In the U.K., two members of the direct action climate group Just Stop Oil were arrested after they spray-painted the words “1.5 is dead” on the grave of Charles Darwin at London’s Westminster Abbey Monday. The protest follows the news last week that 2024 was the hottest year in human history, with the average global temperature rising by 1.6 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels. This is one of the activists.
Alyson Lee: “2024 was the hottest year on record. We have already passed through the 1.5 degree that was supposed to keep us safe. Millions are being displaced. California is on fire. And three-quarters of all wildlife has disappeared since the 1970s.”
The activist later said she believed Charles Darwin would approve of their protest “because he would be following the science, and he would be as upset as us with the government for ignoring the science.”
Vandalizing graves and museums - what a great way to get supporters and make people sympathetic to your cause…
I have further ideas - how about beating some pre-schoolers or burning a homeless shelter to protest global warming? Or perhaps throwing mud at the elderly? Drowning some puppies? Since clearly these people believe all publicity is good publicity, think how much buzz that would generate!
There’s a fair bit of evidence that it works. That’s why people keep on doing it.
Academia is such a blessing I love that we have this data
What should they do?
Protest in the designated area so that we ignore them more easily? But not somewhere where it blocks cars? Maybe stop chanting to keep the noise down?
The normal protests don’t seem to work.
They could attack the actual guilty parties. I remember a group recently getting on a roof of a manufacturing building, for a company who sold weapons to Israel, and sprayed stuff inside to contaminate their cleanrooms and production areas. We need more of that.
So everyone should individually decide to luigi mangione CEOs?
Because when they organize they are labeled looters and rioters.
You expect climate activits to always perform exterme protests that end their life? Sounds like big talk from someone who sits behind a keyboard.
What are you even talking about? What I’m saying is, if you’re committed to vandalizing something, you can target those working against your cause. It’s baffling that you made this jump to murdering CEOs in a discussion about vandalism.
E: Lol, I clicked on your profile and your latest comments are calling for CEOs to fear for their lives. It’s obvious now you’re doing some projecting.
How about actually protesting something that’s related to their cause? Blocking a highway is absolutely one of those. Or, if you want to throw paint at something, how about throwing it at an office of an oil company or a car/private jet of a CEO and not on a fucking grave?
I never said they should not protest at all or not inconvenience anyone, but vandalism of random property or cultural heritage? No, I will not support that.
They have and people whined about it. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/taylor-swift-private-jet-climate-activists-orange-paint-british-airfield/
Sure, I expect a non-zero number of people whined about it. However, that article doesn’t mention any. Good on those protesters.
Yeah, since they’ve solely done completely harmless shit up until now, why don’t they just murder some dogs? That’s the same thing!