Extinction rebellion. Waste of police time.

[sabrinablue]

Whilst I worry about climate change and try to do my bit, I can't help but feel that the extinction rebellion protests are going a step too far. So many officers in London are dealing with protestors that they can't get resources to those who are in trouble and need it. As a survivor of domestic violence who needed to call the police and have them attend quickly, I can't imagine what would've happened if they couldn't attend.

AIBU to think that a) the protests will likely not influence any government plans to tackle climate change, and b) that protests such as these are a huge unnecessary drain on police resources as soon as people start breaking the law.

Or am I missing the point entirely?

Well, they seem to be enjoying it!
m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10161738223820261&id=502885260

I'm due to be flying from Heathrow this afternoon and am pissed off at Mia, age 13, telling me "something has to change".

I've worked hard for my holiday, have saved for a year and don't appreciate some Stroud Strumpet organising a fun day out for her mates and their kids at the airport.

But the trouble is BettysLeftTentacle their “demands” are just so laughably unrealistic they’re not even worth attempting. Zero Carbon emissions by 2025? It’ll take that long just to word the legislation and get it through parliament! Then there will have to be a phase out period of old technology, or do they just want everyone to throw stuff in landfill?

I get we have a climate emergency on our hands but the entire way they’ve gone about this protest is ridiculous and may actually cause more harm.

Just because you've worked hard for your holiday (how hard? harder that most people?) doesn't mean people can't point out that flying is a huge source of the carbon emissions which are affecting everyone adversely outof

AlwaysCheddar I can quite see why you believe "toad blockages" to be a problem!
🐸

Although ships are much, much worse. So really, go on your holiday via flying but stop buying imported items that come in on haulage ships :)

When Emma Thompson stops flying then so will I

I think a lot of business flights could be reduced actually. Big wigs like the biz class aspect and try and book as many meetings as far away as possible, yet it could all be done on video conference.

I think a lot of people don't realise how bloody serious this is. And the fact of the matter is the government are not doing enough. If they are feeling pressured to act, good. And as for the arguments of 'well other countries are worse' then seriously grow up. Millions and millions of poor, vulnerable people all over the world are suffering, right now as a result of climate change, right now; what about them?

We all have to fundamentally change how we live and this has to start with the government pumping money into renewable energy, fining companies who are breaking emissions quotas etc.

Yes it's annoying if your commute is disrupted but it's not a tiny fleck of dust on what kind of disruption is to come as a result of our inaction.

Yep the government are definitely not doing enough. And neither are we. Look at the people complaining! HOW can they complain when these people are trying to get some action to help our world? Insane..

Well Mia the 13 year old Stroud Strumpet is going to inherit whatever polluted mess we leave for her but who cares as long as get our holidays.

I think they would get more support if they protest was more positive. How about a huge organised beach clean, or clearance of the canals in Birmingham of plastic waste. Maybe an organised 'walk to work week', or no plastic packaging week. To show what can be achieved. I think it just looks like a lazy man's protest.

I think the messaging is very confused and as a result I don’t consider them very credible. Their demands are basically impossible so not sure what they actually want in terms of concrete measures.Also why disrupt public transport? Maybe blockade car parks instead? The reason climate change is so difficult is because hardly anyone in the world will make the personal sacrifices concerned by choice so on that I agree that it has to be resolved through policy. However, the demands have to be realistic.

Some of the responses on this thread are exactly why the protests are needed. They've raised more awareness in a couple of days than others have done in years.

OP if you're worried about police resources being used then you need to start making noise about police cuts. 20,000 less police on the streets than eight years ago. That's not the protesters fault, is it?

With regards to the point of making personal changes. Yes, of course that is one thing we could all do more of but action on climate change requires "I, We and Them'.

I being things we all do, reducing car use, living more energy efficiently, moving to green energy tariffs, etc.'

We being things the community can do, car pooling, shopping locally, growing food locally, sharing resources, buying less fast fashion, reducing, reusing and recycling etc.

Them however is where it really matters. Government redirecting funds into green energy, imposing strict tariffs, banning single use plastics, imposing congestion zones, improving green technologies, incentives for sustainable business, improving public transport infrastructure to provide a realistic alternative to car travel, putting pressure on other governments such as the USA.

And the government aren't doing that, it's all 'yes we will do this by 2045'. They have to do it now, it needs to happen NOW. And they aren't getting it. Head. Brick wall.

Sorry that was long!

They've raised more awareness in a couple of days than others have done in years.

But they don’t have any concrete suggestions. What do they want the government to actually do that they’re not currently doing? ( I’m not saying there aren’t things, but they haven’t articulated what those things are). Zero carbon by 2025 isn’t a measure. It’s a goal. How do they propose we get there?

Completely waste of time. Too chaotic and targeting public transport is surely encouraging the opposite behaviour to what we should be doing (or driving / using taxis). And was was chaining themselves to Corbyn's house supposed to achieve?!

And in the interviews I've seen not a single protester has articulated their demands... "We're here to save the planet". How exactly?!

They are the usual troublemakers looking for any old band wagon to jump on. They have no idea what it is that they actually want or how the world could go about doing that. They just want some attention.

Actually Malifiscent, Mia and the Stroud Strumpet are two entirely different people.
I think Caselgarcia has it spot on.

Can’t be bothered getting annoyed by them but find any of them with children hugely hypocritical.

I think they would get more support if they protest was more positive. How about a huge organised beach clean, or clearance of the canals in Birmingham of plastic waste. Maybe an organised 'walk to work week', or no plastic packaging week. To show what can be achieved. I think it just looks like a lazy man's protest.

Spot on !

I think they're absolute idiots.

They protest climate change by disrupting public transport? Do they realise how many Londoners they've forced into Ubers this week?

They may have time to take the day off work and have a jolly (and fly hundreds of miles to take part in a party - Emma Thompson, I'm looking at you) but for the rest of us, life goes on. London is bloody well open and we are working hard, because we have to.

I can't get over how at odds their message is with their behaviour. Who protests climate change by stopping people from sharing public transport? Do they actually want more cars on the road? Idiots.

They are a bunch of idealists as usual with no practical contribution to the issues. They should be ignored.

Unfortunately the green lobby has actively opposed things like ccs and nuclear so they are as much responsible for the failure to solve this issue as the rest of us.

They seem to believe we can suddenly switch to living in a world of wind, sun and water power without have a huge impact on society through the huge increase in energy cost that would entail.

What @MaxNormal said.