In the past I must confess I thought them (us) rather lacking in tangible realisable objectives, and saw them more as "just" complaining. I learnt today in Bristol that they do in fact have at least one primary real world, potent, excellent and realistic objective - that the UK gov declare a "climate emergency." I am now fully on board with ER.

#fearofthecell

Are we talking about a metal band here?

chango369 wrote:ETA: DId I miss the implied /s?

The actions in Bristol and Gloucester were the main items on last night's local evening news. (expires at 18:45 GMT)

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0c2jkbx/points-west-weekend-news-16022019

I too had never heard of Extinction Rebellion until yesterday evening.

I have just joined. I wonder whether I'm the first one in my country.

Good for you Evo, props. I joined today too

Oh yeah, they're usually styled XR, not ER, for obvious Cloonyesque reasons most likely.

There are several groups in Germany, but none anywhere near me. I would go to Trier or Saarbrücken, but sadly...

The French site doesn't say anything about groups, so I presume there aren't any. I might go to Metz, for instance, or Nancy, if there were a group there.

And I know I could theoretically set up a Luxembourg group, but not in practice. I'm a follower, not a leader.

chango369 wrote:Trajectories of the Earth System in the Anthropocene

From the above link:

We suggest that a deep transformation based on a fundamental reorientation of human values, equity, behavior, institutions, economies, and technologies is required. Even so, the pathway toward Stabilized Earth will involve considerable changes to the structure and functioning of the Earth System, suggesting that resilience-building strategies be given much higher priority than at present in decision making. Some signs are emerging that societies are initiating some of the necessary transformations.

Fine words. But how?

Reducing the population would be one, and another would be reversing the demands of capitalism that requires more customers in order to produce more profits for the few.

I like the idea of lending charisma to the identity of Eco Monk living on a means adjusted universal basic income and engaging in minimal economic activity. Stigmatising and restoring a more sensible taxation ratio for million/billionaires would finance and strengthen that. Also promotion of the fact that we in the west are bathed in luxury for the most part and need not consume Mercedes in order to be happy would help too. Just my thoughts.

Here is a map of all recorded extant XR groups globally: https://actionnetwork.org/forms/find-your-local-group

Keep It Real wrote:
I like the idea of lending charisma to the identity of Eco Monk living on a means adjusted universal basic income
and engaging in minimal economic activity . Stigmatising and restoring a more sensible taxation ratio for million
/ billionaires would finance and strengthen that . Also promotion of the fact that we in the west are bathed in
luxury for the most part and need not consume Mercedes in order to be happy would help too

Yes to living as stoically as possible but it should be entirely up to the individual and not something imposed by law
No to stigmatising millionaires / billionaires so long as they pay their share of tax that be legally required of them
I am less concerned about luxury than I am about the level of waste we generate in society which is just ridiculous

A simple step would be to only buy what you are actually going to eat and only use electricity when you need to
Everything I buy I eat so nothing ever goes to waste and I never have appliances on less I am actually using them
I rotate my shoes and clothes when I go out so each will get worn out at the same rate

I compact my rubbish as much as possible but dont recycle anything at all
I do however put used tea bags in the garden because tea is a plant so I return it to nature
I leave a minimum of four hours between meals although I can go for much longer than this

I dont drive but I dont actually need a car because I have been walking for thirty five years
I could grow me own fruit and veg but it takes too long and I dont really have the patience
I dont fly and the only long journeys I take are ones of the mind which use no carbon at all
My only luxury is books but they are allowed and you can have as many of them as you like

The problem is the free market isn’t exactly free to develop new technologies. Potholer54, probably one of the most well know climate change Youtubers, has two really good videos on his channel about how letting the free market actually innovate and create new technologies for clean/renewable energy is the step forward. But you have to regulate non-renewables and subsidize renewables.

willhud9 wrote:The problem is the free market isn’t exactly free to develop new technologies. Potholer54, probably one of the most well know climate change Youtubers, has two really good videos on his channel about how letting the free market actually innovate and create new technologies for clean/renewable energy is the step forward. But you have to regulate non-renewables and subsidize renewables.

I don’t recall those. Links?

Now I actually have started a Luxembourg group. Only an online one, on Mattermost. We'll see whether I really am the only one in Luxembourg!

I went to a climate talk hosted by them last week. A slightly updated version of this:



A lot of very well presented data about where we are, how we got here, and what we must do to avoid the worst catastrophes.

My local and county councils have motions coming up which I'm joining the campaigns for, to declare a climate emergency. These not only commit them to making the radical changes necessary to significantly cut emissions over the next decade, but also to demand that central government gives them the resources to do so.

The mini one is indeed wise in the ways of the force.