Unofficial estimates suggest around 2,000 rebels took part in 3 days of creative and occasionally disruptive actions at the G7 summit in Cornwall from June 11-13th. Many arrived on foot or bike after epic multi-day treks. This roundup focusses on some of the actions we may have missed while preparing for or particpating in the main events on the 3 days in Cornwall.

PROTECT THE EARTH MARCH

Around 50 people completed a 6 day, 84 mile trek from Plymouth to Carbis Bay, accompanied by a large globe towed on the back of a trike. The scorched and drowned model of the world showed the expected impact of the climate crisis at 2 degrees including drowning coastlines and drought affected tropical land. “None of the G7 countries have taken the action they promised as part of the Paris Agreement to avoid this level of heating.  It really is an impending catastrophe and the world’s leaders must wake up to the implications,” said Sylvia Dell from XR Totnes and area. “We have several young people joining us on the walk who are understandably deeply concerned about what their future holds.”

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Photos: Colin Moore, Sylvia Dell, Mike Pul

DAY 1: SOUND THE ALARM FOR CLIMATE JUSTICE

On June the 11th the G7 protests began in St. Ives. The focus of the first day was a noisy, colourful march through St. Ives to Sound the Alarm for Climate Justice. A reference to the fact that climate catastrophe has already arrived in climate vulnerable communities, affecting the poorest who have done least to cause it. The creative and peaceful protest was helped by 100 samba players, a blue whale, a school of mackerel and hundreds of banners and flags.

A number of groups participated in actions around the town. XR Bristol rebels posing as G7 leaders told politicians to “Stop Rearrranging the Deckchairs”, Doctors for XR staged a spectacular die in on Harbour Beach and three young people from XR Bath were symbolically drowned in oil by characters representing the big oil Giants- Shell and BP.

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Photos: Jessica Kleczka, Gareth Morris

DAY 2: G IS FOR GREENWASHING

Day 2 was dedicated to greenwashing, with actions that exposed how the G7 and their banks promise ‘green growth’ but then invest in fossil fuels and other ecocidal industries, while the media turn a blind eye.

The focus of the day was a procession through Falmouth to the G7 media centre focusing on: greenwashing, fossil fuel financing and global justice. Rebels chose a variety of ways to get their message across.

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Photos: Melissa Carrington, Tristian Herbert

On the sidelines of the march, a range of creative protests took place: a G7 versus the rest of the world football match in which the referee is a banker and the games are rigged reflecting the reality of climate negotiations for developing countries; the Dirty Scrubbers told Barclays and HSBC to clean up their act and stop fossil fuel lending while the Big heads street theatre featured the G7 leaders kicking the climate crisis can down the road and propping up the fossil fuel industry with wads of cash.

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Photos: Illya Fisher, Denise Laura Baker

Media complicity in greenwashing the crimes of the G7 leaders and fossil fuel corporations was a big theme of the day. Rebels carrying fake broadsheets could be seen around the town and a spoof souvenir programme “News of the G7 World” was handed out in shops and to tourists. Down load your free copy here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1NJY8PmJ6SOmVBLMMxBBgxedovKDBG0km/view?usp=sharing

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Photos: Melissa Carrington, Denise Laura Baker

Later on, processing through the centre of town in single file, over 100 Penitents wearing sackcloth and ashes performed a silent and highly visual ceremony bearing shame for funding the tragic destruction of our climate. Away from the main action, sailing boats bearing messages for the G7 leaders were spotted in Falmouth Harbour.

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Photos: Zoe Broughton, Gareth Morris

DAY3: ALL HANDS ON DECK: STILL DROWNING IN PROMISES

On the final day of the G7 summit we returned to St. Ives for a range of creative beach actions and some disruption, while we declared G7 a flop.

Our press release said:“The G7, leaders of the world’s richest democratic nations have met and yet we’re STILL Drowning in Promises. We asked the leaders of the world to ACT NOW and they’ve made more hollow promises… How can we trust them with our futures and our children’s futures.”

