… on a quiet day, I can hear her breathing

Category: Climate Emergency

  • THE STATE WE’RE IN :: George Monbiot is trying to get arrested today

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    Journalist and author George Monbiot is trying to get arrested today as part of the Extinction Rebellion Climate Emergency protests in London. There have been over 1,400 arrests of XR rebels in London and the Metropolitan Police have now imposed a blanket ban on London XR protests.

    Today, I aim to get arrested. It is the only real power climate protesters have

    Image of Extinction Rebellion protestors getting removed and possibly arrested by police
    Photograph: Ollie Millington/Getty

    A few hours after this column is published, I hope to be in a police cell. I don’t yet know what the charge will be, where I will be arrested or when, but I know that if I go home this evening without feeling the hand of the law on my sleeve, I will have failed. This may sound like a strange ambition, but I believe it is a reasonable one.

    If I succeed, I will be one of many. In the current wave of Extinction Rebellion protests, more than 1,400 people have so far allowed themselves to be arrested. It’s a controversial tactic, but it has often proved effective. The suffragettes, the Indian salt marchers, the civil rights movement and the Polish and East German democracy movements, to name just a few, all used it as a crucial strategy. Mass arrests are a potent form of democratic protest.

    They work because they show that the campaigners are serious. When people are prepared to jeopardise their liberty for their cause, other people appear more likely to listen to what they say, and more likely to recognise its importance. Those who founded Extinction Rebellion researched these histories and sought to apply their lessons to the greatest predicament humanity has ever faced: the gathering collapse of our life support systems.

    …

  • Global Extinction Rebellion protests start

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    Extinction Rebellion London protests 7 October 2019

    https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-49957521

    Extinction Rebellion activists are protesting in cities around the world, including Berlin, Amsterdam and Sydney.

    Organisers have planned to shut down key sites in central London, in addition to demonstrating outside government departments.

    Extinction Rebellion says protests in the capital will be five times bigger than similar events in April.

    The protests are calling for urgent action on global climate and wildlife emergencies.

    …

    Thank you Extinction Rebellion.

  • The climate crisis explained

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    The climate crisis explained in 10 charts

    The problem – rising carbon dioxide in the atmosphere

    The level of CO2 has been rising since the industrial revolution and is now at its highest for about 4 million years. The rate of the rise is even more striking – the fastest for 66m years – with scientists saying we are in “uncharted territory”.

    The causes – fossil fuel burning

    Billions of tonnes of CO2 are sent into the atmosphere every year from coal, oil and gas burning. There is no sign of these emissions starting to fall rapidly, as is needed.

    …

    The climate crisis explained in 10 charts continued at the Guardian

  • Time for rebellion on climate crisis :: Analysis, Strategy, Planning and Preparation

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    Image at Marble Arch attributed to Banksy following Extinction Rebellion protests 2019 reads 'From this moment despair ends and tactics begin'

    I have proposed commencing rebellion to the Climate Crisis on 31 October 2019. A discussion of that proposal follows.

    Unfortunately this blog is very one-directional. I get very little feedback to anything that I publish. It is however widely-read and can provide a lead. At the very least please consider what I am proposing.

    The big problem with the date I proposed is that it coincides with the UK’s possible no-deal Brexit. Rebellion in UK could be misrepresented as opposition to Brexit by disgruntled anti-Brexiteers. I proposed this date on the basis that I do not expect Brexit to happen and it’s Halloween. Any action now in UK could be misrepresented as opposition to Brexit.

    Analysis and proposed tactics needs only to be adequate and sufficient. I suggest that we need to rebel to show that climate destruction is no longer tolerated, we really are all in this together and that we have a responsibility to young people, the Planet (including nature) and future generations.

    Traditional politics has proved to be totally incapable of dealing with the climate crisis. Indeed, it is even responsible for causing climate destruction. Fundamental changes are needed to protect our Planet.

    Image of Extinction Rebellions pink boat at Bristol bridge protest 2019.

    I am not associated with Extinction Rebellion although they have my support. I am impressed by their media representatives and pink boats.

    Strategy

    Planning and preparation is key. I suggest autonomous action targetting travel (particularly private transport) and being as effective and productive as possible which means trying to avoid arrest.

    Bicycles and small motorcycles are good transport. Traffic lights can be disabled, roads can be blocked using large vehicles e.g. buses, stop vehicle and then disable. Planning and preparation – simple tools needed and practice.

  • Climate Crisis

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    Please ensure that your elected representatives are fully aware of your concern about the climate crisis. Please tell them that you demand action.