to support extinction rebellion - more London action tomorrow

[54321nought]

I am not sure what, but I have seen their previous demonstrations, and support their cause.

We were given badges at one event, and travelled home on public transport wearing them, and received absolutely nothing but 100% support from other travellers, which was nice, as I expected some hostility, publicly wearing their badges while roads in London were closed by them

First question: Why are you here today?
Response: to bunk off college.

Yes it's certainly environmental issues driving these young people.

Interested in how these attitudes are approached in xr. Or is it tolerated because quantity of protesters is valued over quality.
ugtest.pmadata.org/sugihbareng/download/5MNfbWMTDjg.xhtml

@maddening

Restrictions could be taxes for example, limits on sales, banning certain plastics that can't be easily recycled.

Whether they're "easily recyclable" or not is irrelevant if they don't get put in a recycling bin. Indulge me a little here. Have a guess at how many plastic bottles will be produced for just one item for one manufacturer over the next 4 years.

People have died and others lost everything in wildfires this year due to man made climate change and you’re here arguing. You don’t have to like XR, but that doesn’t excuse you from doing nothing. Get off your phone and take action.

FWIW, my neighbours who join XR actions are in their late 60s, retired GPs. My impression is that there are a lot of university educated people in the XR movement who read a lot, can understand scientific literature and therefore have a good understanding of how screwed we are.

@NantesElephant

FWIW, my neighbours who join XR actions are in their late 60s, retired GPs. My impression is that there are a lot of university educated people in the XR movement who read a lot, can understand scientific literature and therefore have a good understanding of how screwed we are.

GPS that don't realise if you block roads emergency services can't get through? Glad they weren't my GP. You'd think with that many intelligent people they'd be able to come up with a more effective strategy than 'stop public transport'.

Have you seen that video? Are those teens being effective campaigners?

Also, university educated means nowadays you had the money to pay the fees. It's not really a good measure of intelligence anymore. (But a pretty accurate gauge of class!)

If people are that clever I would hope they use their gifts to find solutions to climate change- one university near me developed buses run on biofuel. Much more useful than stopping traffic and a better use of time and resources.

@BelleOfTheProvince

Also, university educated means nowadays you had the money to pay the fees. It's not really a good measure of intelligence anymore. (But a pretty accurate gauge of class!)

Far more working class people go to university now than previously.

3 billion (in case anyone's actually interested in the answer).

Maybe that was true in the early 2000s. I'd be interested to see the data.
Certainly none of the lower middle class teens I know are off to university this year. They've got apprenticeships or jobs. I doubt they'll be taking time off to mooch around at festivals protests.

A new report by Greenpeace has concluded that lost and discarded fishing gear makes up the vast majority of large plastic pollution in the oceans. An estimated 640,000 tonnes of ghost gear enters the ocean every year, equivalent in weight to more than 50,000 double decker buses.

So best avoid the fillet o fish while you're out protesting too.

@NantesElephant

FWIW, my neighbours who join XR actions are in their late 60s, retired GPs. My impression is that there are a lot of university educated people in the XR movement who read a lot, can understand scientific literature and therefore have a good understanding of how screwed we are.

Both my DH and I are working class; we went to university when about 5% of the population were lucky enough to get there. FWIW we went to a university that was well known for its left wing agenda. So, yes we understand a lot, neither of us support ER. We dislike the way that it disrupts ordinary working class people going about their lawful day-to-day activities, we believe that a lot of them just want to create chaos and most don't actually have a clue about what they want anyone to do to make the world a better place. Oh, and being in any profession doesn't give that person either any more idea of what is going on in another field of expertise or any more right to protest than someone with no professional qualifications or for that matter a working class person. We can all read.

Retired GPs who managed to go to uni 50 years ago. A prime example of how retired and privileged go hand in hand.

Also, is there a difference between people who like to read that didn't go to university and people who like to read but did go to University?

Do you assume these retires GPS are correct about everything, all them time?

One of the organisers LinkedIn is amusing, she used to design leather and fur garments for the high Street. Sounds super sustainable. Admittedly a while ago and people change, but I'm sure in the right circles her performative activism that costs the country millions drives sales for her sustainable fashion brand.

By far the single biggest thing that can be done to help with climate change and the environment is to reduce the wold's population.

I hope none of these work-shy privileged arses have produced more than 1 'replacement' offspring each?

We all know the answer to that though, don't we...

According to most studies the single biggest thing you can do is switch to a plant based diet. Not sure if population is excluded though as obviously we can't do anything about people already born.

"According to Project Drawdown, the third- and fourth-best climate change solutions are reducing food waste and eating a plant-rich diet. (The top two solutions aren't things the average person can easily control: refrigerant management and onshore wind turbines.)