A group of XR women posed as G7 leaders, embodying the saying “all mouth and no trousers” wearing giant lips and no trousers, an action that proved popular with the hoards of assembled media photographers.

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Photos: Melissa Carrington, Joao Daniel Pereira

Later on the beach, the Big Heads blew giant bubbles representing 30+ years of hot air on climate and then lined up for their alternative summit photo opportunity in front of a sinking G7 logo. Activists stood topless with drowning in promises spelled out across their backs, while discobedience dancers performed and then fell to the wet sand in a mass die-in.

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Photo: Melissa Carrington

Elsewhere, a group of brave activists blocked two exits out of the G7 at Carbis Bay with a van, banners and a samba band. Five people glued themselves to a road in St Ives and three others locked themselves to a minibus at a roundabout in nearby St Erth. There were 8 arrests.

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Photos: XR BCP rebel, Emma Smart, Denise Laura Baker

Many thanks to all our brave and creative rebels who took part in the G7 actions both in the lead up around the UK and in South West and Cornwall itself. You are amazing!

You can see more of the amazing pictures from G7 on the UK media archive here: https://show.pics.io/xr-global-media-breaking-news-content-600ed2733c68d80019a19bc7/search?tagId=60be6c686beb0b00121f48d8

Relive each day of the rebellion by watching these G7 livestreams on XR Youtube.

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Photos: Serena Shellenberg, Joao Daniel Pereira, Gareth Morris, Ilya Fisher, Chris Jerrey

The theme for the final day of our actions in Cornwall was ‘All hands on deck’ as the G7 proved to be yet another failed opportunity for change. We are clear that all sections of society must work towards creating a better world that lives in harmony with nature and respects all people.

We returned to St. Ives for a range of creative beach actions and a bit of disruption.

A group of activists declared that the G7 Summit was all mouth and no trousers. Leaders need to stop paying lip service to the climate and ecological emergency. Elly, a psychologist from London said: “I’m baring myself in public, a very silly thing to do, frankly, because there is nothing silly about a world at 2 or 3 degrees of global heating. I work with older adults as a psychologist, and in the UK alone currently for every week that we have a heatwave about thousand excess deaths occur. Higher global temperatures will kill many more of my patients, and I can’t stand by and let this happen.”

As the G7 meeting drew to a close the Big Heads blew giant bubbles representing 30+ years of hot air on climate and then lined up for their alternative summit photo opportunity in front of a sinking G7 logo. Activists stood topless with drowning in promises spelled out across their backs, while discobedience dancers performed and then fell to the wet sand in a mass die in.

A group of activists blocked the exit out of the G7 at Carbis Bay with a van, banners and a samba band. The group said that they were acting because the G7 leaders have not.

A spokesperson said: ”This weekend was a key moment. The G7, leaders of the world’s richest democratic nations have met and yet we’re STILL Drowning in Promises. We asked the leaders of the world to act now and all we’ve had are hollow words. We’re in no better position than before the G7 took place.

”This G7 conference begs the question. Is the outcome of this “event” really worth all the disruption, the carbon footprint and not forgetting the unfathomably large financial cost of all this security?”

On the third and final day of the G7 summit we focussed on the failure of G7 nations to respect the global climate commitments they made in Paris in 2015, and urging the leaders leaving Carbis Bay to act immediately to address the Climate and Ecological Emergency.

Gail Bradbrook, Extinction Rebellion co-founder,said: “These pledges for change are pathetic in the face of the collapse of the natural world- they might have been appropriate 20 years ago but not in 2021. An emergency means an emergency and our leaders aren’t keeping us safe. Tipping points are being breached and billions will die because of this inaction.

”The only thing left for people to rebel against our leaders, to rise up and pull together on the streets to take action ourselves. Because none of us are safe until all of us are safe. We’ve had enough of targets for the future, we need action now.”

Sarah Lunnon from the Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill Alliance said: “There remains a gap between the promises G7 leaders have made for emissions reduction and nature conservation and the policies that they have in place to deliver those promises.

