Climate Catastrophe – envirolution

September 3, 2019September 3, 2019

Extinction Rebellion Comes to Manchester. Part 2!

Extinction Rebellion Comes to Manchester. Part 2!

It’s been a busy weekend in the City of Manchester, Extinction Rebellion have been out on the streets, bringing their non-violent action climate protest, to a street near you, and what a beautiful Northern Rebellion it has been!

The peaceful protest, which ended yesterday with a ceremony around the big yellow boat situated on Deansgate, has been perfectly executed by the Extinction Rebellion Crew to bring awareness and enjoyment to the citizens of Manchester.

And, happily, thanks to the full cooperation between Greater Manchester Police and the XR organisers, there has been no trouble, and no arrests have been made throughout the duration of the protest.

So, what has this weekend’s activities all been about?

Well, as we are being made painfully aware by images of the burning rainforests in Brazil and the shocking scenes of the huge amount of plastic clogging up our oceans, humanity faces an existential threat and a climate catastrophe not seen since the last mass extinction some 65 million years ago.

Protester at XR Northern Rebellion Deansgate

Climate Catastrophe a Threat to Humanity

In a rather sobering report from the WWF scientists, who track the existence of life on earth as we know it, state that humans are responsible for wiping out around 60% of all birds, mammals, fish and reptiles since 1970.

And that this ‘annihilation of wildlife’ threatens the very existence of civilisation on earth.

Speaking to Jo, one of the XR supporters attending the protest at the weekend, it was clear that this message from the scientists is having a profound effect on some, if not all of us, making people like Jo feel compelled to act.

In an interview for Envirolution and questioned on how environmental campaigners can continue to get their message out to those who have not yet woken up to the crisis Jo stated;

“I’m not an activist, I’m a mother of three. I’ve given up my job to do this, because I’m scared and people are scared. Just because they are choosing not to be here, doesn’t mean they are not scared. we need to get more people like me to talk about this as a shared human experience and we need to normalise this and give permission for people to talk about it”.

During the interview, it was clear that Jo was particularly emotional and impassioned about the climate crisis affecting humanity.

She went on to say how apologetic she and the rest of XR were for causing a disruption, and also how she would much rather not have to do this, preferring to have a night in her own bed and see her husband and children to spending sleepless nights on Deansgate.

However, and this was the key to Jo’s personal reasons for taking part in Northern Rebellion, it was all about the human connection to the climate crisis and the connection to each other that spurred Jo on.

And the visibility of protesting in such a high-profile fashion is just one of a series of ways to raise awareness.

Since giving up her job, Jo has also given talks to groups and taken the XR message to the doorsteps of local communities, and she was not afraid to admit the whole thing brings tears to her eyes, which is part of her very appeal, as she engages with you on a very human level.

Drum Machine at Northern Rebellion Deansgate

Over Consumption causing the Climate Crisis

And rather poignantly, as you look around Manchester at the shoppers encouraged to ‘buy more stuff’ you see the connection between humanity and the threat to the survival of civilisation are inextricably linked.

‘Bigger, better, cheaper, more, more, more…’ or, ‘buy this and your life will be improved’ are messages we are openly and subliminally fed; in shop windows, on our television screens, on our laptops, audibly on the radio and music streaming services and in magazines and newspapers we read every day.

Increased human consumption of everything means more greenhouse gases are being produced, meaning the earth is heating up which means that ice caps are melting, fires are raging and basically, our fragile eco-system simply can not cope.

All of these changes to our climate are leading to an increase in extreme weather events, rising sea levels and the extinction of a massive range of species as in the WWF report.

What Can Humanity do to Reverse the Impact of Climate Change?

So, what can we, as ordinary human beings, do to reverse the impact of climate change?

Julia Steinberger, Professor of Ecological Economics at Leeds University, studies the fascinating subject of the relationships between the use of resources and the performance of societies.

In her speech in front of a packed crowd on Sunday afternoon, she spoke of the importance of teaching our children critical thinking skills and about questioning the messages we are fed on a daily basis, designed purely to create manipulated thinking.

She spoke about the what we need to live well, and a need for an opposition to consumerism to drive the climate message.

However, and this is the human connection that people like Julia and Jo are so very good at, within her address Julia spoke about mass consumption being the real problem, and rather than expecting us to all give up on our one holiday a year abroad, it is an introduction of frequent flier levies, opposing airport expansion and making more towns and cities traffic free that will have a more wide reaching impact.

She also made reference to the generation of advertisers who promoted smoking as cool and the candy cigarettes that were popular with kids, saying ‘Who are we to ever tell people what to do or what to give up? But what we can do is read the scientific evidence around climate change and try to change our own habits to make that difference’.

So, for example, if somebody does not want to commit to giving up meat entirely, that is their choice, but the fact that they are prepared to reduce their consumption is a step in the right direction and has to be seen as a good thing.

