Extinction Rebellion, the new movement against human waste. According to this group, climate change is being caused by pollution and the destruction of nature, by landfill, chemicals, by all of the usual man made things that damage nature and have led to climate change.
Protests have occurred in London and continue around the UK and in other places around the world as I write. Describing themselves as promoting “Non-violent direct action and civil disobedience for action on climate breakdown and ecological collapse.”
Well known British presenter Chris Packham has described the movement as a 'very human' affair, with protesters described as 'really polite'. I'm personally not sure how polite it is to glue, tape or handcuff yourself to a building. I don't think it's fair or polite to cause roadblocks in the middle of major Cities, preventing people from getting to work, or getting to a doctor or hospital. How do these protesters afford it? Ten days sitting on the ground, giving speeches to crowds- where has their food come from; how did they pay their rent? Don't they have jobs to go to?
There are a couple of famous names cropping up in connection with them such as Penguin Books who are 'rushing into print' the Extinction Rebellion handbook in only ten days. It looks at both climate change and how to be an activist, along with stories from people who are on 'the front line' being affected by so called climate change right now.
There is even a mural in London, said to have been made by Banksy - as yet he has not come forward to claim the artwork as his.
'Idiot was formerly a legal and psychiatric category of profound intellectual disability, in which a person's mental age is two years or less, and he or she cannot guard against common dangers'. (Wikipedia).
The reason I view this movement as idiotic is because although they are wishing to draw attention to climate change, I can't see what good protesting is, or how gluing oneself to a building, getting arrested, causing problems and so on serves as a 'good example'. Do they recycle religiously? Do they use only renewable sources? In short, are these rebels practicing a lifestyle in accordance with their protests? I doubt it. In fact I imagine they have been eating pre-packaged, processed foods while sitting in their pink boat.
Do they refuse all products and foods made with palm oil?
Have they made sure to support only companies which use organic methods to provide food and clothing, or who replant trees and support bees?
Have they used electric cars? HOW DID THEY GET THE BOAT INTO OXFORD CIRCUS?!
Do they have solar panels on their homes?
Do they reuse empty packaging, or use metal/reusable straws?
How many plastic carrier bags are they using for their shopping? Or have they organic, fair trade cotton shopper bags?
Do they all know what fracking is?
Are they aware of how much cheaper it is to grow crops rather than farm cows? Or how much better it is for the environment? Are every one of them organic vegans?
Do they use the Ecosia search engine, which plants trees via our searches?
The list goes on. What bothers me about these protests is that the above points are more important than a bunch of people holding up the traffic. If these rebels simply campaigned to raise cash to, for example, buy land to reforest, or to heavily promote solar energy panels; to promote reusable items so we have reduced landfill -it would make more of a difference.
Climate change is nothing new. Over the centuries, the Earth has experienced at least five major ice ages according to scientific research, so it is normal for our planet to go through these changes. How are we to know what is right or wrong? By all means, research and discuss climate change, but understand that we are here for just a blink in the eye of natural history.
I'm a Pagan Priest and do not at all follow a vegan, organic, eco friendly life. I try. I recycle and have a few habits that I think are better for my family and the environment. I was a vegetarian for ten years once but it made me ill so I eat meat now. I'm dairy intolerant with a load of allergies, there are many things I don't have for health reasons. If climate change is about gas emission, why not start a more considerate rebellion exclusively about this problem, with realistic suggestions about how to tackle it? Is there going to be a new approach by this group with down to earth ideas?
Examples;
Less aerosols in stores, petition companies to create non-aerosol versions of their products that can have the support needed to do well (can't see Penguin books or Banksy getting involved with this).
Remove beef from ready meals. I don't think a lot of people would even notice. Less demand for cows would mean more land given over to other foods.
Encourage local councils to plant bee friendly flowers within cities and suburbs, with provision given for bees to set up a hive in these areas. Local honey could be sold in local stores. Council honey. Reuse and take advantage of every thing that is made.
Encourage companies to ditch packaging and straws that cannot be reused easily. Supermarkets can promote reusable items. New products can be created to keep up revenue.
Find a load of companies who replant trees, or who plant trees for no particular reason other than liking trees and promote those companies like crazy. Do the same for shops and businesses who include reusable items and sustainable fuels.
The problem is not the big company, the problem is the consumer. If we buy products and services that are better for the Earth, long term, the planet will be a more suitable environment for us. The point is, people need to have a job, we need to eat and pay our bills; even living carefully we still have these costs. Telling someone to change how they live and make money is going to make absolutely no difference unless we can support a new way - or an adjustment - for those people to keep making money.
Edit; Emma Thompson says to 'fly less' then takes a plane back to New York after jetting over to UK for Climate Change demonstrations.
Street art said to be created by Banksy to be protected by Council. Not, I imagine, in support of the demonstration, but because his work is worth a fortune.
Support Ecosia; the search engine which plants trees as we use it.
Opinions and text by Volk B.
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