“Now is the time for action. We need all hands on deck and we need a cohesive cross party strategy so that people in all sectors of society know what they are working towards; business, civil society, finance and government. The transition is a huge project and it needs everyone to play their part.“

#DrowningInPromises

#allhandsondeck

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Photos by: Gareth Morris, Chris Jerrey, Ilya Fisher, Tristian Herbert, Robin Markland, Joao Daniel Periera, Denise Laura Baker

The theme for Day Two of the Extinction Rebellion G7 summit actions was ‘Greenwash’. Its purpose: to expose rich countries and their banking systems which talk about ‘green growth’ while continuing to prop up carbon polluting companies and initiatives. 

Actions included: a procession through Falmouth to the G7 media centre accompanied by samba bands; a G7 versus the rest of the world football match in which the referee is a banker and the games are rigged reflecting the reality of climate negotiations for developing countries, the Big heads street theatre with the G7 leaders kicking the climate crisis can down the road and propping up the fossil fuel industry with wads of cash and a “Restaurant at the end of the world” in which ‘Fossil Fuels’, ‘Profit before Planet’ and ‘War’ greedily eat the Earth, while attended by G7 leaders, bankers and the media as waiters offering money, broken promises and greenwash.

Extinction Rebellion (XR) activist and one of the  ‘Shell 7’,  Senan Clifford, said: “Greenwashing’ is about fossil fuel companies like Shell  trying to convince people that they are part of the solution; it’s about banks like Barclays promising Net Zero while pumping trillions into new fossil fuel projects; and it’s about the UK government as greenwasher-in-chief claiming climate leadership while simultaneously granting licenses for new oil and gas exploration. 

“Shell is a major greenwash culprit. On one hand it announces plans to cut its emissions by half by 2050. Yet,  99% of its business is still in fossil fuels. Under its new timeline, Shell would only achieve carbon neutrality by 2070 – far too late to limit global warming to the 1.5 degrees the UN is now saying will be necessary if we are to avoid catastrophic damage.”

XR spokesperson Nat Squire, an osteopath from Falmouth, added: “G7 is greenwashing on a grand scale: the gap between promises and action has never been greater. A recent analysis by Green Alliance found government policies announced so far would deliver just 26 per cent of the necessary cuts to achieve the target of a 68 per cent reduction in CO2 emissions by 2030.  

“As we brace for a tidal wave of greenwash we hope people will also read our Cornwall 2021 Souvenir Programme – News of the G7 World – likely to become a collector’s item!”

Down load your free copy here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1NJY8PmJ6SOmVBLMMxBBgxedovKDBG0km/view?usp=sharing

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Photos by Tristian Herbert, Chris Jerrey, Gareth Morris

June 11th, 2021

On the first day of our G7 Cornwall Rebellion, we marched through the centre of St Ives to sound the alarm for climate justice and to highlight the disastrous consequences of the G7’s broken promises for people in the global south already experiencing the effects of climate and ecological collapse.  

The march was a creative, artistic, noisy protest featuring over 100 samba players, with onlookers invited to “sound the alarm” for climate justice by making as much noise as possible with air horns, drums, rattles and other instruments. Participants include: the Red Rebels, a blue whale, a school of mackerel and some blackbirds issuing a wake up call for nature.

A group of activists representing young, indigenous and marginalised communities walked from the beach to the Carbis Bay security checkpoint, accompanied by flag bearers. They carried  letters for the G7 leaders from communities in climate vulnerable countries .  They were allowed to progress as far as the permieter fence but were denied entry to the G7 compound. The letters that the Cabinet Office had decreed were not suitable for G7 leaders to hear were ceremonially read out.

An activist from Extinction Rebellion Mexico wrote,

“It hurts to know that my daughter will not be able to live in a healthy environment and will face serious problems derived from the climate crisis.

