On Thursday 26th March 2026, from 7.30-9.30pm, Stroud Radical Reading Group will host a talk & discussion on the future of climate action in the UK – unlike our usual events, booking is required.
The main speaker would be Nicholas Beuret – author of “Or Something Worse: Why We Need to Disrupt the Climate Transition“, which “exposes the bleak realities of the transition to a carbon-neutral economy.” Nic argues that “Greening the economy has become a one-sided war, as governments and businesses squeeze the living standards of ordinary people. We need to seize control of the transition in order to reshape it to equitable ends.” His book “follows those already fighting back through ‘don’t pay’ campaigns, blockades of fossil-fuel infrastructure, and community counter-planning. He shows we have the tools not only to stop climate change but to build a fairer future.”
Alongside him, Jo Woolfall, who lives in Stroud and was been part of a small team who co-founded XR Families, will speak about the formation of the “Lifehouse – Collapse Preparing Comunities Network”. This local group has been in the thinking and planning for nearly three years, and are moving into learning by doing in 2026. The group has recently taken inspiration from Adam Greenfield’s book “Lifehouse:Taking Care of Ourselves in a World on Fire”, core elements of which are Lifehouse centres, mutual aid networks, deliberative democracy and implementation networks.
After hearing from both our guests, we’ll have discussion in pairs or small groups, before a full audience Q&A / discussion section.
Below in our resources section you can find a link to buy the books at a discount, and free text, audio and visual resources. There is also more information about the books and Stroud Radical Reading Group events.
We will meet at Redz Youth Hub, 6 Threadneedle St, GL5 1AF. Entry is free but for this event you will need to book via this link. Please bring some cash if you can afford to donate to cover venue costs.
Anyone interested in the books is welcome – we recommend reading one or other of the books but you don’t need to have read either to join us. You do not need to have attended any of our previous sessions. We do our best to make the sessions welcoming to people who have not been to reading groups or similar settings like university seminars before.
About “Or Something Worse”
The push for net zero has become a new arena for class conflict, where the powerful profit and the rest suffer. Nicholas Beuret’s incisive critique and actionable strategies empower us to fight for a truly sustainable and equitable future. Or Something Worse exposes the bleak realities of the transition to a carbon-neutral economy. Greening the economy has become a one-sided war, as governments and businesses squeeze the living standards of ordinary people. We need to seize control of the transition in order to reshape it to equitable ends. Existing policies won’t limit global heating to anything close to a safe level. Claims of sustainability disguise a zero-sum battle where the powerful profit and everyone else foots the bill. Green growth was supposed to bring increased wealth for all. Instead, work has been degraded, energy bills have soared, and the most basic necessities have become expensive and scarce. We need to disrupt green capitalism. Nicholas Beuret follows those already fighting back through ‘don’t pay’ campaigns, blockades of fossil-fuel infrastructure, and community counter-planning. He shows we have the tools not only to stop climate change but to build a fairer future.
About Nicholas Beuret
Nicholas Beuret is a lecturer in environmental politics and economic geography at the University of Essex. With a background in both activism and academia, he explores the intersections of climate change, capitalism, and social justice. His work has been featured in the Guardian, The Ecologist, Open Democracy, and Undercurrents. Nicholas lives in the UK, where he continues to write, teach, and engage in environmental advocacy.
Resources
- To get the discount from The Yellow-Lighted Bookshop: Look at your “basket”, and enter the “couponcode” 26stroudradical. Pick up your book from their Nailsworth, Tetbury or Chalford shops, or get books delivered to your door for £3.50 postage.
- Buy “Or Something Worse” – £10.19 with discount (RRP £11.99, saving £1.80).
- Buy Lifehouse: Taking Care of Ourselves in a World on Fire – £10.19 with discount (RRP £11.99, saving £1.80)
- Read “The Climate Squeeze” by Nicholas Beuret – a free 2,000 word excerpt from Or Something Worse, published in The Ecologist
- Read “Getting Beyond Hope: Facing up to the climate crisis together” by Adam Greenfield, a free 1,300 word excerpt from Lifehouse, hosted on the publisher Verso’s website
- Watch Nicholas Beuret speaking about the book for 30 minutes in an online book talk (embedded below)
- Watch Adam Greenfield speaking to Phoenix from Climate Emergency Centres (90 mins, embedded below).
About our events
Stroud Radical Reading Group events are free to attend, though we will make a collection to cover venue hire costs – please bring some cash if you can afford it (a few pounds would be great).
We try to create a comfortable discussion space for everyone, including people who have not been part of a reading group or been to university. We do not want the sessions to feel like school – the idea is that everyone has something to contribute, even if primarily through finding the discussion texts difficult and having questions with other attendees can attempt to answer.
To ensure marginalised people feel welcome, we encourage care and thoughtful contributions that respect people’s identities and lives. We are an LGBTQ+ inclusive and anti-racist space.
Anyone is welcome to listen to the discussion, though we encourage contributions only from those who have read at least some of the book we are discussing.
About the venue
The venue for this session is Redz Youth Hub, a hub for organising, creativity, and community building. It’s a free space for young people to host their own events, workshops, and meetups. They’ve been hosting sessions by Mutiny: Stroud’s Youth Assembly and The RYSE – the Radical Youth Space for Educations.
Redz is in central Stroud, close to the train station and bus station, with nearby stands to lock bikes, and parking for cars nearby at Fawkes Place or Church St car park. There is step-free access to the ground floor where we will meet. There is a toilet, and some comfortable seating as well as basic folding chairs. Please get in touch if you’d like to get more of an idea of what the sessions are like or if you have any accessibility needs.
There is an opportunity for more informal discussion after the session in the Ale House pub (around the corner) for anyone who wants to continue chatting after 9.30pm.
Stroud Radical Reading Group 