It's Greta Thunberg's words that resonate for me, speaking to Extinction Rebellion protestors in London:
"nothing is being done to stop an ecological crisis despite all the beautiful words and promises"
Indeed - nothing but words and promises and no action taken to stop the mass extinction, ecological crisis and general fuck uppery of the planet.
Extinction Rebellion is an international protest group that campaigns on environmental issues. They are rebelling against all the politicians who have failed humanity, aiming to provoke radical change that will address the climate emergency we're all gonna suffer from.
Their demands?
1 #TellTheTruth - Declare a climate and ecological emergency.
2 #ActNow - Halt biodiversity loss and go net #ZeroCarbon2025.
3 #BeyondPolitics - A #CitizensAssembly for climate and ecological justice.
Not unreasonable, I'd suggest.
I love that the voice of Extinction Rebellion is LOUD in protest against the failure of politcians to do anything, speaking rhetoric whilst catastrophe is at our doorstep, and knocking. The UN secretary said we've got about a year or we'll miss the window to do anything about climate emissions at all. That's drastic. The window to address and prevent disaster is closing, yet people still get pissed off that people care so strongly about it they're willing to be arrested for it.
Yes, it impacts businesses. Yes, it impacts traffic, and tourism, and blah blah blah. But what the hell does that matter in the face of crises? Look at the impact of ecological disaster on profits if nothing is done, and then cry about this disruption.
Sure, riots and protest and placards might not do anything immediately, but they do make headlines, and do create discourse - and we need a LOT of that if progress is to be made in terms of politicians taking the threat of climate change seriously, but also to start getting people to WAKE up and think about ways to shift people's lifestyles and behaviour, especially in the world's richest countries and how this might be influenced on a political level such as green taxes.
And good old Massive Attack, playing for the protestors. They do get involved, don't they - they played at Occupy London and the Iraq war protests too. My sister in law recently went and saw them in Bristol. There was a spare ticket but unlike here in Australia, J. couldn't easily use it - no way to just sell it on or exchange it. Sounds like a bit of a crazy gig anyway - far too many people.
Can't find it anywhere else but Facebook - sorry!
https://www.facebook.com/ExtinctionRebellion/videos/289836558601809/
Here's one of the most classic trip hop albums of all time - never get tired of an occasional listen to this. Just beautiful. Listen as the world ends.
@naturalmedicine II Discord Invite II #naturalmedicine