An activist from Extinction Rebellion India, referring to the hoarding of vaccines by rich northern nations wrote,

“ We all know that Covid pandemic is a result of exploitation of nature. As climate activists we also know that in future climate and ecological crisis will be many times greater”

With much of the world’s media in attendance our overarching message was seen and heard around the world. Here is a selection of the media coverage:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-57445814

https://www.independent.co.uk/tv/news/g7-summit-extinction-rebellion-cornwall-v4c021796

https://newint.org/features/2021/06/11/g7-resistance-harnessing-collective-power-protest

https://www.dw.com/en/extinction-rebellion-climate-protesters-march-at-g7-summit/a-57861557

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2021/06/11/g-7-whats-driving-day-u-k-summit-attended-joe-biden/7622607002/

#G7

#DrowningInPromises

#SoundtheAlarm

#GlobalJustice

#StopFundingClimateChaos

‘We’re drowning in promises!’ Extinction Rebellion announces plan of action for Cornwall G7 Summit

#DrowninginPromises #G7Rebellion #ExtinctionRebellion

Today, Extinction Rebellion revealed their plans for the G7 Summit in Cornwall (11 – 13 June.)  The series of protests – to be held across the UK in the run up to, and during the summit – will be focused on the failure of G7 nations to respect the global climate commitments they made in Paris in 2015, and to urge the leaders meeting at Carbis Bay in Cornwall to act immediately to address the Climate and Ecological Emergency. [1]

Beginning on June 1st, Extinction Rebellion’s ‘G7 Rebellion’ will kick off with a series of actions in towns and cities across the UK, which will culminate with 3 days of protests in Cornwall.  The group said that it expects around 1,000 protesters to make their way to St Ives for the summit. 

2021 is a critical year for the global climate negotiations and the G7 Summit is seen as a key staging post before COP26 in Glasgow in November.  There are widespread calls for G7 countries to increase their ambitions for emissions reduction and climate finance assistance to developing countries, or risk the failure of COP26. [2][3]

Melissa Carrington, a former environmental consultant from Dorset, says: “The reality is that none of the G7 nations are delivering on the promises they made in Paris in 2015.  All claims of climate leadership are farcical, when no major economy has implemented policies consistent with limiting global heating to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

“G7’s recent statements are the bare minimum that they can get away with. We need to see much greater ambition including an immediate end to financing and subsidies for all forms of fossil fuel and a massive scaling up of climate finance assistance to developing countries.” 

G7 environment ministers have recently agreed that they will deliver climate targets in line with limiting the rise in global temperatures to 1.5C and end direct funding of coal-fired power stations in poorer nations by the end of 2021. [4]

Contact: XR SW press: 07711898499, xr.sw.media@protonmail.com

The plans for Cornwall

Friday 11th June: Sound the Alarm March, St Ives

On the first day of the G7 Summit Extinction Rebellion plans to hold a creative and artistic, but noisy protest march through the centre of St. Ives. Supporters are invited to “sound the alarm” for climate justice by making as much noise as possible with air horns, drums, rattles and other instruments. The march will feature a large samba band and many pop up theatrical actions. 

The theme for the day’s events is a reference to the fact that a wealthy minority of the world’s countries and corporations are the principal cause of the climate and ecological crisis while its adverse effects fall first and foremost on the poor who have done least to contribute to the crisis.

Extinction Rebellion has requested that a delegation of activists from XR and associated movements is allowed inside the security corden surrounding the Carbis Bay hotel to deliver messages from communities on the front line of the climate and ecological emergency to the G7 summit.  

Cathy Allen from Extinction Rebellion says: “The delegation is symbolic. It attempts to give voice to the anger of climate vulnerable communities who are not represented at the G7 summit to enable their stories to be heard by the world’s leaders. 

