So much to say about all this, most of it being said in the international press. If you want to see me getting lynched on social media click on this link (the f symbol in the video below) and then follow the shares to the comments. A few usual insults to environmentalists such as tree hugging soap dodgers, hypocrites, idiots but also a few new ones- testicles being my favourite and me personally being referred to as Mr Vagina- I couldn't stop laughing thinking about the fun someone would have with a name like that- booking restaurants, public introductions, interviews etc.
So much is happening its hard to keep up. Im trying to stay focused on why the fuck I got involved in all this in the first place, which was to try and get some more bird ticks on my local patch and make sure the restoration was done by Viridor/Pennon who were trying to use their £5.2 billion net worth and army of shareholders to default on their legal obligations and exploit my birding patch.
So on the central front- if XR can maintain a permanent occupied position in London and over the coming months start a strategy that opens a civil society communication channel with government and begins to target the main culprits of climate and ecological breakdown then our local community and XRSutton will effectively have access to a national citizen's assembly and an army of 30,000 protesters that could in theory literally shut down the Beddington Farmlands incinerator and begin to take bites out of the Viridor/Pennon monster.
Locally we really don't want it to come to that. This will be the beginning of the Hunger Games- Viridor/Pennon will bring in private security to bulk out the police and if things turn nasty and word gets out on the street that Viridor/Pennon are risking the health of local kids and exploiting the area the South London gangs and violent factions could get involved. We will have a full on violent revolution.
Need to avoid that at all costs as that will weaken the area and generate accelerated decline instead of the current slow bleed through managed decline. We are looking for a gentle revolution where eventually the Viridor/Pennon Corporation and the local community and the local authority form a genuine stakeholder community and together develop a flagship nature reserve for South London and roll out environmental and ecological improvement across the borough- a model that can be used anywhere.
The more the local community can bring to the table the better- organising public events, conservation volunteering, recording the wildlife etc. It's also important that we have accountability structures- auditing the scientific data and presenting key factors to public. The South London Air Quality Action Group will be presenting monthly reports on any illegal pollution produced by the incinerator and we will also have a community air quality monitoring network to monitor all local pollution and to try and tie in any incinerator pollution with local street level pollution.
The Green Party and the Localism Groups can deliver political structure and co-ordinate local projects via local ecological consultancies and local businesses that can assist in the corporate-council-community structure and now at long last we have a militant wing- XR who can use non-violent direct action as a last resort if further betrayal and exploitative attempts by Viridor/Pennon or the Council are made. We will also keep pushing with the formal complaint and legal challenge route (not the best route for us impoverished) and will continue to pay dutiful respect to the current pseudo-democracy framework e.g. petitions and public consultations, council committees etc that the council wipe their arses with the corporations flush down the toilet- but we can get our social licence by jumping through their silly hoops first like the good little puppies we are.
The more the local community can bring to the table the better- organising public events, conservation volunteering, recording the wildlife etc. It's also important that we have accountability structures- auditing the scientific data and presenting key factors to public. The South London Air Quality Action Group will be presenting monthly reports on any illegal pollution produced by the incinerator and we will also have a community air quality monitoring network to monitor all local pollution and to try and tie in any incinerator pollution with local street level pollution.
The Green Party and the Localism Groups can deliver political structure and co-ordinate local projects via local ecological consultancies and local businesses that can assist in the corporate-council-community structure and now at long last we have a militant wing- XR who can use non-violent direct action as a last resort if further betrayal and exploitative attempts by Viridor/Pennon or the Council are made. We will also keep pushing with the formal complaint and legal challenge route (not the best route for us impoverished) and will continue to pay dutiful respect to the current pseudo-democracy framework e.g. petitions and public consultations, council committees etc that the council wipe their arses with the corporations flush down the toilet- but we can get our social licence by jumping through their silly hoops first like the good little puppies we are.
5 comments:
Keep your friends close but keep your enemies closer.
The motives of the destroyers of environment aren't in the act of destruction, it's source is in that insidious combination of money, ego, respect as regards the world majority view inasmuch as it's hero is conspicuous materialism and consumption.
If we can educate the destroyers to the view that they can make more money and garner more respect by looking after the nature within their enclaves instead of inadvertently killing it off as a byproduct of ignorance, we may have a chance of progress.
Fighting them is about winning a competition. The true victory is a result via co-operation with those perceived to be opponents.
Indeed! Completely agree.
If only! unfortunately the worse of the instigators of the impending armageddon get a kick out of seeing caring folk suffering, as they try to not only stop, but turn the clock back before the whole process becomes irreversible. Spent Friday at the Albert Hall listening to the Messiah ( A mate of mine sings in the choir) I sat next to a yank from Maine who's a surgeon back home in the states and with a typical American attitude he thinks it will all sort itself out and everything will be hunky dory which of course it won't unless the human race starts taking action to not only curb the destructive greediness that is the cause of most of it but attempts to reverse some of the worst instances. I felt incredibly guilty as my taxi managed to skirt round the protesters and felt self revulsion, and that is usual with me as once again I was leaving it to others to take the flak. The Daily Mail sank lower than one would have thought possible with its transparent attack on Emma Thompson who had flown in, to nobly take part and give her support to this most honourable cause. the oxen feather.
Hi Barry! I agree there is a psychotic element in our society algorithm (system) that aims (enjoys) to see others suffering. However complicit and complacent elements are much more dangerous by orders of magnitude. The more people who make personal changes and support the Rebellion the more chance the majority of us on having a 'good war'. As Attenborough says the transition to a sustainable society will either controlled or forced on us- the forced on us option is basically world wide apocalypse. I prefer the controlled option! We'll probably get a bit of both- I know what side I want to be on.
Btw Barry- be great to meet up soon. I'm trying to put together an article for the Birding media about how theoretically The Extinction Rebellion can support existing local biodiversity campaigns- e.g. the Oxford-Cambridge Expressway Campaign etc
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