Climate Emergency

Monbiot: Make extreme wealth extinct: it’s the only way to avoid climate breakdown

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https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/nov/10/extreme-wealth-polluting-climate-breakdown-rich

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The richest 1% of the world’s people (those earning more than $172,000 a year) produce 15% of the world’s carbon emissions: twice the combined impact of the poorest 50%. On average, they emit over 70 tonnes of carbon dioxide per person every year, 30 times more than we can each afford to release if we’re not to exceed 1.5C of global heating. While the emissions of the world’s middle classes are expected to fall sharply over the next decade, thanks to the general decarbonisation of our economies, the amount produced by the richest will scarcely decline at all: in other words, they’ll be responsible for an even greater share of total CO2. Becoming good global citizens would mean cutting their carbon consumption by an average of 97%.

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There’s an oft-quoted axiom, whose authorship is obscure: it is easier to imagine the end of the world than the end of capitalism. Part of the reason is that capitalism itself is difficult to imagine. Most people struggle to define it, and its champions have generally succeeded in disguising its true nature. So let’s begin by imagining something that’s easier to comprehend: the end of concentrated wealth. Our survival depends on it.

I’ve come to believe that the most important of all environmental measures are wealth taxes. Preventing systemic environmental collapse means driving extreme wealth to extinction. It is not humanity as a whole that the planet cannot afford. It’s the ultra-rich.

https://youtu.be/05p_oeea5_E

Something to watch on the eve of huge energy price increases driving the cost of living crisis in UK

Continue ReadingMonbiot: Make extreme wealth extinct: it’s the only way to avoid climate breakdown

Just Stop Oil actions

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Climate activist group Just Stop Oil have disrupted three oil terminals and many M25 petrol stations this week. Just Stop Oil are calling for no new oil and gas ventures in UK which is accepted as a necessary measure to address the climate crisis.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/aug/23/just-stop-oil-activists-stage-protests-at-essex-and-midlands-oil-terminals

Dozens of environmental protesters have blocked critical oil infrastructure in Essex and the Midlands as they revived a campaign to “just stop oil”.

At daybreak on Tuesday, about 50 people took part in protests targeting three oil terminals, from where fuel is distributed to petrol stations, the activist group Just Stop Oil said.

In Essex, about 30 activists occupied the Inter oil terminal in Grays and blocked a road leading to the Navigator oil terminal in Thurrock, while five others occupied tunnels dug beneath access roads to the terminals.

In Warwickshire about 20 people tried to block access roads to the Kingsbury oil terminal, the campaign said. Four others were said to be occupying two tunnels near the site.

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https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/aug/24/just-stop-oil-protesters-block-service-stations-on-m25-in-second-day-of-action

Environmental protesters have blocked three service stations on the M25 in a second day of action this week attempting to put pressure on the government to end new oil and gas projects.

According to the Just Stop Oil campaign, 32 of its supporters took action from 5am at Cobham services in Surrey, Clacket Lane services in Kent and Thurrock services in Essex.

They blocked access to petrol pumps by sitting in the road with banners, while some sabotaged petrol pumps by breaking the display glass, covering them with spray paint or locking on to them.

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Continue ReadingJust Stop Oil actions

Climate activists fill golf course holes with cement in France

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https://www.independent.co.uk/climate-change/news/climate-activist-france-water-ban-b2144729.html

French climate activists have filled golf course holes with cement in protest against a water ban exemption on greens across the country during a severe drought.

The group, part of the Extinction Rebellion organisation, targeted courses near the city of Toulouse, calling golf the “leisure of the most privileged.”

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In a petition, the local activists said the exemption showed that “economic madness takes precedence over ecological reason”.

“At a time when the greatest drought ever observed in France since the beginning of meteorological readings is raging, while the drying up of rivers is accelerating in our regions, at a time when 93 departments out of 96 are placed under water use restrictions, resulting in total bans on irrigation for certain market gardeners and for agriculture; a sector concerning a tiny fraction of the population seems to enjoy a privilege worthy of another world in these times of crisis; golf,” the group said in its online petition.

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Continue ReadingClimate activists fill golf course holes with cement in France

Rethink

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The post about rethinking how to campaign effectively. These are suggestions and you are welcome to disagree.

The problem is that climate campaigning has reduced severely and not recovered since pre-lockdown levels. The problem is that climate campaigning is not effective since pro-climate actions are not taken while actions damaging to the climate are. Participation has reduced, but that’s not the issue. The issue is that governments are not taking any meaningful or any action and that deterioration of the climate continues unabated.

Why is climate campaigning not effective? The oil industry is deluged with money, traditional media is generally opposed to climate action and governments are owned by the oil industry, high finance and the media barons, all having power without responsibility. I have reached the conclusion that governments and politicians are so dependent and subservient to big oil, high finance and the media barons that they are inseparable from them. I may be wrong on this point but can’t see any other explanation.

For example, traditional media has decided who the UK’s next prime minister will be. You may have been told that it is Conservative members’ decision but their preferred candidate has already actually been excluded. I know who the next prime minister will be so it’s pointless wasting time watching it. That’s the power that Murdoch has over government and politicians and he will no doubt have his usual back-door key to 10 Downing Street.

In UK we have recently witnessed unaccountable corrupt politicians alien to the concept of truth engaging in profiteering cronyism, showing a total disregard for laws and decency and contempt for the electorate. I suggest campaigning that seeks to hold politicians, big oil or the lying media to account may be effective.

Continue ReadingRethink