Our planet is being ravaged by fire and floods. Evidence of the climate emergency couldn’t be clearer and immediate action is desperately needed to save our planet. Extinction Rebellion (abbreviated to XR) is a global environmental movement which was launched on 31st October 2018 promising to continue acts of peaceful civil disobedience until the government met their demands to tell the truth, act now and create a citizen’s assembly. The movement uses a circled hourglass, known as the extinction symbol, to serve as a warning that time is running out for many species.
I spoke to Macclesfield resident ‘Heather’ about her determination to take positive action to address the situation. Herself and her family have adapted their lifestyle to reduce their carbon footprint and got actively involved in Extinction rebellion protests. Climate change had always been a source of discussion for them and something they constantly thought about. Heather graduated in Environmental Science in 1998. She attended a Town council parish meeting and put forward a motion to request for Macclesfield town Council to declare a climate emergency. The motion was passed!
She joined XR last Autumn, but it was the April 2019 protest in London that was the catalyst for her family to get involved. Heather’s Daughter had been following the XR posts on social media. A friend of hers from Macclesfield was there and was arrested for blockading the Bridges. She came downstairs to the Kitchen and announced to her family that she wanted to get involved. Heather describes it as ‘’the moment they’d all been waiting for’, she explained ‘The climate crisis is the biggest threat to all of us but we’re not doing anything about it, we’re not changing anything. We’re talking a bit about renewables, solar panels and switching to electric cars but have more emissions now than when we agreed the Paris accord so we’re actually going backwards!’’
The Extinction Rebellion April 2019 protests in London really were a gamechanger. Heather feels that ‘’people were waiting for this to happen and were inspired to get involved seeing the volume of protesters attending. Many local groups were formed following this and numbers of attendees increased dramatically. The Manchester meetings typically had about 10 people attending increasing to over 200!’ It’s inspiring and uplifting knowing other’s do care and want to make a difference. People realised that they weren’t alone, and people had power’’!
Living in a smaller town such as Macclesfield can be difficult Heather explains ‘‘In a small town, there doesn’t seem to be much idea of how important it all is. People worry about plastics and recycling but should be more concerned with getting rid of fossil fuels. We need to impart the bigger picture. The government creates diversions and focuses on recycling to distract us from oil companies and the use of fossil fuels so on a local level it’s more difficult’’.
Heather’s Husband and Daughter decided to go to the XR protest in Edinburgh in June while Heather held the fort at home. Initially, there was a protest planned at Heathrow airport, drones were going to be used which many people did not want to be a part of. XR doesn’t have a hierarchy telling anyone else what to do, it’s an equal forum with discussions and ideas. People get involved as much or as little as they choose, there are no rules, just a set of principles and values listed below:
XR Principles and Values
1. WE HAVE A SHARED VISION OF CHANGE
Creating a world that is fit for generations to come.
2. WE SET OUR MISSION ON WHAT IS NECESSARY
Mobilising 3.5% of the population to achieve system change using ideas such as “Momentum-driven organising” to achieve this.
‘3. WE NEED A REGENERATIVE CULTURE
Creating a culture which is healthy, resilient and adaptable.
4. WE OPENLY CHALLENGE OURSELVES AND THIS TOXIC SYSTEM
Leaving our comfort zones to take action for change.
5. WE VALUE REFLECTING AND LEARNING
Following a cycle of action, reflection, learning, and planning for more action. Learning from other movements and contexts as well as our own experiences.
6. WE WELCOME EVERYONE AND EVERY PART OF EVERYONE
Working actively to create safer and more accessible spaces.
7. WE ACTIVELY MITIGATE FOR POWER
Breaking down hierarchies of power for more equitable participation.
8. WE AVOID BLAMING AND SHAMING
We live in a toxic system, but no one individual is to blame.
9. WE ARE A NON-VIOLENT NETWORK
Using non-violent strategy and tactics as the most effective way to bring about change.
10. WE ARE BASED ON AUTONOMY AND DECENTRALISATION
We collectively create the structures we need to challenge power.
Edinburgh XR appealed far more to many activists than Heathrow as a rebel camp was staged outside Scottish Parliament as part of ongoing efforts to persuade politicians to toughen up legislation in the climate change bill. It’s all about people power, not using drones… Heather’s 18-year-old Daughter glued herself to the road with five other women, the eldest being 61. Heather was able to watch the live stream on Facebook until she was arrested and taken away. A harrowing watch particularly as she didn’t know what was happening to her Daughter. Heather felt proud of her but fearful of what she was going through.
Many people are quick to dismiss protestors as ‘Timewasters who need to get a job!’ Nothing could be further from the truth as money is a huge barrier! Many people simply can’t afford to attend large protests as the cost of public transport is so extortionate! Flights are often cheaper than train fares! It’s making it a class issue and restricts right to movement. Cheshire East have currently got their climate strategy out for public comment, it’s very underwhelming and hardly mentions public transport which is crucial to addressing environmental issues. Several protestors have used their holidays to attend these protests and should be applauded for spending their earnings and using their own time to fight for generations to come. Heather’s Daughter will have to travel to Edinburgh for her court case. Fortunately, XR Scotland had crowd funding to cover travel costs such as this. The money won’t last long though as the number of arrests rose to a huge scale. Many will have to self-fund for standing up for what they believe in.
The climate crisis is a class crisis founded on inequality. The richest 10% emit half of all emissions globally yet we all suffer and the poorest suffer the most. It can be easy for people to forget how serious the situation is when they don’t live somewhere like The Marshall Islands, a nation on the brink of destruction. Rising sea levels mean it could be inhabitable by 2030. The Marshall Islands Minister of Environment ‘David Paul’ said ‘Climate change for us is a daily reality, we are seeing our shoreline being eroded, we are experiencing longer drought as sea levels rise, we may go first but you’re next!’ We’re not seeing anything as extreme as this yet so can imagine it’s not as bad as it is!
Heather decided to go to the protests in London which left her short of money after paying the train fare. She really felt passionate about being part of it and found the experience empowering. The family has pledged to stop flying. The last flight will be taken by Heather’s Daughter thanks to her XR Activist Grandmother in Australia, Rosemary, funding a carbon offset flight for her final chance to see her Grandparents. They sold their car and are gradually changing their diet to a more plant based one. Animal agriculture is killing our planet and Meat consumption must reduce considerably if we are to make a real difference to our future.
She is concerned about Climate Injustice – ‘’Those who have done the least pay the most, the most vulnerable will suffer the most. Eco fascism is a real worry, we will get food shortages and loss of life but it’s a concern that it will be fascist where we close our borders and go down a right-wing ideology. When mankind is faced with a technological problem, we always find another way. Middle class flying has been a recent boom, instead of rewarding frequent fliers, flight rationing could be introduced’’. It seems to be a symptom of our society to put the onus on the everyday people trying to make a difference and diverting it from the Oil companies and Governments who could really make a difference. So many of us feel guilty when it’s the fossil fuel companies, the powerful, corrupt and the top 10% using private jets that have the huge carbon footprint! Would you agree with our Prime Minister who referred to XR activists as ‘Uncooperative crusties blocking the streets with their heaving hemp smelling bivouacs’ or do you feel that XR is ‘a grassroots movement that should be applauded for putting the issue at the top of the agenda where it belongs’?