You know, it’s so easy to get caught up in the doomtide, with our heads down, all working hard for the future we’d like to see. It’s good just to stop now and then to appreciate and celebrate each other and all that we do, individually and collectively, to turn that tide towards a more hopeful vision. So in this month’s issue, as well as the usual actions we can take, there are little pockets of joy for all you lovely people out there. THANK YOU!

Let’s start by celebrating the recent Insure Our Survival action in Leeds

We timed our protest against AXA and AIG insurance companies with the first day of the Drax 15 trial. AXA in particular enables fossil fuel extraction, Drax and arms companies. Without insurance, such companies could not continue to operate. We were joined at AXA by the newly elected Green Party deputy leader Mothin Ali.

AXA and AIG bankroll and insure fossil fuels, weapons and genocide – choosing profit over people and the planet. They sell us protection while secretly financing harm that makes us less safe. Insurance is the weak link. Fossil fuel and arms industries cannot function without it. Cut it, and the system falters. AXA & AIG are expert risk assessors, they have NO EXCUSE for their disregard to the future of life on Earth.

XR Leeds Meetings Resume in October!

After the summer break, we’re getting together again on Thursday, 16th October, 6pm-8pm at Imagine Leeds: the Climate Action Hub, 9 Blenheim Terrace, Leeds LS2 9HZ. It will be lovely to see you all again.

There’ll be a short film, followed by a discussion to fire our imaginations for the times ahead. We’ll also be starting to plan for the big COP30 event happening in Leeds on Saturday, 15th November, so come along and get involved.

Let’s Celebrate getting creative for COP30!

We want to organise a date & time for all you creative folk out there to join us to make colourful banners for the big COP30 event happening in Leeds on Saturday 15th November. Rather than just suggest a date, we’ve come over all techy so you can vote for your preferred date/s here.

More dates for your diary in October

Stand up to Racism March, Leeds – 12.30, Saturday 11th October: protest march in Leeds, starting at 12.30pm, outside Leeds Art Gallery. Let’s celebrate diversity! Please spread the word and bring your friends & family.

Be Part of Britain’s Weekend of Hope – 18th & 19th October: help to spread a message of unity in your area. Thousands of people will leaflet their streets with a simple message: our communities are stronger together. Let’s celebrate hope, not hate! More details here

Green Drinks Leeds – 5.30pm-8.00pm, Wednesday 22nd October: this month’s guest speakers are from Yorkshire Drummers For Palestine. They’ll be talking about the power of music in driving political change, and giving some demonstrations. Please note this event will be entirely alcohol-free. Feel free to bring your own food and soft drinks. Find out more and register here

Love Your River – World Water Wedding

Let’s celebrate Emmeline and Mark of XR Ilkley who are walking the length of the River Wharfe (81 miles in total), covering a section every Saturday from 4th October to 13th December. They’d love some company, so if you’d like to join them on any stretch of the walk, please drop them an email: xrilkley@protonmail.com.

Let’s also celebrate XR Harrogate who took part in a ceremony of commitment to the River Nidd in Knaresborough, featuring Neptune and the blue water rebels. Neptune made a vow to the river and the blue rebels made offerings of flowers. Members of the public joined in offering flowers and making their own pledges to the river. It was a beautiful ceremony encouraging love, respect and protection of the water.

Feeling inspired to do something in Leeds? Let us know what you have in mind and how we can help.

Let’s Celebrate Justice! Drax 15 Court Case Dropped

Thank you to everyone who turned out in support of the Drax 15 at Leeds Magistrates Court on 22nd September. The good news is the case did not proceed beyond the next day…

Citing “lack of evidence”, prosecutors have dropped the case against the Drax 15. They never had a case and it goes to show the lengths the state will go to for big corporations like Drax. Despite a £3 million police operation to shut down a peaceful climate camp, the Drax 15 – who were all pre-emptively arrested – now walk free from Leeds Magistrates Court. You can read more here.

AI: friend or foe? Keeping our Eyes on AI and Drax’s data centre application…

There’s a lot to unpack and we don’t pretend to understand much of it yet, but we will attempt to summarise some of the issues that need to be spotlighted and considered. There seems to be a lot of big (empty?) promises and mind-bending claims about AI benefits and the way data-centre role-outs are being dreamed up that just “smells” off, poorly accounted for and possibly duplicitous, so we need to remain vigilant. The financial costs/burdens alone are eye-watering, with no clear indications of who is actually going to pay for it all. There’s the environmental cost too, as data centres are hungry beasts in terms of energy and water consumption and, although the tech giants are claiming their data centres will be powered by renewables so everything is fine, the reality is that renewable energy will be drained from our grids and we will have to rely on fossil fuels for top-ups for much longer than we otherwise would have had to. For ordinary folk, for example, that could still see our energy bills rising to higher and higher levels.

For more about the issues involved, watch this very informative recent webinar hosted by Biofuelwatch which covers the issues here.

Let’s Celebrate More Good News!

Good news for oceans: a global agreement designed to protect the world’s oceans and reverse damage to marine life is set to become international law. The deal will pave the way for international waters to be placed into marine protected areas. Read more here.

Ban on burning England’s peatlands extended: the Government has extended the ban on burning England’s peatlands. It’s a big win for climate, air quality and some of our most vulnerable wildlife. Peatlands are fantastic carbon stores but many are currently creating emissions – with 75% of this a direct result of burning. Vital areas of peatland habitats have been routinely and deliberately burnt, largely to support grouse shooting. Read more here.

Ban fracking? Rumour has it that government minister Ed Milliband is going to ban fracking for good!

Let’s Celebrate the Global Sumud Flotilla!

Petitions

Stand Up to Greedy Gas Companies: profit-hungry gas companies have got Britain in a chokehold and they’re ripping us off! While they keep setting the price of our electricity, the Great Gas Rip-Off will keep squeezing the nation and our wallets dry. Ultimately, we all want the same thing: cheaper electricity that doesn’t damage our air or the health of our children and communities. Renewable energy, like wind and solar, can offer that. We have the solutions, now we need action. Sign the petition to stop the Great Gas Rip-Off.

Save the Amazon Rainforest: urge our representatives to protect the Amazon at November’s UN climate summit at COP30 in Brazil. Please sign here. Amazon Frontlines have created a video of celebrities who are raising their voices to support Indigenous nations on a loop outside the United Nations. Watch and share the video here.

Their message was specifically directed at one person: Ecuador’s president, Daniel Noboa, who was scheduled to speak in front of world leaders during the UN’s General Assembly. This was because Noboa and Ecuador’s government announced an oil auction plan that will impact an expanse of rainforest almost 40x the area of New York City, most of which is still primary forest. And they are selling off concessions to these 8.7 million acres, including Indigenous territories, to Big Oil without Indigenous Peoples’ consent.

Oppose Digital ID: Liberty warns that any system forced on us, that is designed to exclude people from vital services like housing and employment, will not win the support of the British public and is bound to fail. There must be robust safeguards around our privacy and data, offline versions for people who need them and, most importantly, any system must be optional, not mandatory. Find out more here.

Trust the People – next course begins in November

Trust the People is a grassroots community building movement, sharing democratic tools to help people support their communities in the face of local and global crises. They offer a free four week online course that takes you through different aspects of community building – from connecting with people one-to-one to running community assemblies, which harness the wisdom and power of the community. The next course begins on Monday 3rd November, sign up here.

Join the Future Council

Do you have a young person in your life who would love to join a global network of other young people who care about our planet and to help shape our future?

Inspired by the film, the real-life Future Council is here and young people (aged 9-16) from all around the world are invited to join. Invite a young person to join The Future Council here.