To ask: what could Extinction Rebellion do to convince you?

[WallyWallyWally]

So another series of XR stunts unfolded today: a tree surgeon climbs Big Ben and unfurls a banner. Some other activists have chained themselves to the door of the Kenyan embassy. A big wooden tipi has been constructed to block Oxford Circus. In the crowds, people have been painting their hands red and are leaving handprints on pavements to symbolise... something.

They’ve camped out in public places. Climbed on top of trains and planes Performed various theatrical performances. They’ve marched and glued themselves to buildings. Held up traffic, waved banners, got kids to stay off school.

What XR want Is: for governments to declare a climate emergency, for actions to be taken to address this and for citizens assemblies to be set up to decide what these actions should be.

I’m not arguing about the science of climate heating (I’m convinced). I’m not asking them not to be hypocrites (it’s impossible to live a truly green lifestyle within our society as it is).

So: what could XR do to convince you of the right-ness of their cause? What action should they take? What campaigns / stunts / awareness raising can they do that would convince you that the house is on fire? To the extent that you would lobby your MP / campaign / join them?

Why are you bringing remaining into it are you focussed on that for some reason

Free movement of people not so convenient after all?

Art what wit you have

The problem with the legislative changes which get suggested is they are all "encouraging

Oh yes, let’s just force them to change their bad, bad ways, yes that always goes well.

Meanwhile, actual effective measures like promoting nuclear energy and cutting back on immigration (we’d have a declining population now if we had cut back) is never, ever on the table.

Nothing, the idea we can stop it is totally absurd.

I would only be convinced by strong scientific evidence. If they complied and published all of the research in this area with an unbiased analysis of the evidence produced (and the mothers used to obtain it) and came to the conclusion that xyz needed to be done I would support them. Unfortunately amateur dramatics and disrupting public transport simply isn’t convincing.

XR don't need to convince me about the climate emergency but I won't join them because their hippy image makes me uncomfortable.

I've been studying and working in the environmental sector for over twenty years but dreadlocked interpretative dance and sharing circles and regenerative meditation leaves me cold.

@Trewser My parents aren't as green as yours, and they're Boomers, but my stepdad has an allotment, they grow herbs and have a fruit tree in the garden, they shop locally and support local farmers (Cambridgeshire is great farm territory) and they recycle. They never waste food. And we still have the same old Christmas decorations from my childhood, which is great because they always make me nostalgic.

I remember quite a few clothes from my childhood were hand-me-downs from Mum because she had two sisters and they wore each other's clothes. It must have stuck with her.

Also @CatherineOfAragonsPrayerBook hit the nail on the head with one of the things that makes me really uncomfortable about XR.

I don't know what XR want to convince me of. To vote green? Happy to do that

But the Green Party don’t have climate change at the top of their agenda, that goes to scrapping Trident.

Immigration is second

Gender based violence is 3rd

Worldwide conflict resolution is 4th

Trade rules which seem to just be about keeping the status quo is 5th

Only 5th of 6 policies does it mention climate change and then it seems to want to concentrate its efforts on poorer countries

6th is to increase the overseas aid budget,

Nothing in their policies is about how they will benefit the average UK born voter

It is virtually all about what the UK can do for other people

Olivers the Green Party's Political Programme places 'Save Our Environment' at the top.
www.greenparty.org.uk/assets/images/national-site/political-programme-web-v1.3.pdf

This may be a year or so out of date as it still has Caroline Lucas in the foreword...

All the people who were a part of the XR demonstrations can we expect to not see them in a car but to walk or cycle everywhere from now on.

Should we only see them eating vegan food.

Whilst the celebrities who support ER have admitted they are hypocrites what exactly will they be doing from now on to curb their carbon footprint.

Will we see Ruby Wax cycling, or Grayson Perry dressing in natural fabrics

Or is it just a case of we can’t help ourselves but everyone else must change.

Ihaventgottimeforthis

My list of their policies is from their website.

So NF asked: If not to suggest solutions what are the aims of XR?

Answer: The purpose of XR is to disrupt. Followed by 'I don't feel comfortable saying it, but that's it in a nutshell.'

If Nigel Farage sounds reasonable I’m comparison to XR they definitely have a problem...

Nothing. I agree there's a climate change but there's not a lot I can do about it besides little things and disrupting people trying to go to work on public transport is stupid.

when you can see from this thread the people who belong to it work and have families like anyone else.

The only people I know who are in it are rich Londoners who haven't had to work in years and had quite cushy lives due to being born to wealthy landowners.

Olivers can you drop a link? I've been looking for their policies and the 'political programme' was the best I could come up with.

www.greenparty.org.uk/green-guarantee/a-safer-world.html

If Nigel Farage sounds reasonable I’m comparison to XR they definitely have a problem

A huge problem

Nothing. If you look at any time line of the planet it has always been clear humans will not be on it for very long. So what? What says humans are better than lump of molten rock?

I don't think preventing people from getting to their place of employment and then jumping on a train home yourself covers anyone in glory. Hypocrisy will not help the environment neither will nutjobs scaling trees and ranting.
We all need to make a concerted effort to help the planet but climbing on trains and glueing yourself to a bus or something just takes extra resources in terms of police vehicles using fuel to get to a disturbance, people having to use cars and taxis because idiots have stopped the trains running etc etc. Again how did these nutjobs get to their demos as don't suppose they walked so they're just making folks angry at their hypocrisy and that is not making people think about the climate at all it's just pissing them off!

Olivers thank you I couldn't find those pages, that's useful.

You do realise though that you are referring to Policy 8 'A Safer World' which is why Trident is #1, as it's their policy concerning defence, global relationships etc?
If you look at Policies 1 & 2 they refer to the environment & climate in much more detail. And some might suggest they have given them more priority in their numbering.

The problem with the Green Party is that along with Labour & the LibDems they’ve shown how keen they are to chuck women under the bus by replacing ‘biological sex’ with ‘gender identity’. Voting for them would feel like kneeling in front of the block & baring my neck.

I have always been a bit environmentally conscious, and wear things for years, reuse things multiple times, hoard stuff etc etc. Jolly good if we all do this.

And then you look at an aerial map of China, and see how it's changed in only a matter of a few years. Thousands of factories springing up, thousands of acres of land cleared, new roads, airports... not to mention a population newly keen on meat-eating, disposable nappy using, car driving etc etc. Also the number of tourists from China now going round the world is absolutely huge .

I'm not saying the Chinese are at fault or that their population should stay in the dark ages to suit the health of the planet, but what on earth is the point of someone smugly using a hemp tote bag in the face of the industrial activities on the other side of the world?

Unfortunately you only have to read the comments under climate related news articles to see that literally nothing could convince people or make them care.

Heres one I just saw on here a few days ago - a poster comments along the lines of "and we only have 12 years to turn things around". The reply - "what are you talking about? Source?". Hmm let's see, only one of the most famous and talked documents of the last few years! And this poster had never heard of it, even though they obviously have access to the internet.

IRL this week, I mentioned a climate issue at work and someone said" oh, so you believe in climate change? ". This person was a masters educated professional.

They're absolute anarchists and everytime I see their antics, I want to get a mahoosive american gas guzzler and drive it in front of the cunts of XR. Sorry. They made my elederly neighbour miss a hospital appointment and I can't forgive them. Wankers.