Extinction Rebellion

There’s a bike swarm action planned for 9 May.
Small groups of six riders widely dispersed around London. If anyone is keen to take part send me a DM and I’ll connect you to a channel for more info.

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Meanwhile even some climate sceptics may have been converted after what happened in Germany.

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hahaha

Reminds me of this

August rebellion coming up. Get in touch with your local group to get involved!

who's around on Monday morning?

What time is the Trafalgar square thing? I might take a few snaps.

Starts at 10am but better snappage maybe later in the day. I'm out of town but there's a killthebill march tomorrow as well, 1pm.

Will fancy meeting up and snapping together?

Oh are Extinction Rebellion still a terror group?

Do Insulate Britain have any hope of making a change?

They've put thermal insulation, retrofit and fuel poverty on the front pages - no mean feat - and people are talking about them. Mostly in disparaging terms, but they're getting attention. In the background there are a whole bunch of more conventional organisations who are really pushing to prioritise retrofit of housing stock as a matter of urgency - I think in combination it could make a difference. The Greener Homes Grant was a fiasco although that didn't get enough press. Gas prices are in people's minds right now too.

The problem is it's not a glamorous fix, it's slow, bitty and takes planning (government sort, although in some cases the local development sort too).

takes planning

Well that's the Government truly fucked then

true. so to answer @greentricky - no, they have no hope :(

That's the problem, I just can't see it making this Government do anything or at least doing it in a way that means there is anyway of the change being attributed to the protesters

I don't think IB are looking for some kind of credit. If anything I think their influence would be to get it more in media and in people's minds "those idiots on the M25" etc. I don't think they're directly influencing government. I agree, it all seems unlikely to work, but we have to try.

IB have a really simple message and they’re hammering it in. At the same time as gas prices and energy bills are rising they’ve drawn attention to fuel efficiency.
In 2019 when XR first came along the spike in climate commentary in the media was measured and it showed a remarkable and sustained increase. (it’s never gone back to the pre rebellion level).
I’m fairly sure the fact that it’s getting such widespread coverage and discussion is down to this. I notice Glasgow have set up a citizen’s assembly
for the Cop26 legacy. That’s a pretty direct link to XR’s demands.
BBC have a climate page on their website as of last week (even if it is only updated and very few days) that’s also a response to XR demanding the media to tell the truth and protests outside their offices.
At some point insulating homes will become a government initiative but it won’t be attributed to IB. They just got it on the agenda.
It’s also worth noting the commitment of the IB activists. I’ve done a few XR road blocks and it’s fucking terrifying. To not only confront people on the motorway but to know you are certain to get nicked and highly likely to get jailed demonstrates amazing courage.

It’s also worth noting the commitment of the IB activists. I’ve done a few XR road blocks and it’s fucking terrifying. To not only confront people on the motorway but to know you are certain to get nicked and highly likely to get jailed demonstrates amazing courage.

Yeh I noted this in the article I was reading

Insulate Britain says 115 people have taken part in protests resulting in nearly 450 arrests, with some activists arrested six or seven times. So far, two have been held on remand and, after routine challenges by lawyers, both were released after about a week, the group’s spokesperson said.

That really is incredible dedication

Source https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/oct/01/insulate-britain-protesters-bring-traffic-to-halt-on-m1-and-m4

Hats off to these guys. Right side of history and all that. Worth a donation I reckon

https://www.insulatebritain.com/

Shutting down London's roads in Monday morning rush hour after a week of fuel shortages - I don't think it's quite a Canning Town station moment, but if the general public's bemusement becomes anger is it working?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-58787144

I honestly can't decide how I feel about latest actions. Generally I think it's working - they're getting headlines, they're generating discussion - but when Patel sends the army in and the average person cheers, is it really going to lead to anything constructive?

I think it's also that thing where people feel that they're being fucked with as they're just trying to go about their ordinary lives.

How would you feel if your cycle to work had some decent dedicated cycle routes that saved you time and a group of people blockaded you in so you couldn't continue and even getting out to then go find a longer more inconvenient route was really difficult?

Also while not xr I've started listening to Mark Carney's Reith Lecture that I missed. Found it quite interesting, in particular practical mechanisms to shift our current economic system to one that priorities climate change.

https://microcosm.app/out/6c4zi

I think it's also that thing where people feel that they're being fucked with as they're just trying to go about their ordinary lives.

This morning's Beeb article has a quote from a member of the public commenting on the protesters' actions:

"How can they be so selfish."

I don't see the public ever accepting that saving the future might necessitate some changes to their lifestyles.

Yeh not a glowing headline and probably pretty frustrating for Insulate Britain given the person making the statements isn't part of the group I don't think?
(https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/976/cpsprodpb/E39F/production/_120817285_metro-nc.png)