The Joy of XR

And so, as my time at XR Northern Rebellion came to a close, and I marvelled at the impact of the absence of traffic in the centre of Manchester, (no polluted air, the freedom to wander blithely down the middle of the road, children and dogs playing happily), and I felt the deep joy of dancing in the middle of Deansgate to the magnificent Drum Machine, I couldn’t help but think wouldn’t it be wonderful if this atmosphere was replicated on high streets up and down the U.K.

And with lots more planned events and a growing support for the movement, it actually could be.

XR are fully committed to their 3 Demands of the U.K Government, Tell the Truth, Act Now and Citizens Assembly; all they would really like is for more ordinary people like me and you to join them, listen to their message and pick up the baton.

Child and art work at XR Northern Rebellion Deansgate

Contact us

So if you want to know more about the XR network or Envirolution with regards to direct non-violent climate action, you can contact us here.

We love to hear your views and ideas, and we are currently busy planning our 10^th Envirolution Festival for May 2020, so if you want to get involved, we always have a need for volunteers or local action groups who want to take part! Contact us TODAY to find out more!

September 1, 2019September 1, 2019

Extinction Rebellion Comes to Manchester!

Extinction Rebellion comes to Manchester!

XR as they are also known, received a massive Envirolution welcome to our home city this weekend, as they set up their non-violent action climate protest in the very heart of Manchester.

Deansgate and John Dalton Street became traffic free zones as Extinction Rebellion Manchester set up camp in one of the most polluted parts of the city, usually bumper to bumper with cars, buses and taxis.

And as afternoon progressed in to evening over the city centre shoppers were treated to a carnival atmosphere, with DJ’s, talks and workshops taking place, drawing much attention to their campaign.

But there is so more meaning to their movement than just having a good time.

XR Climate Rebellion John Dalton Street Manchester

Existential Threat to Humanity

Speaking to Envirolution, Zoe from Extinction Rebellion Manchester had this to say;

“It’s about raising awareness of the climate and ecological crisis”.

And she added that partly as a result of their non-violent action in London in April this year, Parliament passed a motion of climate and ecological environmental emergency.

Which all sounds like great news for the planet.

However, Zoe went on to say that unfortunately, this motion “wasn’t legally binding” and that actually, nothing is happening, humanity is facing an “existential threat to humanity”, so they continue to be fully committed to keeping up pressure on the government by taking direct action and making their demands heard.

Extinction Rebellion 3 Demands

Extinction Rebellion is an international network and consider themselves to be ‘apolitical’. Their demands are aimed at governments around the globe, and here in the U.K their 3 demands are as follows:

Tell the Truth

XR want the government to work with the media and other institutions throughout the country to make sure the actual truth about the climate and ecological crisis is communicated accurately to all citizens, because many still don’t realise the extent, or the threat, of the disaster that we are heading towards.

Act Now

The second demand from XR is for the government to reduce carbon emissions to Net Zero for 2025. And whilst they acknowledge there is a commitment to achieve this by 2050 it’s too slow and too far in the future for any politicians to act upon. Moreover, science dictates this needs to happen sooner so XR would like politicians to act now and ‘gear up society’ to create the changes that are needed NOW.

Citizens Assembly

The third demand from XR is for a legally binding Citizens Assembly. In other words, people chosen at random, representing the population and similar to a jury, who are able to suggest proposals that the government has to act upon in everyone’s best interests and with advice taken from independent experts to help in the decision-making process.

XR Working for All of Us

One thing XR are keen to point out is they really don’t want to disrupt people’s lives.

In fact, they are particularly apologetic, saying they fully understand that some people might find the interruptions to their normal routine frustrating.

However, XR are keen to get the message out there that the reasons they are taking this direct action is because decades of ‘polite campaigning’ simply hasn’t worked, and governments are not keeping their citizens safe.

And with the impact of extreme weather events such as the floods we have seen this summer in the Peak District and in Yorkshire, it’s clear their message needs to be heard.

So, if that means turning John Dalton Street into a green space, and Deansgate into a full-on climate emergency festival site complete with big Yellow Boat and Yoga sessions for the kids, let’s have more of it we say!

And to be honest, writing about XR Manchester in one blog hardly does justice to the campaigning efforts of these dedicated individuals, many of whom are ordinary people who have never been involved in activism before, yet are turning to XR out of a real fear for the future we face.

People like Jo, a mother of three, (who hadn’t slept very much at all), who described herself as ‘not a hippy’ just an ordinary human being who feels compelled to act for the benefit of her children and her children’s children.

In an impassioned interview, Jo spoke of the connection with humanity and how these protests and direct non-violent campaigns were vital to push for change from governments if we are to have any kind of future on this planet.

So, out of full respect for Jo, we are going to write another blog very soon for Envirolution, outlining more of what she had to say and focus on the very real human side of this crisis we all face.

Contact us

In the meantime, if you want to know more about the work XR or Envirolution are involved in with regards to direct non-violent climate action, you can contact us here.

We always love to hear from you, and we are currently busy planning our 10^th Envirolution Festival for May 2020, so if you want to get involved, we always have a need for volunteers or local action groups who want to take part!

Watch out for our Second blog dedicated to XR Manchester or contact us TODAY to find out more!

