Extinction Rebellion

My reflections, at the end of an unprecedented summer of catastrophic, human-induced climate chaos, about what we can do and how we can cope with ever-increasing climate collapse in the face of a persistent refusal, by politicians and the media, to respond to the gravest existential threat in all our lifetimes with anything resembling the urgency that is required.

As heatwaves of unprecedented ferocity grip much of the world, I ask why it is that the mainstream media are still unable to recognise that climate collapse is the biggest disaster in all of our lifetimes, and that they have an obligation to cover it as much as possible, particularly in the absence of any meaningful action from our political leaders.

My review of four decades of repressive public order legislation by the Tories, marking the 38th anniversary of the Battle the Beanfield, running from the 1986 Public Order Act to the 1994 Criminal Justice Act, and on to the 2022 Police, Crime Sentencing and Court Act and the latest version of the Public Order Act. Aimed at criminalising the way of life of Gypsies and Travellers, the legislation is also aimed at criminalising any form of even mildly disruptive protest, of the kind currently being undertaken by climate protestors, whose actions would chime with the beleaguered travellers, festival-goers and environmental activists of 38 years ago.

The text of ‘We Can’t Trust the Weather Any More’, my first ever public speech about the climate crisis, which I made during Extinction Rebellion’s ‘The Big One’, on April 21, outside 55-57 Tufton Street, the home of opaquely-funded right-wing ‘libertarian’ think-tanks that are actively committed to maintaining the murderous status quo, including denying the reality of catastrophic climate change.

My photos of, and my report about the inspiring four-day protest, ‘The Big One’, in London on April 21-24, initiated by Extinction Rebellion but with the support of over 200 other organisations. I applaud the efforts to create a wider climate movement, whilst also recognising the impact that can be achieved through disruptive tactics, and I question on what basis mainstream media broadcasters thought it was appropriate to behave as though this astonishing gathering of climate activists wasn’t newsworthy.

My reflections on David Attenborough’s ‘Wild Isles’ Series, and, in particular, the additional episode, ‘Saving the Wild Isles’, which was only made available online. While applauding his efforts to get people involved in climate action, and particular in ‘rewilding’, I also can’t help but note that urgent and concerted direct action is also required to overcome our government’s continued support for our sewage-spilling privatised water companies, and for new oil, gas and coal extraction, and urge people to join Extinction Rebellion’s ‘The Big One’ protest in London on April 21.

Examining the latest report issued by the IPCC (the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change), which synthesises and updates the findings of previous report (since 2018), establishing that a future livable planet depends on us collectively making rapid, deep and immediate cuts to greenhouse gas emissions before 2030. I particularly focus on the failure of the mainstream media to prioritise this unprecedented crisis, and to report on it relentlessly, and I also urge anyone concerned to come to Parliament Square on April 21 for a protest initiated by Extinction Rebellion (and already supported by nearly 50 other organisations), which organisers are hoping will attract 100,000 people —too many, I hope, for it to be shut down.

My first long read of 2023, looking at how thoroughly catastrophic climate change made itself apparent in 2022, and yet how, still, our political leaders and our mainstream media continue to ignore the gravity of the situation. Instead, it is left to climate scientists and climate activists to take the lead, and I review their efforts last year, via the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), and via activism including road blocks, targeting oil refineries and private airports, and, most visibly, throwing soup on Van Gogh’s ’Sunflowers’, also examining whether or not these techniques are successful. I conclude by urging UK readers to consider another option: the velvet revolution envisaged by Extinction Rebellion, who are calling for 100,000 people to turn up outside Parliament on Friday April 21, and to refuse to go away until the dreadful stasis of 21st century capitalism’s toxic ‘business as usual’ is brought to an end.

My report about the failures of the COP27 climate summit, the implausibility of keeping the global temperature rise to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, the widespread actions by protestors over the last two months, and the need for a velvet revolution to bring about the change we need, in the face of paralysis from our leaders.

With the government of Liz Truss in chaos, having crashed the economy, but still committed to widening inequality and trashing the environment, there’s never been a better time to get involved in protests taking place in London from October 1 to October 16, involving Just Stop Oil, Enough Is Enough, the UK Guantánamo Network, the Don’t Extradite Assange campaign, and Extinction Rebellion.