Activists around the country and the world are demanding action on climate change from all levels government. Extinction Rebellion took the UK by storm in April as thousands of people took part in non-violent civil disobedience protests. They shut down major London sites and blocked traffic for over a week. Within weeks the UK Parliament declared a climate emergency, followed by Ireland’s parliament. And Lismore is planning to join the the actions.
Earlier this year Extinction Rebellion arrived in Australia with groups in every state gearing up for action with a die-in staged at the main roundabout in Byron on May 3. The movement is continuing to grow throughout the country and now Extinction Rebellion is launching in Lismore.
‘Extinction Rebellion has three demands! We call on state and federal governments to tell the truth about climate change and declare a climate and ecological emergency,’says Rebel Marie.
‘We also demand a reduction in carbon emissions to net zero by 2025, and the establishment of a non-partisan citizen’s assembly, to plan a roadmap to a sustainable economy.
‘We are in the midst of the sixth mass extinction, with up to a million species at risk of annihilation, many within decades,’ says Rebel Ruth.
‘We humans have wiped out 60 per cent of mammals, birds, fish and reptiles since 1970. Yet our governments continue to spend our wealth and waste our time pouring billions of dollars into the fossil fuel industry. In New South Wales logging continues unabated while emissions and temperatures rise.
‘We are done with asking nicely and waiting for gradual change,’ says Rebel Marie.
‘Time has run out. We are here to say “no more”. It is time our governments, at all levels, get serious about the climate emergency. We need a full-scale, urgent mobilisation and reshaping of our entire economy to meet this crisis.’
Lismore it’s time to launch
The launch of Extinction Rebellion will be on Wednesday, May 29 at 5:30pm, at the Lismore Workers Club.
Is there a branch launching closer to me in or near Lennox Head?