August 15, 2019August 14, 2019

Why is Plastic Bad for the Environment?

Discarded plastic bottles for Envirolution blog

Why is plastic bad for the environment? It’s long-lasting, durable, cheap to produce and can be manufactured in to almost any shape or size of product on the planet.

Oh, and it’s ridiculously strong. So why is it such a problem to environmentalists and one of the single biggest contributors to the ever-looming climate catastrophe?

Where do we begin with this one?

The best place to start is at the beginning, and the beginnings of plastic come from crude oil.

Then there’s the amount that is produced, in particular, in single use items such as plastic drinks bottles, carrier bags, drinking straws and single use, plastic cutlery used in takeaways and containers for toiletries or cleaning products.

Then, at the end of its use the amount of plastic that is disposed of, often irresponsibly, that makes its way in to our oceans and animal feeds.

And, if plastic does finally make its way to a recycling centre, there’s only a limited amount of plastic that is actually recyclable, the rest goes to landfill; and this takes hundreds of years to decompose, if at all.

So, you want to know more about why plastic is bad for the environment? Read on here!

How is plastic made?

Plastic is made from petroleum, or more accurately oil, which means that for every piece of plastic produced, this is depleting the natural oil supplies, in fact, around 10% of global oil supplies goes on producing plastic.

Plastic is also made from natural gases, so considering there is almost 300 million tonnes of plastic produced globally each year, the amount of energy used in the extraction of the raw materials, the disruption of local eco-systems, the energy used to process these materials in to the finished products, plus finishing techniques including dying and printing, the impact on the environment is astronomical.

Where do we use plastic?

There are a wide variety of different plastics being produced, the most common ones are listed here, and you will find plastic used literally everywhere in our daily lives.

In our homes and the construction industry with items such as PVC windows and doors, in car manufacturing, in food and drinks packaging, toiletries, detergents, agriculture, gardening products, even clothing, accessories and stationery; not to mention the machinery that goes in to producing all of these items.

The list is endless for where we use plastic, and as we’ve already mentioned, one of the biggest culprits contributing to the climate catastrophe is single use plastic.

There has been a fight back in recent years against single use plastic, including the retail sector introducing a charge for plastic carrier bags, bars and restaurants switching from plastic straws to paper ones, (although this is not always the answer), and the return to the good old fashioned milk man with reusable glass bottles.

There has also been a significant endorsement from the highly regarded naturalist David Attenborough in the fight against single use plastic with what has become known as the ‘Blue Planet effect’, which brought the effects of single use plastic on our oceans and animals in to our living rooms earlier this year with the critically acclaimed T.V show.

Where does plastic end up?

According to the Plastic Free Challenge, globally only 10% – 13% of all plastics are recycled, and in the UK, we are just as guilty of not recycling as much as we should. This is largely down to a lack of provision of recycling centres by local authorities and, thanks to the confusion over what is ‘good plastic’ for recycling and what is not, a lack of confidence on behalf of the consumer.

So, what happens to all of our plastic waste?

Well, it may cause shock and dismay, but the reality is that a large quantity of our plastic waste is shipped overseas.

In fact, almost two thirds of waste plastic in the UK is sent abroad; one of the main recipients being China. Although in 2018 China effected a ban on imports of waste products, meaning countries such as Malaysia, Turkey, Poland, Indonesia and Vietnam increased their capacity.

Of course, all of this waste going overseas is causing a massive problem for our oceans and marine wildlife. Pictures of turtles and dolphins swimming amongst huge amounts of illegally dumped waste is commonplace, with many dying as a result of swallowing plastic bags that are mistaken for food.

And approximately one million seabirds have died as a result of ingesting plastic, with the figures continuing to rise.

How can we safely dispose of plastic?

This is a tough one, because there really is no safe way to dispose of plastic. If it doesn’t end up polluting our oceans and rivers and does makes its way to landfill, it can take up to 1000 years for it to decompose!

And when somebody next asks you, ‘why is plastic bad for the environment?’ Remind them of the headlines that the UN have reported we have only 12 years left to reverse the unimaginable damage to the planet the human race is creating.

So here at Envirolution HQ we believe the best way to deal with the plastic crisis is to remember the simple mantra reduce, recycle, reuse and refuse.

If we all commit to reducing our use of single use plastic by changing our purchasing habits, and doing our best to recycle where we can, it will make a difference. We can also look at ways of reusing plastic in creative ways and simply refusing to use companies who are not committed to the reduction of plastic in their business model.

Contact Us

So, the evidence is pretty clear as to why plastic is bad for the environment and is one of the biggest contributors to climate catastrophe, but there is hope and we can all do something about it.

If you have any fabulous ideas you would like to share about how to reuse plastic or you would like to know more about our campaigns you can contact us here we are always happy to hear from environmental campaigners, whether you are just starting out or you are a seasoned crusader, there is no time like the present to get involved! And if you interested in visiting us at our Festival next year, there will be loads of great recycling ideas on display and a chance to get involved with like minded organisations, dedicated to making a difference.