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Critics complain that the civil disobedience campaign is unrealistic and disruptive. But its tactics are forcing the public and politicians to confront the climate emergency
The predictable complaints began as soon as Extinction Rebellion launched its fortnight of protest in London, part of an international campaign of civil disobedience in as many as 60 cities worldwide. Politicians have moaned that the police are being too passive, and Boris Johnson, Britain’s prime minister, labelled the protesters – who include a former Metropolitan police detective – “uncooperative crusties”. In a characteristically bullying interview with one of the founders of XR, Piers Morgan repeatedly demanded an answer to the question: “Do you have a television?” The presenter’s insistence that a personal carbon footprint of close to zero should be a prerequisite for joining the protests is a little silly. Far-reaching structural solutions are required to limit global heating to the 1.5C threshold identified by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change; it is not necessary to forgo Match of the Day or Strictly Come Dancing to have the right to call for them.
More troubling is the strain of opinion that holds that, though sincere and well-intentioned, XR’s supporters fail to supply adequate or practical answers to a crisis they describe in hyperbolic terms. The protests, it is suggested, are self-indulgent theatre. Overstating the problem with banners stating “We’re f****d”, while failing to offer realistic solutions, may even harm the cause the protesters wish to promote. Continue reading...