing really missing is any discussion of how the opposition might be dealt with; as we have learned, there are people who don’t want climate action and are busy fighting us to keep it from happening. What does winning those fights look like? Do we convince them to convert? Lock them all up? Maybe such questions can be handled by a sequel.</p>
<p>Overall, Johnson gets it right. And because many of the interviewees, and Johnson herself, are not white, the book effectively centers needed voices that don’t always get included.</p>
<p><strong>Avoid Amazon. Support local bookshops. In the UK, buy your books at</strong> <strong><a href="https://uk.bookshop.org/">Bookshop</a></strong> <strong>or</strong> <strong><a href="https://www.hive.co.uk/">Hive</a>. Buy used through</strong> <strong><a href="https://www.abebooks.com/">Abe Books</a></strong> <strong>(international).</strong></p>
<hr>
<h2 id="quick-watch"><strong>Quick Watch</strong></h2>
<h3 id="should-you-be-a-climate-activist%3F"><strong>Should YOU Be A Climate Activist?</strong></h3>
<p>As climate change intensifies, more and more climate activists are taking to our streets - including rebels of Extinction Rebellion. The question is, does blocking traffic, throwing soup, and gluing oneself to buildings make any difference? And how do activists like these fit in with other climate movements—like boycotting banks, marching, and building community? And will it really take disaster for activism to finally turn the tide on climate change? Watch this video by YouTuber ClimateAdam, which explores the impact of activism with professor and activist Dana R. Fisher.</p>
<p>Watch here: <a href="https://youtu.be/ciMaDqHrhK4">Should YOU Be a Climate Activist?</a></p>
<hr>
<h2 id="emergency-readiness"><strong>Emergency Readiness</strong></h2>
<p>Los Angeles experienced deadly wildfires in early January. Intense rainfall in Peru led to severe flooding and landslides in March. Recently Spain, Portugal, and parts of southern France had a complete black out. Mozambique, Madagascar, and Malawi have been hit by repeated cyclones.</p>
<p>These are just a few of the calamities that have affected people all over the world in the first months of this year. XR Global stands in solidarity with all those affected. We are also looking forward and thinking about how everyone can be more ready for the unexpected. We'd like to hear from anyone who has experienced a disaster or loss of essential services about what was the most important thing they learned. What do others need to know to be better prepared? What do you wish you had known? Email us your top recommendations at <a href="mailto:xr-newsletter@protonmail.com">xr-newsletter@protonmail.com</a></p>
<hr>
<h2 id="xr-global-support-volunteer-openings"><strong>XR Global Support Volunteer Openings</strong></h2>
<p><img src="/assets/uploads/96_11.png" alt="Bird on XR Symbol"></p>
<p>Our movement is made up of people from all walks of life, contributing in different ways with the time and energy they can spare. Here at Global Support, we are looking for remote volunteers. Most positions involve 2-3 hours per week, and you just need internet access. We have openings for the following roles:</p>
<ul>
<li>Writers for this Newsletter: If you like to research and write short updates, conduct interviews and are familiar with social media, please email us at <a href="mailto:xr-newsletter@protonmail.com">xr-newsletter@protonmail.com</a></li>
<li>Translators (German and Hindi): Find out more <a href="https://xrglobal.media/join/#translations">here</a>.</li>
<li>Developers for our global website: If you know HTML, CSS, Javascript and Vue.js,  please email us at <a href="mailto:xr-newsletter@protonmail.com">xr-newsletter@protonmail.com</a></li>
</ul>
<p>If you have any questions or feedback, we want to hear from you. Get in touch at <a href="mailto:xr-newsletter@protonmail.com">xr-newsletter@protonmail.com</a></p>
<hr>
<p><strong>Get involved in XR wherever you are! Check out our</strong> <a href="https://rebellion.global/"></a>** <a href="https://rebellion.global/">global website</a>, learn more about** <a href="https://rebellion.global/about-us/"></a>** <a href="https://rebellion.global/about-us/">our movement</a>, and connect with rebels in your** <a href="https://rebellion.global/groups/#countries"></a>** <a href="https://rebellion.global/groups/#countries">local area</a>. Forward this newsletter to a friend. If this was forwarded to you, join us and <a href="https://actionnetwork.org/forms/newsletter-sign-up-17">subscribe</a> to the XR Global Newsletter.**</p>
<p><strong>This newsletter is brought to you by XR Global Support, a worldwide network of rebels who help our movement grow. We need money to continue this crucial work.</strong></p>
<p><a href="https://chuffed.org/project/104770-2024-climate-justice-campaign" class="xr-button">Donate What You Can</a></p>
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