Extinction Rebellion

January 2022

XR announce new strategy for 2022

Read the strategy summary

Brendan Montague, editor of the Ecologist website and  Resurgence and Ecologist'  magazine, offers his assessment of the new strategy and writes

The Ecologist is also in a process of developing our strategy. As you may know, we are owned by an educational charity, The Resurgence Trust. We think that the way we can best serve the environment movement is to develop educational materials about economics - including continuing to publish economics focused news and analysis at The Ecologist.

Environmental action is often seen as a threat to "the economy" and the destruction of the environment is often excused on the basis it "creates jobs" for the local economy. We believe these arguments are both untrue and also serve as a divisive distraction. XR says it wants to end the "fossil fuel economy". But what exactly is that, can it be stopped, and what will replace it?

We're in the very early stages of working out how we can "educate" - or, better, facilitate learning - on these issues. And those early deliberations should really begin by learning from you, our audience. So we'll be reaching out soon. Watch this space.

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March 2019

Oxford meeting with George Monbiot

'Heading for Extinction'   28 March 2019

This is not recent, but recently discovered.  It took place at a significant time  for XR shortly before they staged their week of protest in April 2019, and is still worth looking at now as it gives a good outline of the XR strategy of trying to ramp up support to the supposed tipping point of 3.5% of the population required to bring about a revolution (Erica Chenoweth).  The protests, during which over 1,100 people were arrested, turned out not to have the intended effect of forcing the government to take climate change seriously, but instead resulted in Extinction Rebellion being branded in advice to police forces as peddling an 'extremist ideology', in company with neo-Nazis and Islamic jihadists.

Monbiot opened the meeting to an over-capacity audience, and the main speaker for XR was Zuhura Plummer, with scientific evidence for the imminent threat of extinction provided by Rachel Treharne.

Watch the video

Filmed in Oxford 2019 by Zoe Broughton & Quen Drury
Edited by Lindford Lowe

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From the XR website

Extinction Rebellion is an international movement that uses non-violent civil disobedience in an attempt to halt mass extinction and minimise the risk of social collapse.

We are facing an unprecedented global emergency.  Life on Earth is in crisis: scientists agree we have entered a period of abrupt climate breakdown, and we are in the midst of a mass extinction of our own making.

We are unprepared for the danger our future holds. We face floods, wildfires, extreme weather, crop failure, mass displacement and the breakdown of society. The time for denial is over. It is time to act.

Conventional approaches of voting, lobbying, petitions and protest have failed because powerful political and economic interests prevent change. Our strategy is therefore one of non-violent, disruptive civil disobedience – a rebellion. 

Historical evidence shows that we need the involvement of 3.5% of the population to succeed – in the UK that’s about 2 million people.

Our Strategy
At the core of Extinction Rebellion’s philosophy is nonviolent civil disobedience. We promote civil disobedience and rebellion because we think it is necessary- we are asking people to find their courage and to collectively do what is necessary to bring about change.

We aren’t focussed on traditional systems like petitions or writing to our MPs and more likely to take risks (e.g. arrest / jail time). We don’t want or need everyone to get arrested – for some this is not a good idea – but we do want everyone involved to support civil disobedience as a tool.

We are promoting mass “above the ground” civil disobedience – in full public view. This means economic disruption to shake the current political system and civil disruption to raise awareness. We are deeply sorry for any inconvenience that this causes.

View the XR website

Extinction Rebellion Highlands and Islands - contacts

Inverness: xrinverness@protonmail.com
Fort William: xrfortwilliam@gmail.com
Gairloch: xrscottishhighlandsandislands@gmail.com

https://www.facebook.com/XRHighlandsAndIslands/
https://twitter.com/XRHighlands

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April 2020

XR produces 'Alone Together' crisis handbook

Now is the time to take care of ourselves. We don’t know how long coronavirus is going to be with us, and we all need to prepare ourselves for this uncertainty and adapt. 

As Extinction Rebellion has been evolving we’ve been developing resources and tools to help navigate the climate and ecological emergency, which are of deep relevance as we face this planetary health crisis.

This handbook has been created to offer support in building resilience to the crises, staying connected with each other, and empower you in offering support to others. Over time, the initiatives listed here will develop, and as capacity grows, working with others we plan to roll them out ever-wider.

In this moment Regenerative Cultures around the world are connecting, creating resilience, collaboration, health and solidarity. Now, more than ever, we need those things. Each of us has a vital role in creating a regenerative response to coronavirus. 

In this emergency, let’s come together in love and strength, as never before.

'Alone Together'       PDF handbook     (small print, difficult to read)
                                 website