To risk arrest for protesting about the climate emergency?

[medicellen]

I have recently taken part in climate protests with Extinction Rebellion but have stopped short of activities that would lead to an arrest.

I am a scientist and it has been beyond doubt for some years that the climate emergency is accelerating.

And yet, global carbon emissions continue to increase. Our government is granting new licences for fossil fuels, whilst oil companies rake in massive profits. This is utter madness (aka "collective suicide" according to the lead of the UN).

I have an 8-year old son who says one day he might like to have children. I have avoided saying that this may be either not possible or not desirable due to the state of the climate by then.

Petitions, campaigning, pleas, marches have failed. In my mind, the only option left is civil disobedience. Mass arrests advanced the causes of suffrage and civil rights and I am now contemplating arrest as the only meaningful contribution I have left.

The answer is because we have the solutions, we know what we need to do. However, the status quo is working for the rich and powerful and so they’re not willing to implement the necessary changes with sufficient urgency.

@BerriesOnTop I am not suggesting that we stop buying everything from China, just that we start demanding more sustainable products. I'm sure China will adapt its production to meet a change in demand from those nations that consume most of its products.

The Chinese aren't building hundreds of coal-fired power stations to make stuff for westerners, they are building them to charge their electric cars, and to power their enormous infrastructure projects.

@Moonmelodies ..and how do you think they are funding such projects? Their wealth is, to a large extent created by exporting tat to the west.

EPDs allow us to make informed choices on the products we purchase, i.e. we can control our own consumption.

@Daftasabroom I am not disagreeing with you, but price is much more persuasive than green credentials to most buyers,

Was Greta Thunberg a scientist when she started this at 13?
No, of course she wasn't and yet by some sleight of hand, everyone from the Pope downwards was kissing her arse.
The movement has no credibility for me and when Nostradamus like-they come out with predictions that the world will burn in 2040, I just think oh do fuck off!
Off you fuck to protest in China? No? Well shut up then.
Fred Flintstone may be lovely but I don't want to emulate him. Zero Emissions my arse

Spot on. This madness will only result in the decline and impoverishment of the Western world, civilised nations, the destruction of our industries, culture and way of life.

Now who will be benefiting from that?

Maybe chain yourselves to a tree in one of the many , ever dwindling rainforests in South America that is being cut down to make way for soya bean production.

That way you'll appease the carbon emissions protesters and piss off the vegans too.

A win win !

As far as I am concerned theses protesters are a complete pain in the arse and committing vandalism, disrupting people trying to earn a living etc. is dreadful behaviour.

The majority of people I know all recycle, walk more and are doing their bit. We all know we use too much energy and buy too much crap and eating too much meat so we are all cutting down. Why aren’t you in China/Abu Dhabi/outside Kylie Jenner’s house/wherever protesting there?

As if our lives aren’t hard enough as it is at the moment without these protestors stopping people working and getting to hospital etc.

And as for your demands? Well it’s like you’ve just put your fingers in the air and guessed how you’re going to achieve them. You have no viable plan except to make life more difficult for ordinary people.

China’s top trading partners are the US, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam. I doubt they care or will demand ‘sustainable’ products from China.

Also, as I said, the share of exports to middle- and low-income countries is rising. Don’t think you can just dictate terms to China.

Good for you, you’re making fuck all difference

Just skim reading lots of pathetic excuses. At the end of the day, you either delude yourself and end up with a really shitty life or you do something about it.

we are all making fuck all difference with our recycling, using less energy, eating less meat etc. eh @Musti ??

what’s the point then? I’m too busy trying to survive so haven’t got the time to go and ruin some paintings and ignore court orders to block the motorway? You crack on though, love.

The answer is because we have the solutions, we know what we need to do

Do you? Then why can't the OP, XR, or the rest of her ilk explain it?

We have all the solutions do we 🤣, so what is this mystical chemical you know of that is 100% environmental friendly that can replace oil for all our industrial needs, where is your design for vehicles that can run for more than 300 miles and don't need toxic metal extraction of fossil fuels to produce the components?

I could go on, but as usual you talk bollocks like all the protesting nutters. Or are proclaiming we should all just stop using cars, stop eating meat, stop using anything that damaged the environment is that really your answer, well good luck with selling that to the public. Mean while I'll continue to look for breakthroughs in technology and scenic research for alternative ways to produce cleaner energy.

If you really want to be effective, I believe the best approach is becoming a part of the process.

if you have the skills to research practical solutions, start applying for grants and get in the lab.

if you have a good education, a scientific background and a passion for advocacy, look for employment that might allow you to be the person presenting information to political and corporate leaders directly instead of indirectly. Working as an aide to a decision maker gives you the chance to write briefs and present information. Working your way up in a corporation that claims to want to change but isn’t doing enough gives you the chance to push them in the right direction.

not everyone has the privilege for trying to fight for what they believe in by trying to get a seat at or near the table, but many do.

All the knowledge and reports and solutions are available and published ad infinitum. That’s not the issue. The issue is that it isn’t getting out there. The fossil fuel companies are powerful and rich and they quash things down.

We do have the solutions. And the solution for transport for example isn’t more efficient private transport but better public transport for example. Affordable trains instead of airplanes for inter city transport for example.

But there isn’t a one fits all solution, it will depend on the country. That’s why XR advocates Citizens Assemblies.

Join the club of being busy. I’m a single mum of 4. Do you think I’ve got time for this? No, but it is necessary because I want a habitable planet for me and my kids (and everyone else).

By all means we should live a more environmentally friendly life, but that alone won’t make the difference we need to stop our planet heating up to an extent that makes life uninhabitable for many and very unpleasant for all.

Only about 5-9% of plastic gets recycled for example and plastics can only be recycled a few times. So no matter how diligent we are with our recycling, most of it will end up in landfill.

The best thing you can do as an individual is cut down on buying, reuse, cut down or eliminate flying and eating animal products.

@Musti More word salad, 🥗 exactly what we all have come to expect from the likes of XR, claiming to have the answer but no answers.

Citizen assembles is that it more talk and to quote your most useless and prominent mouth piece back tou you more bla bla bla.

So that's your answer all private transportation should be ditched for better public transport. You don't have a clue and that's a fact, but by all means keep pissing the public off, we don't have your back and you are not winning us over any time soon. Ps just because many of us do care about the environment it does not mean we're on your side or anything you have done. It just means we have some common values but then again who does not some where along the line.

XR and Just stop oil are pathetic always have been and always will, spoilt little brats desperately looking for attention and achieving nothing.

I read this thread this morning and wondered if it was legit.
Every mother I know would put their child first.Meaning,"Hey,let's not get arrested today".(You obviously don't know how the rest of the world views your actions)
And you are considering dampening and crushing your poor child's future at becoming a parent bc of your "in style" views?!Soul deep shame and selfishness comes to mind.

I feel that anything I can do individually is quite inconsequential in impact and change action to happen from the governments in ways that make big impacts.

France have banned short under 2.5 flights in France. We need more action. The world is dying as predicted by Nostradamus.

For those that agree with the cause but not the method, please write to your MP. A truly disheartening experience for many but they have to tally what people are writing to them about so please, send a quick email telling them you’re concerned. You can find yours here: members.parliament.uk/FindYourMP

Single mum of 4? I do hope you have your own income to support your 4 children, and not relying on benefits paid by the tax payers who you are stopping from getting to work. Who is actually looking after your kids whilst you're glued to the surface of a motorway?