Protestors climb on train

[omikron]

What on earth to ER hope to achieve this morning?! Such arseholes

Hmmpop:
It’s got people talking about how mad xr is, not the issue.

Specifically what I’ve done is:
Cycle virtually everywhere.
Invested in companies supporting tech that will solve the problems/carbon capture, energy storage, solar power.
Stopped flying.
Supported virtual conferencing rather than face to face.
Note, things that reduce my carbon footprint, not things that piss people off and put them off supporting environmental action.

The trope that nothing has been done is total nonsense by the way. More needs doing, yes, but the Kyoto protocol signatories publish their emissions broken down by area and large changes have been made already.

I’m angry the xr are giving the deniers and general population an excuse not to do anything about their own carbon footprints.

Honestly, why do think anarchic anger is helping?

They should have used the protesters to grease the tracks.

Just highlight that we should follow Brussles example and water cannon them, watch the tailspin and hypocrisy as why the UK is more authoritative than the rest of the EU. There is a large cross over in ardent vocal remainer and those who want to brush aside any XR critisim.

It's usually those who lack any form of critical thinking of a globalised economy and just chase the latest twitter trend.

Hmmpop
The criticism is levelled because people are angry about what you are doing.
Since what you are doing is making things worse, which seems self-evidently obvious if you read the thread - you genuinely are not persuading people to change by stopping them using the tube or attending hospitals - why are you surprised by the criticism?

@truthfairy what a lovely staged photo! I however was in London at The Evelina and witnessed first hand their bloody mess!!

Why aren’t they at work?”
a) Because their values put a greater weight on a longer term significance than short term ease

There will be people trying to get to work on zero hours contracts, who are self employed, who are in low paid jobs with no annual leave, or restricted annual leave.....that doesnt mean they don't care about the environment.
The point is that the people protesting had a choice, ability and availability to spend days doing poncy yoga poses and publicity stunts protesting. (Some are students and retired, some are full time protesters- whatever that means, but i appreciate thats not all of them) You know low paid workers and people on NMW care about their childrens future.... their childrens future is literally tomorrow, they are trying to get to work to earn enough to put a roof over their head and feed them!

Perhaps further responders would humour me:
Are you more or less likely to reduce your carbon footprint as a result of the actions of XR?

Mrspenfold123

Not who you was replying to, but your justification highlights the problems not only with XR but those who pretend they are doing their fair share and ignores the nuance of the globalised economy we are in.

I’m angry the xr are giving the deniers and general population an excuse not to do anything about their own carbon footprints.

When you openly have XR protesters flying over from australia to 'offer support' its no wonder why people are not thinking about their own carbon footprint.

XR being associated globally with Ivory tower socialism isn't on those not blindly towing the line. XR rethoric nor is it automatically anti climate denial. It requires some self reflection, but as mentioned before the most ardent XR supporter has little grasp of global economics or even basic science.

Thanks for the link HelenaDove

@justanotherlurker
Agree with a lot of that.
But there are a lot of well-meaning people like hmmpop who think they are helping because they don’t know what they want to achieve.

As I said up-thread, if the goal is to persuade people to take action, which message is more powerful:
(1) You are stealing my generation’s future from a committed, serious child.
Or
(2) You can’t go to work today because I’m angry?

That’s what they’ve really failed to grasp - their branding.

As I said up-thread, if the goal is to persuade people to take action, which message is more powerful:

XR supporters are thinking neither because it requires nuanced not simplistic black and white thinking, it's nothing more than an extension of twitter likes, hence the comments of 'will be remembered in history'

Own goal , bloody idiots, why the hell don’t they bother the Chinese m Russians or Americans? The underground is electric so why the hell disrupt it?

I hope that this idea of riding free on the roof of trains doesn't catch on. If I get to Droitwich Monday morning to get to my job in Brum and my usual place is taken by freeloading buggers, the game is up.

Are you more or less likely to reduce your carbon footprint as a result of the actions of XR?

