Just stop oil protesters

M0nica

Do you think that theJust Stop Oil movement encouraged these two women to do what they did because it will lead people to look at them and just see them as two silly old dears and sigh and not realise that they are just as much vandals as if they had been 2 20 year old students.

I think they're leading lights in the Just Stop Oil movement, Extinction Rebellion etc.

The Reverend has previous as an Extinction Rebellion protester and a member of Christian Climate Action.
She has disrupted traffic, glued herself to the road, been arrested and convicted for preventing people accessing their place of work (conviction later overturned), climbed on a train during rush hour, preventing people from going to work, later acquitted by a jury.

Presumably she doesn't agree with trains as a mode of transport either.

I wish our laws would be applied properly to people such as these who commit criminal damage or block roads. Both are offences but apparently protesters are rarely prosecuted for committing criminal damage or blocking the highways, and if they are, it gets overturned or they get acquitted.
By all means protest, but do it within the law.

Callistemon Clearly the 'litle old lady' card works very well in her case.

Absolutely the pits!

I agree with many of their sentiments but this sort of hysterical and destructive behaviour, I believe, just alienates a lot of people.

I do see the dilemma - the majority of people tend not to take environmental issues particularly seriously and therefore it is felt that more radical methods should be used to attract their attention. It certainly does that, but I really don't think it makes people more committed to environmental causes - it actually turns them off.

We are too passive in giving those who cause wanton destruction and problems that could be life threatening to others the benefit of the doubt! Think of those ordinary people who were prevented from getting to long awaited hospital appointments or important exams, or ambulances that couldn’t move due to these protestors blocking the roads. Or the high wire stunts involving police and tax payers money. When we become too tolerant in most cases it just fuels intolerance in my opinion.

None of these are mass protests. They are all stunt protests designed to get attention like the suffragettes. They mostly have nuisance value.

from what I have seen on the media... they really need to practice what they preach,, heavy fines to cover the cost of the damage they are causing...

The whole Greta thing is beyond belief. Western leaders listening rapt to the deluded ramblings of a juvenile with limited education is something I still find incredible. She’s autistic, from an acting family and just loves the attention and adoration. Her mum has written a book. Follow the money.

I don't support the actions of the protestors but they are keeping climate change in the public eye. Governments and big business make promises which they rarely fulfil. Decision making is based on short term profit making and election success.
Climate scientists all over the world are desperately concerned as we are now unlikely to meet the 1.5° temperature increase target.

I share the concern of Just Stop Oil/Extinction Rebellion but not their methods. Perhaps if more people protested peaceably and tried to practice a more sustainable way of life, there would be no need for the extremists. As grans, many of us will not be around long enough to suffer the effects of climate change but our children and grandchildren will.

I do not know what the answer is. Clearly the suffragette activities bore fruit - and we are all benefitting from that now.

How do people get across to government the need to take seriously the imminent fate of our planet? Democratic systems tend towards short-term thinking - with election promises geared to immediate results that will appeal to the voters. So the ballot box is not a route likely to produce results before it is simply too late.

Demonstration seems to be the only route - but demonstration without destruction/disruption lest the public be turned off the message.

I fear for my dear GC and the problems we will leave them.

Government has many relevant powers that it simply does not use, an example being river pollution - DEFRA has the powers to prosecute polluters, but does not use them. What can we do?

The tendency to regard "greens" as an irrelevant fringe movement does not help - when in fact their message is central rather than peripheral. They need to become mainstream.

You are right *Luckygirl@ The suffragettes were this countries first terrorists.

Luckygirl3

I do not know what the answer is. Clearly the suffragette activities bore fruit - and we are all benefitting from that now.

How do people get across to government the need to take seriously the imminent fate of our planet? Democratic systems tend towards short-term thinking - with election promises geared to immediate results that will appeal to the voters. So the ballot box is not a route likely to produce results before it is simply too late.

Demonstration seems to be the only route - but demonstration without destruction/disruption lest the public be turned off the message.

I fear for my dear GC and the problems we will leave them.

Government has many relevant powers that it simply does not use, an example being river pollution - DEFRA has the powers to prosecute polluters, but does not use them. What can we do?

The tendency to regard "greens" as an irrelevant fringe movement does not help - when in fact their message is central rather than peripheral. They need to become mainstream.

A sensible viewpoint, as ever, Luckygirl3

Thank you Luckygirl13 for a note of sanity. I felt as if I was reading Gransnet at its worst today and shockingly so. Did you not read the scientists' report last week about the rise in temperature? I really admire the women for what they are doing - trying to draw attention to the horrendous situation and wish I had the courage to join in. Signing petitions, demonstrations, writing to MPs hasn't worked so desperate measures are called for. You all obviously disagree but at least you are talking about the problem and perhaps thinking that something must be done.