But wait, there's more! Researchers in a 2018 Oxford University study said, "A vegan diet is probably the single biggest way to reduce your impact on planet Earth, not just greenhouse gases, but global acidification, eutrophication, land use, and water use. . . . It is far bigger than cutting down on your flights or buying an electric car, as these only cut greenhouse gas emissions."

Which is why I'd expect xr campaigners to practise what they preach.

Some do. Most don't.

@BelleOfTheProvince

Also, university educated means nowadays you had the money to pay the fees. It's not really a good measure of intelligence anymore. (But a pretty accurate gauge of class!)

That's a bit of a circular argument, as the main definition of middle class is "went to university"

And anyone can go to university, if they are intelligent and work hard, and get loans

So your definition of "middle class and privileged" is "intelligent, hard working and chooses to take out the loans to go to university"

And, decades ago, when the currently retired generation went, if was free, - and far more people from lower income families went, so the definition would simply be "intelligent, hardworking and chose to be educated"

so your objection to these particular ER activists is that they are intelligent, hardworking, chose to be educated, then worked for 40 or 50 years......

So many people live life selfishly... Oh that person did a good deed and is trying to support a worthwhile cause? Im going to project my own issues onto them. Really typical that they all flock to this thread as if they'll somehow convince those with clarity (backed up by facts) what's what

I live in a small town the council wanted to put a gas generator near a school XR got involved with the local protest and managed to prevent this going ahead.

@SofiaMichelle

By far the single biggest thing that can be done to help with climate change and the environment is to reduce the wold's population.

I hope none of these work-shy privileged arses have produced more than 1 'replacement' offspring each?

We all know the answer to that though, don't we...

Every time anyone says "work-shy" they are showing themselves to be ignorant and prejudiced

Not only have we already established that many activists are employed, or retired after a life time of work, the activism itself is very hard work, time consuming, difficult, stressful.

As for being privileged, many make HUGE sacrifices to take part, and do so because it is more important than personal comfort, freedom or wealth, and do so for their children and grandchildren

I do wonder why people keep wanting to repeat "WORK-SHY! PRIVILEDGED! WORK-SHY! PRVILEDGED! WORK-SHY!"

apart from being blatantly untrue, and showing you up to being someone who has no idea what they are talking about...

I do wonder if it is

a) because people cannot actually answer their point, so prefer just to shout insults, and chose these one in the hope that it might make people turn against them, if they don't know any better

b) because people are trying to justify their own personal damage to the planet by implying that they can't help protect the environment because they are very busy and poor, when they are most likely to be exactly as busy and poor as the people they are saying this about?

c) because they just can't be bothered to think through what is happening to the environment, and the implications

Is the definition of middle class 'went to university'.
I must tell my professional parents. They'll be interested to learn they are "working class".
As far as I know, class is based on job and salary. Middle class jobs include nursing, teaching, social work, policing etc. It's only very recently they've required degrees. (In policing it's not essential still).

Quite happy for people to do good deeds. I just fail to see how completing an unnecessary journey up to London, blocking people from getting to their jobs, delaying emergency services and going to McDonald's and leaving the rubbish there is a good deed.

As I said before, I am sure there are some people in xr that are in it for the right reasons, but the vast majority seem to be in it for a festival/anarchy atmosphere and the organisation picks very poorly thought out ways to protest.

I hope you can bring my concerns to your fellow protesters op. I'm just one of many people that actually care about the environment but think xr harms more than it does good. There's been one instance of xr doing good on this thread versus countless examples of negative results. They need to change or they'll have no clout, no public backing and as they are, by their own supporters, described as a raising interest and awareness only group, they are very much failing at their aims.

As for being privileged, many make HUGE sacrifices to take part, and do so because it is more important than personal comfort, freedom or wealth, and do so for their children and grandchildren

What are these HUGE sacrifices?

@Hypnoshiding

Retired GPs who managed to go to uni 50 years ago. A prime example of how retired and privileged go hand in hand.

Also, is there a difference between people who like to read that didn't go to university and people who like to read but did go to University?

Do you assume these retires GPS are correct about everything, all them time?

Who went to university to study to be a GP 50 years ago, when it was free!

The most intelligent and hard working candidates!

Many from the lowest income brackets, council tenants, soldiers sons and daughters - ( soldiers orphans often enough)

If you think the medical students 50 years ago were drawn from "privilege" then you are very much mistaken

They were not then, and they are not now, (although statistically slightly more so now) - medical schools want the best candidates, and screen out any advantage that early life privilege adds to the applications, so that they do get the best candidates - they are not stupid!

I support XR. They're trying to put pressure on the government to stop investing in fossil fuels, to enable the average person to have their say about climate issues, and to take action that's equal to the climate change problem. No movement is perfect and yes there are professional dickheads that will piggyback any cause, but the message is sound. Future generations will have to manage the fallout from governments' lack of action (climate change refugees for one thing and its the world's most marginalised communities that will, and are already, paying the biggest price) and it breaks my heart.