The Bloomin’ Greenwash Travelling Circus is taking to the road again in 2023. Following on from their previous successful tours. This time they will be aiming to bring awareness to the issues faced by the climate disaster we are currently facing and in particular the problems faced by our polluted rivers caused by agriculture, with a particular focus on the River Wye (Afon Gwy).

This tour will start at the mouth of the River Adur in Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex, and continue on to the mouth of the River Teifi (Afon Teifi) in Cardigan, West Wales (Aberteifi, Cymru).

Putting the Unity Back in Community. Bloomin’ Greenwash Travelling Circus is a group of climate activists cycling from West Sussex to Cardigan Bay in West Wales. While we make our journey we hope to entertain the public and raise awareness about ‘dirty water’ and other important environmental issues.

Did you know that 72% of the UK population recognises that climate change is caused by human activity? And yet this hasn’t stopped our government from commissioning a coal mine and several oil and gas wells in the North Sea. This business-as-usual attitude can be seen in the dirty water in our rivers and on our beaches, and it’s just not good enough.

Water companies dumping untreated sewage into our waterways and coastal waters breaks all environmental standards, but it also lets communities down badly. While water company shareholders receive billions of pounds in payouts, the customers are left to foot the bill for essential works those companies have neglected since privatisation.

It’s wrong, it’s unhealthy, and it’s got to stop.

So, What EXACTLY is Greenwash?

Greenwash is the empty promises and lies that politicians and big companies tell us to make out that they are doing something about the climate emergency and the crisis in the natural world. Basically, it has the same smell as bullshit, but it comes in a different colour.

Greenwash usually takes the form of big plans for a greener future that are rarely backed up with evidence or facts. For example, In 2001 BP announced they were going to move “beyond petroleum”. BP said they would not increase the amount of oil they pumped and made a commitment to take better care of the environment. Then, in 2010, an explosion on BP’s Deepwater Horizon oil rig triggered the largest oil spill at sea in history. BP responded to this huge environmental disaster by selling all their solar and wind farms in order to compensate for their own losses. That’s greenwash.

The UK government says they are reducing the amount of plastic we throw away by banning plastic straws, stirrers and cotton buds and charging more for plastic shopping bags, but these ‘solutions’ don’t come close to solving the problem, and are really just another form of greenwash.

To understand the scale of our plastic waste problem, watch the short film made by Greenpeace on YouTube called ‘Wasteminster: A Downing Street Disaster’. This is another form of greenwash. In our last example, let’s look at the contractors building the new HS2 train line who made bold claims about planting seven million new trees to absorb the carbon the construction will produce. What they didn’t tell you is how many mature trees they were cutting down, and the nature reserves they planned to destroy. They say HS2 will be a sustainable form of transport, but in reality, it will take at least 140 years before the new line becomes carbon neutral. Yes, you guessed it – this is another form of greenwash.

Now you know how to spot greenwash, please call it out wherever you find it – and tell your friends!

Follow the Bloomin’ Greenwash Travelling Circus cycle tour online!
Twitter: @BGreenwash
Instagram: @bloominggreenwash


If our cycle-powered adventure inspires you to take action, there are several practical ways you could get involved and help protect the environment. We need to work together to put the government under pressure and minimise climate change, so organising or attending a demonstration locally, or in London, is a great start.
Join or start a climate action group where you live.
Friends of the Earth will provide advice, ideas, and resources https://takeclimateaction.co.uk
Act local! The Shoreham Poplar Front saved an iconic tree from the chop by a combination of occupation and rational argument, proving communities can win against business interests.
Ditch the car – check out your city car club, get a bike, use public transport or your feet!
Switch your bank account – move your money to a bank that won’t invest in fossil fuel https://www.switchit.green/
Ask your MP if they’re supporting the CEE (Climate & Ecological Emergency) Bill.
Cut out meat or eat less of it, or take the summer vegan pledge https://govegan.org.uk
Pledge not to fly for a year. Go on holiday by train or bike instead. Say goodbye to airport mayhem and security checks, or just enjoy nature on your own doorstep. https://flightfree.co.uk
Switch to an electricity company that supplies 100% renewable energy, like Ecotricity or Good Energy www.bigcleanswitch.org
Write to your pension provider and tell them not to invest in fossil fuels.
Use zero waste shops using your own containers for refills https://ecothriftyliving.com