I didn't think it was right that one of the ladies had a clerical collar on meaning she is something to do with a church, I am not saying CoE, but she isn't there representing them in an official capacity , so to me she shouldn't be wearing it, or was it to gain the " sympathy" acknowledgement on the photos.

I may hitch a ride with you, NiceNanny et all - seeing as I do not believe this carbon nonsense (and neither do many eminent scientists, who have, of course, lost their jobs) The net zero thing will serve to tax and control the poorer sections of society. Powerful companies will go on doing what they do, and we are distracted from real issues, such as pollution. (By the way, there is an extended video on Youtube called, I think 'The Cold Truth', talking about climate change, featuring eloquent scientists that aren't afraid to tell the truth, even in these evangelical times.)

mouse44

Thank you Luckygirl13 for a note of sanity. I felt as if I was reading Gransnet at its worst today and shockingly so. Did you not read the scientists' report last week about the rise in temperature? I really admire the women for what they are doing - trying to draw attention to the horrendous situation and wish I had the courage to join in. Signing petitions, demonstrations, writing to MPs hasn't worked so desperate measures are called for. You all obviously disagree but at least you are talking about the problem and perhaps thinking that something must be done.

No, it wasn't Gransnet at its worst

Just because some of us do not actually agree with criminal damage, disrupting the lives of others does not mean we do not care, do not do our bit and do not petition MPs and others.

This is a far, far, bigger problem than our Government can tackle on its own and all countries need to come on board before it's too late.

If these women are brave enough perhaps they can start tackling other countries' stances on this.

Of course, they can't go and demonstrate there, that would be impossible.

I agree with mouse44 and Luckygirl13. We've just had reports from despairing climate scientists that we are heading for a rise of 2.5 degrees. This couldn't be more serious - many coastal cites will be flooded. We are sleepwalking into a catastrophe, and it's urgent that our governments take action to stop drilling for oil, at the very very least. We need to wake up - and so does the Labour Party, surely soon to be in power, which has dropped its plans for a green new deal, because they believe them not to be vote-winners. I went on a very large weekend of action last year in London, with many medics and scientists. It went completely unreported by the BBC, although it was the first item on the French national news the next day. The Rev Dr Sue Parfitt and her friend have learned that the only way to get the media to report on climate change is by carrying out symbolic actions like this. They are aware that actions of this type risk alienating some people, but it is even more dangerous and irresponsible to do nothing. They act out of conscience and a sense of their Christian duty. I admire them.

What got me, except the sheer stupidity of it, is that one is a vicar. Very good example to her flock.

The tendency to regard "greens" as an irrelevant fringe movement does not help - when in fact their message is central rather than peripheral. They need to become mainstream.

Greens are joining with other parties so that they become part of Local Government in many areas.
They are in a coalition with Labour here and have passed plans for more housing ad estates on what was green belt land with no infrastructure planned at all, thereby adding to traffic and even more pollution. Other housing is being built on flood plains.

Perhaps other Green Party members are more on message?

BTW, Sur Parfitt has written a highly informative book called 'Bodies on the Line: Christians, Civil Resistance and Climate Change'.

The Rev Dr Sue Parfitt and her friend have learned that the only way to get the media to report on climate change is by carrying out symbolic actions like this

They're not, though, are they!
The reports are not about climate change. The reports are about two old women attempting to cause criminal dan0mage to a priceless historical artefact.

They need to protest to the worst polluters in this world because yes, something needs to change.

China
USA
India
Russia
Japan

Castafiore If your actions atagonise other people then they are less likely to listen to you or take any notice of what you say.

What we need is lots of Green party and other people. choosining to live lives that are very low carbon. Especially we need to see Green people who live away from big towns and cities living ordinary lives without using hydro carbons and running big publicity and PR campaigns showing how this is done.

Especially we need to see ordinary people, with ordinary 9.00-5.00 jobs, who need to commute, with children they need to get to school and needing to food shop in supermarkets and without time or access to cultivate an allottment. They should show ordinary people like that living greener enjoyable lives

When we have these shining examples to follow, people will follow them, but just shouting at people and vandalising everything they hold precious, will only lead to people using more hydrovarbons and sayinf 'S*d you'.

When we have these shining examples to follow, people will follow them, but just shouting at people and vandalising everything they hold precious, will only lead to people using more hydrovarbons and sayinf 'S*d you'.

Yes indeed!
Carrots, not sticks.

Totally agree