“We face a situation of barbaric inequity, where the 50% of the world who contributed so little to our collective climate crisis (7%), are the ones facing the brunt of its impacts, and are also, as usual, the ones who have no voice at all at the G7 table. ” 

Timeline 

• 11:00:  St. Ives Leisure Centre, Trenwith the Burrows, St Ives, Cornwall TR26 1HB
• 11:00-12:00: Opening speeches and briefing. [photo opportunity]
• 12:00-13:30: Procession from Leisure Centre to Porthminster Beach. Route – Higher Stennack, North Terrace, Tregenna Place, High Street, Market Place, Lifeboat Hill, Market Strand, Wharf Road to Town Harbour Beach, and via beach to Porthminster Beach. [photo opportunity]
• 14:00-15:00: Ceremony and speeches on Porthminster beach followed by a delegation procession to Residents Vehicle Check Point 2 via Primrose Valley.  [photo opportunity]
• 15:15 (approx): Rebels disperse.
• 17:00-18:00 : Speeches, music and activities on The Island. [photo and interview opportunities]

Speakers include Lily Stevens a young climate activist from Cornwall, Dr Mya-Rose Craig (Birdgirl), Rob Hopkins and Dr. Gail Bradbrook.

Saturday 12th June: G is for Greenwash, Falmouth

On the second day of the G7 summit the focus of Extinction Rebellion protests will switch to Falmouth, where the group plans to hold another creative, non-violent march through the town. There will be creative art installations, speeches and theatrical performances, interspersed with singing and choir performances.

The theme for the day is government’s greenwashing of the Climate and Ecological Emergency. The narrative from governments, corporates and the media has changed. They might appear to be saying some of the right things about climate action, but their words are often a cover for  lies, half truths and disinformation.

The actions for the day will focus on calling out the greenwash wherever we see it: fossil fuel companies trying to convince us they are part of the solution, banks promising Net Zero while pumping trillions into new fossil fuel projects and the UK government as greenwasher- in-chief claiming climate leadership while simultaneously increasingly their support for the fossil fuel industry.  

Nat Squire, 24, an Osteopath from Falmouth says: “Our government claims to be a climate leader while every decision they make takes us closer to climate and ecological collapse. This is worse than greenwash,  it’s a massive fraud and people my age will end up paying the price. “

Timeline

• 11:30: Kimberly Park, Kimberley Park Rd, Falmouth TR11 2DA
• 11:30-11:45: Welcome speech and Children’s Fire  [photo opportunities]
• 11.45 onwards Big G7 heads 
• 12.00 -14:00: March through Falmouth  [photo opportunities]
• 11:30-12.30: Moor- speeches, singing & pop up theatrical actions  [photo opportunities]
• 12.40- 12.55: Prince of Wales Pier –  speeches & singing  [photo opportunities]
• 12.45-13.20: Church of King Charles – environmental sea shanty performance.  [photo opportunities]
• 13.40- 13.55: Maritime Museum – speeches, singing & pop up theatrical actions  [photo opportunities]
• 13.55- 14:00: rebels disperse 
• 14:30- 15.00 Church of King Charles- pop up footy creative action
• 15.15 – 15.45 Pop up footy action at Kimberley Park
• 17:00-18:00: Penitents procession from Kimberley Park to Maritime Museum  [photo opportunities]

 Speakers include Dr Mya-Rose Craig, Skeena Rathor and Dr. Rupert Read.

Sunday 13th June :  All Hands On Deck, St Ives

On the final day of the G7 summit the Extinction Rebellion protest will return to St. Ives where a day of creative beach based actions is planned, including art installations, music, speakers and ‘discobedience’.  

The theme for the day is “All hands on Deck” a reference to Extinction Rebellion’s third demand for a Citizens’ Assembly on climate and ecological justice to move beyond our broken parliamentary democracy and place power in the hands of citizens. 

In the afternoon, the focus will return to the G7 summit and the main theme of “Drowning in Promises”. A creative art installation will feature a wooden model of the official G7 summit logo sinking beneath the waves as dancing rebels collapse on the sand in a die-in.  

