There is no sign of an occupation of the streets of Semington this week, and it really does look as if Extinction Rebellion will be in London and elsewhere rather than here. Just as well, really, as it would be a shame if the school walk, the public transport, the book (and other) clubs and coffee morning, fitnesses classes, study groups, and the pub were to be disrupted – not to mention access to the the part-time post office (vital for older people), the independent living centre which offers daily help to people coping with disabilities of all kinds, and to the Air Ambulance centre for its fast-response vehicles. Not to mention all the small businesses that the village hosts.
On the other hand, had they come here rather than London, they might have heard a few home truths:
– this is a poor way to influence people and win hearts and minds (and votes) for the worthwhile cause of stimulating much-needed change.
– you seem more intent on enjoying yourselves than on winning people over. It looks very self-indulgent.
– you are deluded if you think that your goal of net-zero carbon by 2025 is possible without causing serious and lasting damage to the country's infrastructure and economy, and to people's lives.
– the real-world technology does not exist to do what you say you want to achieve by 2025; and your leaders know it. **
– you have a nerve in protesting about fossil fuel use when you use those same fuels every day, depend on fossil fuel derived products for your lifestyles, and are complicit in rare Earth extraction when you use your phones and tablets; time to conspicuously walk the talk.
– why not protest where there is a much worse decarbonisation tale to tell than here, and where change will make a real difference to the planet. We have a list ...
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** as I write this at 9.30 on a gloomy morning, 49% of the country's electricity is coming from burning gas.
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