 |
| Edible Mach signs, on standby |
Every Wednesday evening in Machynlleth there is a talk. It can be on any topic, given by anyone. It's free to attend, you just turn up. It's called Mach Speak and it's great.
On 19th September last year there was a Mach Speak titled “Climate Change: Why we are heading for extinction and what to do about it”. Someone called Roger Hallam was giving it, I hadn't heard of him. It was a provocative title. Anna and I decided to go and check it out. It was a provocative talk.
Roger, an organic farmer turned academic turned activist, wanted a lot of people to get arrested for the sake of climate change. He believed the IPCC reports were too conservative, that things will get a lot worse a lot faster than they predict. He spoke of the extinction of the human race as a distinct possibility. He told us he was going around the country giving talks like this, calling people to civil disobedience in order to bring about change. It was all going to begin in November, he said, and wanted to take our contact details to join the Extinction Rebellion.
It's not often you're challenged to break the law for the sake of your conscience. It was true that too little is being done to avert climate breakdown and the sixth great extinction, but would I go to prison for it?
In October a group of us began to meet each week, as a local “Affinity Group” of Extinction Rebellion. Quite a large group of 15 to 25 each week. Clearly Roger's words had made an impact, even though we were not all clear about what Extinction Rebellion actually was or whether we were all totally aligned with its aims and methods. We decided that we would organise local awareness-raising events that would be (more or less) law-abiding, but also encourage and support those who would join in with the national actions planned in London.
Just six months later, Extinction Rebellion (XR) is becoming a household name. It's all over the mainstream news. Michael Gove is meeting XR representatives this week to discuss their demands. And how? Because Roger Hallam and others have inspired a new movement of people who are not afraid to block central London for days on end for the sake of getting attention on the biggest issue facing this world. I can hardly believe it is happening, but it is.
What are their demands? 1) The government tell the truth by declaring a climate and ecological emergency. 2) The government act now to halt biodiversity loss and reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2025. 3) The government create and be led by the decisions of a Citizen's Assembly on climate and ecological justice.
I can't see Michael Gove agreeing to all of those straight away but it'll be very interesting to see what happens next. We are at an extremely important point in history for the sake of all life on earth. Let's get involved and be part of the solution.
 |
| A pianist on a bicycle at a recent Seedling Saturday |
It's not often you're challenged to break the law for the sake of your conscience. It was true that too little is being done to avert climate breakdown and the sixth great extinction, but would I go to prison for it?
In October a group of us began to meet each week, as a local “Affinity Group” of Extinction Rebellion. Quite a large group of 15 to 25 each week. Clearly Roger's words had made an impact, even though we were not all clear about what Extinction Rebellion actually was or whether we were all totally aligned with its aims and methods. We decided that we would organise local awareness-raising events that would be (more or less) law-abiding, but also encourage and support those who would join in with the national actions planned in London.
Just six months later, Extinction Rebellion (XR) is becoming a household name. It's all over the mainstream news. Michael Gove is meeting XR representatives this week to discuss their demands. And how? Because Roger Hallam and others have inspired a new movement of people who are not afraid to block central London for days on end for the sake of getting attention on the biggest issue facing this world. I can hardly believe it is happening, but it is.
 |
| Trees above the Dolgoch Falls coming into leaf |
What are their demands? 1) The government tell the truth by declaring a climate and ecological emergency. 2) The government act now to halt biodiversity loss and reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2025. 3) The government create and be led by the decisions of a Citizen's Assembly on climate and ecological justice.
I can't see Michael Gove agreeing to all of those straight away but it'll be very interesting to see what happens next. We are at an extremely important point in history for the sake of all life on earth. Let's get involved and be part of the solution.
Hope all is well. Have you given up on the blog?
ReplyDelete