• 10:00-18:00: Porthmeor, Town Harbour and Porthminster beaches. 
• Beach based activities all day, including training, workshops, samba band, ‘discobedience’, artblockers, art installations, flags, meditation, yoga, tai chi, sand art, etc
• 12:00-14:45: Speeches. [photo opportunity]
• 13:00:  ‘Sinking G7’ art installation at tide line. [photo opportunity]
• 14:45-15:00: ‘Discobedience’ performance in front of Sinking G7, followed by die-in.
• 15:00-18:00: Beach based activities continue.
• 18:00 onwards: Rebels disperse and return to accommodation sites / travel home.

Speakers include Dr Mya-Rose Craig, Rob Hopkins, Mothiur Rahman and Dr. Gail Bradbrook

UK actions

1st – 10th June: Blooming Greenwash. A group of cyclists are departing Shoreham on the 1st June and  travelling 300 miles to the G7 Summit in Cornwall to arrive on the 10th. With their boat, the “Bloomin’ Adur Too”, they will travel around 30 miles a day along the south coast. They will be performing plays and circus acts along the way to highlight Government inaction on the climate and ecological emergency and false claims of climate leadership (“greenwash”). 

Press contact: xrsoutheastmedia@gmail.com

5th – 10th June:  Plymouth to Carbis Bay – Protect the Earth March. Groups from across the south west are coming together to march across Cornwall to arrive in time for the G7 Summit. The particular focus for the march is global solidarity with front line activists and earth defenders who are risking their lives in order to fight ecological destruction caused by foreign companies operating in their communities. 

Press contact: xrtotnesmedia@gmail.com

7th-10th June: Make the Wave. 4 days of nationwide UK outreach actions for local groups to get involved with, forming a WAVE around the coastline that “will surge into an unstoppable force for change”. 

Press contact: g7makethewaveteam@protonmail.com

10th June, 10:00pm. Light the Beacons. We will light the Jubilee Beacons or those on old Beacon hills as we urge world leaders to take the actions needed to save our beautiful planet.

Press contact: xrsoutheastmedia@gmail.com

Global actions

5th June:  Global South Uprising.  Those at the frontline of climate crimes, in  Africa, Asia and Latin America, will draw attention to the hypocrisy of the countries and companies causing climate and ecological catastrophe in their lands.   

6th June: Pass the Mic: XR is calling on hundreds of media-savvy rebels around the world to join in this simple, practical act of solidarity, amplifying the actions and messages from those on the frontline of global climate and ecological catastrophe in poor countries and communities throughout the global XR reach. 

Notes for editors

[1] The Group of Seven (G7)  is an intergovernmental organization consisting of representatives of some of the wealthiest advanced democracies in the world : Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, United Kingdom, United States and the EU.  Additional countries invited to attend the 2021 annual summit are Australia, India, South Korea and South Africa. https://www.g7uk.org/what-is-the-g7/

[2] COP26 will end in failure without a finance deal. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/cop26-will-end-in-failure-without-a-finance-deal-3jh7zxk7v

[3] Dealing with loss and damage from human induced climate change in the upcoming COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland in November 2021, will be a make-or-break issue for the most vulnerable developing countries. https://thecvf.org/ourvoice/blog/dealing-with-loss-and-damage-in-cop26/

[4] G7 agrees to stop overseas funding of coal to limit global warming. https://www.ft.com/content/c9e68bec-cb73-4804-9a49-c3497645cf5a

At 11am on Saturday 1st May, two years to the day since the UK Parliament declared an environment and climate emergency, traffic came to a standstill in towns and cities across the West Country as Extinction Rebellion protesters took part in a nationally organised ‘Rebellion of One’.

Rebels from Bath, Bournemouth, Christchurch, Cheltenham, Coleford, Cleveden, Dorchester, Exeter, Frome, Sherborne, Weymouth and Newquay expressed their rage at government inaction on the climate emergency, by sitting down peacefully, in the road blocking traffic. Each carried a sign with a personal message. They are terrified for the future. They will not be bystanders to more lies, inaction and broken promises.

