Image By Francesca E Harris
By Luke Miller,
Recently formed activist group the “Extinction Rebellion” have released a list of demands they say must be met by, or the future for life on our planet could see a tragic demise.
The UK based movement have stated they wish to “spark and sustain a spirit of creative rebellion, which will enable much-needed changes in our political, economic and social landscape.” They plan to enact this change by using “low level and higher risk acts of civil disobedience.”
The group has welcomed anyone to join the rebellion as long as they abide by 10 rules and principles. The principles include: Creating a sustainable world, breaking down hierarchies of power and avoiding blaming and shaming. The group has also made it clear they wish to do so using non-violent strategies.
The Extinction Rebellion says they have 3 core demands which are:
- That the Government must tell the truth about how deadly our situation is, it must reverse all policies not in alignment with that position and must work alongside the media to communicate the urgency for change including what individuals, communities and businesses need to do.
- The Government must enact legally-binding policies to reduce carbon emissions in the UK to net zero by 2025 and take further action to remove the excess of atmospheric greenhouse gases. It must cooperate internationally so that the global economy runs on no more than half a planet’s worth of resources per year.
- By necessity these demands require initiatives and mobilisation of similar size and scope to those enacted in times of war. We do not however, trust our Government to make the bold, swift and long-term changes necessary to achieve this and we do not intend to hand further power to our politicians. Instead we demand a Citizens’ Assembly to oversee the changes, as we rise from the wreckage, creating a democracy fit for purpose.
The rebellion has already started to spread with factions popping up to support in Columbia, the US, Norway, and many other global locations. There is an event supporting the movement in New York this Saturday 12th January (More Details Here). You can also get involved by starting your own group or checking if there is one local to you (More Details Here)