Until XR call out people flying over from australia to offer support, maybe highlight the hypocrisy of tweeting on a phone that requires rare earth metals and still openly target a green form of mass transport it isn't for the average person to justify their position.

When XR is full of open borders lunatics, the focus isn't on trying to invent a straw man of pretending those against XR don't want to reduce their carbon footprint.

XR being ridiculed/questioned is not automatically the straw man of being a climate denier. Its highlighting the white nighting middle class ivory tower socialism, its going to take a lot of circling of caravans because its world wide and it can't be blamed on old school media.

So I just did the WWF carbon footprint calculator and came in at 11.7 tonnes, but I doubt the accuracy since it still asked if I had loft insulation when I already told it I live in a flat, and is suggesting I get energy saving bulbs when I said I already did. Does anyone have a link to another calculator?

You know that pretty much every other activist group thinks that XR are a bunch of clueless posh wankers? They have been widely criticised for racism (complete refusal to acknowlege a) the work already done by indigenous people b) the ignorance as to why people who aren't white might be a tiny bit less enthusiastic about 'getting arrested, getting arrested is so cool' and c) the racist dogwhistles about how the police should be dealing with 'knife crime' and 'climate change will mean more immigration'.) And the class issue is also a big problem (as demonstrated by the stupid dickheads trying to stop public transport in Canning Town.)

And there is nothing remotely coherent, useful or feasible about XR's demands, either. It's one great big toddler tantrum - 'Get the government to announce that climate change is bad'. Yup. Sure. Everybody say the magic words and... Well, fuck all happens.

What these twats could do right now (given that so many of them appear to have a lot of spare change) is invest in renewable energy, put solar panels on their houses, spread the word that everyone should pick up litter and educate themselves properly about the science associated with climate change... But that's not going to get them enough Tfwitter likes.

@Texakana1 well at least here Oop North we have 25000 volts of electricity to stop them clinging to the roof

Perhaps further responders would humour me:
Are you more or less likely to reduce your carbon footprint as a result of the actions of XR?

No change here, i will only do something for climate change if its affordable and convenient to me. Not cos a bunch of werdos walked naked down the street in melbourne or glued themselves to a road, i just think that is idiotic and pathetic.

All XR do for me is make me worry they will get in the way of me getting to an event im off too next week with their BS blocking of roads and public transport.
DP has paid thousands for us to go, if these loony tunes ruin that, you can bet they wont be worried about climate change, they will be worried about the psycho chick with purple hair who is furious ive missed the event and looking to make heads roll, literally

I have been a member of Surfers Against Sewage since for 20 years. Regular beach cleans (weekly) massively reduced my own plastic usage etc

This local group is made up of mostly professionals, tradespeople and retired locals. Very very few under 25’s and never have we seen anyone from XR or any other ‘group’ attend beach cleans.

We do it, it’s not posted on Instagram and it’s not cool, which is why we don’t see them. Oh and it’s done 8 am on a Sunday!

To state that the only way forward is to listen to XR or die is ludicrous. How about other non militant groups can make a difference without the fanfare and need for recognition.

@fromdownwest
EXACTLY! Climate change starts from people like you NOT crazy people crying on the tarmac or jumping on trains! Well done for what you do! Why isn’t Greta attacking India and China?? No she’d rather go to nice comfy Canada The anarchic are truly hypocritical especially the ones who were flying in (you couldn’t make this up ) to protest!

She has taken more flights in the last few months than I have in years.

She has taken more flights in the last few months than I have in years.
Who? Greta Thunberg? I thought she didn't fly? She's not long taken a boat across the Atlantic.

Who? Greta Thunberg? I thought she didn't fly? She's not long taken a boat across the Atlantic.

But the people who collected/delivered the boat DID fly, I believe.

She hitched a ride with the boat people. They were taking the boat anyway, and would have flown anyway.

But the people who collected/delivered the boat DID fly, I believe.

Thanks NewName. Just what I was going to say.