Environmental march v direct action

[US2gether]

Just Stop Oil think direct action is the only way to help save the planet.

I think the upcoming environmental march is more likely to get people on board with making changes to save the planet.

Am I being unreasonable?

Just stop.oil

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crgg0683e7po

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/article/2024/jun/21/restore-nature-now-march-london-urgent-action

Didn't the last thread get deleted?

I haven't done a thread on this?

What was the question? I am assuming it wasn't the same.

Why might asking which is the better way to gain attention to be problematic on MN? As mentioned no idea why a different thread that I didn't start get deleted.

@Allfur do you feel direct action or the march would get people on board. Or neither?

For anyone who's voted I'm being unreasonable. Why do you think direct action is better?

Because one of the actions you are suggesting is illegal.

Fair comment. I hadn't thought of that. Oops.

I would think a march would be far more effective if it was well attended. Even though governments routinely ignore hundreds of thousands of people marching, it shows that it matters to a significant number of people and that there are votes in it.

I'm not sure it's crazy to have a peaceful march. I understand anger at law breaking though.

That was what I thought. I'd like to hear solutions that are affordable.

I've done a search there is another thread calling people 'terrorists'. It's not deleted. My question was more about the way in which people take notice and care about the environment. Maybe people don't care. Maybe they do and keep views private, i don't know.

Would it not be better for the government to follow the mandate of the electorate rather than listen to these noisy loons, be they marching or otherwise?

I think the march is best, however I actually sympathise with Just Stop Oil. Their action on private jets was more appropriate, however they do generally look to raise as much awareness as possible whilst generally minimising damage.
The temperatures around the world right now show that we are absolutely in a climate crisis and the problem is that (Western) governments and corporations don't want to do enough of what is required. The problem is that many economies can't take the economic shock (see Liz Truss, pension funds in crisis, economy nearly fell over), of what is required to seriously address the issue. Big business almost always doesn't care.

Ruining the unique moss of the stones and covering the stones with paint. Sorry I have no interest ever in this group.

I agree.

Do the government know what the majority of the electorate think? We aren't asked.

I think the ones that damage property abd art etc do turn people away. Sadly though they get the press time.

Did they ruin it? News this morning said it clean off with no damage.

I know lichens are indicators of environmental damage. I don't agree with their actions.

Currently no appetite for it and big business care about profits now rather than problems in the future.

The activists would gain applause from me if they reduced their own carbon footprint first. Stay at home, become self sufficient by starting to grow their own food, organise the neighbourhood to produce in harmony. Don't get in cars etc and travel to other places to block roads, cause traffic jams (more carbon used), cause police etc to come out (more carbon used).

Big business often care about paying their staff and providing a return for their investors too.

I don't 100% agree with their actions, however I can understand the desperation. I have family who live abroad in Spain and Greece and the very real impact of drought and wildfires are an indication of a tipping point having been reached in climate change.
I think a multilevel response is needed, marches, protest, responsible consumers, driving a hybrid car, using public transport, turning the thermostat down, government and business need to listen and move too.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/dec/06/earth-on-verge-of-five-catastrophic-tipping-points-scientists-warn

@jennylamb1

The tipping point has not been reached by many people with wealth and influence so many can just ignore it.

It's fair to say the people impacted most are the world's poorest.

That's the problem, and the biggest producers of carbon (China, US, India), need to address it.

I’m not sure that either will achieve much.

The Direct Action mob have just started to inconvenience and annoy people now. I don’t think the govt or big businesses give a shit about them disrupting people on the school run or chucking orange paint over everything. They’re a small group of people who are not winning many over to their cause.

The protest is good, it seems more sensible and might hopefully attract more attention. But the thing is, we all know about climate change. We all know we shouldn’t be flying or driving big cars, or eating meat, or using plastics. We know we need more nature, not less, etc. But we’re still not doing it.

I think it might be more effective to target our politicians to demand answers about what they’re doing about climate change and making it very clear that it’s simply not good enough. Losing votes will be the only thing that gets them acting. And getting into schools to educate our children (who, let’s be honest here, will be far more successful in guilt tripping their parents into being more ecologically aware that any lunatic or protestor will be).