Discussion

Last week, taking advantage of Sir David Attenborough’s presence, Boris said: 

‘‘We must reverse the appalling loss of habitats and species, it’s only by repairing the damage to the natural world that we can address the problem of climate change’.

Today, Boris Johnson betrayed that statement, nature, the climate, Sir David and all of us, by approving HS2. 

Sir David may now be cringing at the memory of this event. Hopefully Sir David will speak out against HS2 very soon, before we start losing even more precious nature. 

Let’s not lose heart now. This is just the beginning of the real fight to stop and #ReThinkHS2. 

Every major environmental group – from Extinction Rebellion to The National Trust – demands Boris stop and #ReThinkHS2. Together, these organisations have around 10million members. And it will soon be time for us to hear the call and head into nature to bare witness to the destruction being wrought by Boris’ HS2. 

And together, we can still win. We love our woodlands and precious wild spaces. Let’s not lose them to Boris’ HS2. 

We’re building a rapid response movement where people can be notified of urgent threats from Boris’ HS2 to woodland and wildlife sites near them. We’ve got the maps. We know where all the 100+ ancient woodlands are. 

So let’s start preparing now, quite simply, by doubling our numbers. 50,000 of us are reading this email … let’s make it 100,000.

ACTION – Please share this email, ask a friend, or a few, to join you by signing up here. They just need to scroll down to the ‘Stay informed’ box at the bottom right of the page and enter their email address. It’s simple.

In case you’re worried, we’re not encouraging anyone to break the law. That’s a personal choice. Brave communities along the planned route have already proven that when enough people turn up to bare witness and broadcast what Boris’s HS2 is up to, the destruction can be stopped. It works.

Here’s a great short film you can share that explains HS2 in 1 minute. People can sign-up there too. Please share. 

Boris’ HS2 is a war on nature that will destroy close to 700 wildlife sites, including over 100 ancient woodlands … it’s a project that’s completely incompatible with any Net Zero emissions target … and that will enable large-scale airport expansion.

Chris Packham summed it up in a tweet this morning. 

In the face of our Climate and Ecological Emergency, Boris’ HS2 is madness. 

Together we can stop it. It’s time to #ReThinkHS2. 

Thank you. 

On behalf of

Stand For The Trees 
ReThinkHS2
HS2Rebellion.org

A copy of the correspondence XR-MK Lobbying Working Group have sent to Milton Keynes council.

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Dear Council,

On behalf of Extinction Rebellion Milton Keynes (XR-MK) please find attached the Lobbying Group feedback regarding the councils’ sustainability strategy. Please bear in mind that  although we have decided as a group to present this to you, the work is all individual and individuals within XR are ultimately free to make their own decisions and to speak their own truth.

Some of the suggestions we have made may seem challenging but all are achievable if the urgent desire to save our Planet from disaster is truly driving the council’s way of thinking – which it MUST.

We have looked at all the elements of the council’s sustainability strategy and commented where they are lacking as you would expect. We have also noticed some glaring omissions which we feel are essential, especially in ensuring that all the citizens of Milton Keynes are included and are invested in the difficult decisions that will be encountered as time ticks by and the world’s carbon budget is eaten away.

I am sure that you are aware that XR-MK is having a growing presence within council meetings. We see our role to support the council but also to hold it accountable.

I hope that you will find our feedback useful and challenging and we look forward to seeing how the council acts upon our proposals.

Yours sincerely,

The Lobbying Group, on behalf of Extinction Rebellion Milton Keynes

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Attachments

For my part,  here in the USA,  I have been observing Fridays for Future steadily for about 3 months by (of all things) BRAIDING!  Yes,  braiding.  I think of it and call it “braiding for climate”.  Perhaps that sounds silly,  but as I explain in a video,  it keeps me,  for the moment “out of trouble”  and doing something actually creative and seemingly pacifist. 
HOWEVER,  on my “costume”  of a farmer’s overalls there is a loop along the leg in which I carry a hammer.   That hammer shows that if all else fails,  I am ready to give up on peaceful protest. 
I recommend that such behaviour be considered elsewhere for now — until Glascow.If interested,  see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BoEkRYXDYE

Frank Antonson, USA.

To see more from Frank check out his You Tube channel

Buy now, most people have heard of the radical climate-justice movement ‘Extinction Rebellion’ – whether this be through personal involvement in non-violent actions or via news stories and word of mouth. What many people haven’t heard of, however, is XR’s sister group, Animal Rebellion.

While Extinction Rebellion was founded as a standalone climate justice movement by Roger Hallam to involve everyday civilians in actions of mass civil disobedience, Animal Rebellion piggybacks the existing model set out by XR, reinforcing the organisation’s three demands upon the government: to tell the truth about the state of the climate crisis, to act now (to achieve carbon neutrality by 2025) and to establish and be led by a citizens assembly. In addition to these demands, Animal Rebellion insists that in order for the environmental crisis to be halted, animal agriculture must be held to account.

As Animal Rebellion declare on their official website, ‘Animal Rebellion’s position is that for [XR’s three demands] to be met, they must include telling the truth about the animal farming and fishing industries being leading contributors to the climate emergency; that taking action must include ending these industries and transitioning to a plant-based food system.’ Animal agriculture is the number one contributor to environmental land and water degradation and as Animal Rebellion argue, there is consequently no way to create a sustainable, socially just food system that involves animal farming.

While Extinction Rebellion goes general, holding the government and big businesses to account for not policing the actions of society’s worst polluters, Animal Rebellion is clear in its agenda, focusing directly on those industries themselves: Animal Rebellion cuts straight to the nation’s sore spot, honing in on the specifics of high-emission industries and the role of livestock in pushing CO₂ and methane levels to an unsustainable high. While Extinction Rebellion acknowledges the role of the meat and dairy industries in accelerating climate change – many of those involved in October and April Rebellions opted for a vegan diet – it chooses not to force the point so long as broad legislative change is the priority.

Is this direct approach more effective in combatting climate change? It’s hard to say. Were the operations of animal agriculture to cease, society would still be left with a host of other dangerous and polluting industries- gas and oil, plastics and nuclear power- which necessitate the all-encompassing approach favoured by Extinction Rebellion.

System change is necessary- and yes, animal agriculture is responsible for an overwhelming proportion of global emissions. The key takeaway here is that the campaign against climate breakdown and the argument against animal agriculture are not mutually exclusive. Both have legitimate end goals, and both are in agreement regarding the necessity of inciting government action. In their current collaboration as part of the October London Rebellion, Extinction Rebellion and its sister group have demonstrated the great power of teamwork in simultaneously occupying sites such as Trafalgar Square and Smithfields meat market: lets hope their efforts continue in a similar vein to advocate for climate justice and justice for animals, side by side.