About us
Oxford Humanists brings non-religious people together to be happier and more fulfilled and to be a force for good in our local community.
We hold regular socials and speaker events in Oxford to stimulate debate, build connections between like-minded people, and amplify Humanists UK activities and priorities. Everyone is welcome.
Upcoming events
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Energy is Life: A Rational Optimist's Case for Human Progress
Old Fire Station, 40 George Street,, Oxford OX1 2AQ, GBWhat does energy really mean for ordinary lives — for safety, dignity, education, and opportunity? In this thought-provoking talk, science communicator and Humanists UK Patron Zion Lights reveals the human story behind one of the most misunderstood forces in our world. Drawing from her new book Energy Is Life, she explores how access to energy has lifted billions from hardship, empowered communities, and opened the door to human flourishing.
Blending personal insight with scientific clarity, Zion challenges assumptions, demystifies modern technologies, and offers a hopeful, humane vision of our shared future. She examines why our intuitions about risk often mislead us, how cognitive biases shape public debates, and what we can do to think more clearly in an age of misinformation.
Sharing her own journey from anti-technology activism to evidence-based advocacy, Zion makes a compelling, grounded case that science, reason, and abundant clean energy are essential to human progress and human flourishing.
Please join this community discussion. We hope to have Zion Light's latest book available to purchase on the night.
About our Speaker: As the former Editor of Extinction Rebellion's print newspaper, The Hourglass, Zion Lights played a pivotal role in elevating climate discourse in the UK, achieving remarkable distribution figures and media reviews. As a spokesperson for the group, she highlighted the need for action on climate change on major outlets such as BBC Politics Live, Good Morning Britain, Byline TV, Sky News, The Andrew Neil Show, France 24, Debatten in Denmark, and Arirang News in South Korea. She has also appeared in several documentaries.
Zion is particularly notable for her advocacy of nuclear energy following a highly public shift in her own views. With over 10 years of experience in communications, journalism, public engagement, and speaking, she has leveraged her expertise to make complex science accessible and compelling, helping to shift public understanding and shape the global conversation around nuclear energy. She founded Emergency Reactor, the UK’s first pro-nuclear environmental campaign group, and her advocacy contributed to government proposals for new nuclear projects as well as shifts in public perception. As part of her public engagement strategy, Zion was the first person to publish a pro-nuclear article in two of Britain’s most widely read newspapers.
We are thrilled to host Zion Lights in Oxford in February and we hope you'll register to join us for what promises to be an informative presentation and discussion. Please arrive from 7:15, talk will start at 7:30, with time for questions, drinks and social time afterwards. We have to leave the venue no later than 9:30pm.
This event is free to join, but we do ask that you register to help us manage numbers and, as always, any donations you are able to contribute will support our running costs.
You can also register to receive our mailings or join Humanists UK at our web page: https://humanists.uk/local-group/oxford/1 attendee
Past events
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