About

Extinction Rebellion is an international movement that uses non-violent civil disobedience in an attempt to halt mass extinction and minimise the risk of social collapse.

The Exeter local group of Extinction Rebellion aims to put pressure on the UK government to take the urgent action required. We are doing this by taking non-violent direct action to raise awareness of the crisis; by helping people to educate themselves about the climate and ecological emergency, and by linking up with other concerned individuals and groups in Exeter and the surrounding area to strengthen the movement.

We are facing an unprecedented global emergency and we must act now to have a chance for a liveable future. We can’t afford to wait any more.

The XR UK website has loads of information about the Climate and Ecological Crisis, why we do what we do, Extinction Rebellion’s Demands and Principles and Values.

Exeter Groups

Extinction Rebellion Exeter is made up of several working groups and affinity groups. Find out more…

Why do Extinction Rebellion block roads and cause disruption?

We have tried writing petitions to MPs, voting for the Green Party, and standing beside the road with placards but that is easy to ignore. 

Disruption gets attention and does force the government to act. It has proven to be effective: the UK government were the first to declare a Climate Emergency in response to Extinction Rebellion’s mass protests in London over the Easter of 2019.

Politicians are driven by short term policies that can keep them in power. Most will be dead by the time the truly horrific consequences of this crisis hit home, however our children and grandchildren will suffer. We have to act now to ensure that government take serious urgent steps to address the crisis.

Non violence is a core part of the Extinction Rebellion ethos. Not only do we believe that non violence is an effective means of protest but we want to grow our movement and appeal to families and people of all walks of life who understand the extent of the crisis we are facing. 

One of the best ways to get an understanding of the gravity of the climate and ecological crisis is to test your knowledge. There is a really useful and challenging quiz here, with citations from respected scientific bodies backing up the answers. 

The government is not seriously addressing the causes of this crisis. The government’s own Committee on Climate Change states: ‘Progress is generally off-track in most sectors, with only four out of 21 of the indicators on track in 2019.  This represents no change from the previous year where the same four of the 21 indicators were met. 14 of the indicators tracked have moved in the right direction since our last Progress Report, the remaining 7 are worse than the previous year‘. You can read that report here.

The government claim that they have ‘reduced emissions by 44% compared with 1990‘. This has been primarily driven by the UK no longer manufacturing the goods we now import. The carbon cost of all imports are disregarded in this false accounting, as are all flights and shipping!

What the climate movement’s debate about disruption gets wrong

This article in Nature magazine explores the fact that the debate about climate activism typically focuses on the public’s reaction to protesters, rather than the more important question about whether a given tactic imposes disruption on elite decision makers. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41599-023-02507-y

Its conclusion states:

“Disruptive activism is essential for achieving the climate movement’s goals. In fact, it is even more essential than it was for the Black civil rights movement, given that the climate movement is trying to shut down a whole industry. Yet the debates about whether climate activists should employ disruptive tactics often reflect confusion about definitions, targets, and the mechanisms underlying policy change. The debates often focus on the public’s reaction to protesters, but the more important question is whether a given tactic imposes disruption on elite decision-makers.”

Please help us to ensure the government acts. Get involved or donate.

Page last updated on 04/03/2023