Rebel for life: Extinction Rebellion's approach to the climate crisis

摘要

Extinction Rebellion's approach towards climate change appears radical. It is noticeably different from previous attempts to tackle the crisis, but their tactics are not new; XR follows in the footsteps of countless other civil disobedience movements in history. The movement is not perfect. Questions regarding its longevity and wider appeal recur frequently. It has struggled with inclusiveness and accountability, with the leaderless nature of the movement bringing it to the edge of collapse at Canning Town station. These flaws must not undermine the progress Extinction Rebellion has made. Along with the Youth Climate Strikes and Greta Thunberg's efforts, the movement has helped shift the discourse around climate change, transforming the Overton window. The past two years have seen increased awareness and concern for environmental issues among the general public and 'climate crisis' is now a mainstream term (Smith 2019).We are running out of options. We are running out of time. As written by Christiana Figurers, the former UN Climate Chief and architect of the Paris Climate Agreement, 'it's time to participate in non-violent political movements wherever possible' (Figueres and Rivett-Carnac 2020). Nobody is coming to save us. It is time to rebel for life.