This vulnerable act of peaceful civil disobedience by ordinary people – including doctors, nurses, teachers, students, parents and grandparents – highlighted the fear and frustration felt by many at the failure of the UK Government to take the climate and ecological crisis seriously.

Young rebels CJ and Louis spoke passionately about their reasons for taking part in this courageous action.

CJ, from Bath said “I’m doing this as an act of desperation. As a young person my life will be irreversibly changed by the climate and ecological emergency and the UK government isn’t acting quickly enough to avoid disaster. Young people’s voices are often ignored when it comes to issues on the climate. I have tried all the legal methods including writing to my MP, signing petitions and even going on strike, and all the time carbon emissions have been rising. I now see no other option except to risk my life and civil liberties by blocking roads.”

Louis, 20 from Bournemouth carried a sign that said “I am terrified to have children because of the climate crisis”. He explained: “If mass peaceful direct action is what it takes for our leaders to pull their heads from the sand, then I refuse to be a bystander to the burning of our planet. To me, Rebellion of One is an act of love for the planet and its inhabitants.”

Boris Johnson recently announced that the UK would ‘toughen’ its climate targets, pledging to cut emissions by 78% by 2035, compared to 1990 levels, as part of the pathway to net zero emissions by 2050. [1] However, in December last year, the National Audit Office reported that the UK Government will fail to meet its existing climate targets and that a radical reassessment of priorities was needed. [2]

The Committee on Climate Change – the body tasked with monitoring government progress on reducing emissions and preparing for climate change– said in its progress report last June that the UK has failed on 17 out of 21 progress indicators, falling further behind in many areas and that just two of 31 key policy milestones had been met over the first year since Parliament declared an emergency. [3] The 2050 date is itself under question, with top scientists including Former Chief Scientific Advisor to the Government Sir David King writing to tell Boris Johnson that the UK should be aiming to reach net zero emissions by around 2030. [4]

Matt, 63 from Christchurch said:” We are at a tipping point. Governments have delayed action for 40 years, while claiming to be climate leaders. Now we need drastic action to prevent a dangerous increase in global temperatures. The public need to be told that this will mean changes to every aspect of our lives. The alternative is terrifying.”

Patti,54 from Devon said “This is a personal act of expressing my opinion. It may resonate with others who are going about their lives and also feel similar despair; feeling at a loss to know how to get the message across to our leaders that their lack of action is seriously harmful to the future of the planet and our lives and all who come after us. Until such action is demonstrated I feel it is a just action for ordinary people to continue to step up (or sit down!) to demand change.”

Ben, 35, a Geologist, from Dorchester said, “I’m terrified for biodiversity and humanity. We cannot gamble with 1.5C, allow the extinction of coral reefs, marginal communities to lose their lands and ways of life, and the breakdown of the biosphere, creating a world of scarcity and conflict. Out of love for life and life-giver I must resist.”

Margaret Turner, 81 from Exeter echoed Ben’s concerns, “When I was a girl Spring brought the return of swallows and the sound of the cuckoo; sadly my grandchildren have never heard the cuckoo! Last Sunday I sat by the river to watch for swallows and sand martens: nothing. It hurts.”

#RebellionOfOne

#ClimateEmergency

#LoveRageRebel

[1] UK enshrines new target in law to slash emissions by 78% by 2035:https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-enshrines-new-target-in-law-to-slash-emissions-by-78-by-2035

[2] Radical reassessment needed to hit net zero emissions by 2050, says NAO: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/dec/04/radical-reassessment-needed-hit-net-zero-emissions-2050-uk-nao-report

[3] Reducing UK emissions: 2020 Progress Report to Parliament: https://www.theccc.org.uk/publication/reducing-uk-emissions-2020-progress-report-to-parliament/

[4] Top scientists issue warning to Prime Minister Boris Johnson:https://www.scientistswarningeurope.org.uk/discover/top-scientists-issue-warning-to-prime-minister-boris-johnson

[5] Climate change seen as global emergency by 64 per cent of people: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2265764-climate-change-seen-as-global-emergency-by-64-per-cent-of-people/