XR UK Bus Tour

XR UK bus tour visits Nottingham

On Fri 23rd September volunteers form XR Nottingham came out with great enthusiasm to support the ‘bus stop’ in Nottingham – even though we were without a bus (it had to be left incongruously in Arnold with the outreach ‘kit’ transfer to a much smaller vehicle!)

During the day we signed up over 60 people to our email list.

west bridgford and city centre

We set up in West Bridgford and then in front of the Brian Clough statue in the city centre to talk to people passing by, do some art block printing and to engage them with our survey and hopefully sign them up to the email list.

The many conversations covered the energy crisis, cost of living crisis, the climate and ecological crisis and government inaction on both of these. We talked about Citizens’ Assemblies as a way to ‘upgrade democracy’ and help to tackle these issues.

Leicester and derby

Because the bus stayed in Nottingham for a few days, a few volunteers set off in a small car and small van to transport crew and kit to Derby then Leicester and back to Nottingham. Both places had picked quieter spots, Derby had talks and training, then Leicester invited both XR members and people from other groups to participate in a People’s Assembly as a way of demonstrating collaborative, fair and democratic ways  for groups to make decisions and plans.

There was still time to engage with the public and the results of talking to the public in both these places can be seen on the survey board. 

Sit For Climate

Extinction rebellion nottingham join the global campaign sit for climate

Every Saturday at 11am for just 10mins, you can join this action. Get a small group of friends together. Make a sign. Use the hashtag #SitForClimate and post on your social media. Or just chat to people passing by.

If you want to join XR Nottingham, get in touch on email hidden; JavaScript is required or follow our Telegram Broadcast for details of where we will be.

everyone : everywhere : every week

This campaign has been created by an independent group – find more details here on their website

Marcha a Glasgow and the Human Skittles

spanish activists visit nottingham

A group of 9 Spanish activists from Zaragoza in Northern Spain are walking from Portsmouth and arriving 30th October in Glasgow for COP26.

As they passed through Nottingham on Tue 12th Oct, we entertained them with a quick game of ‘human skittles’ each highlighting a human activity causing the climate crisis.

follow their journey

Follow the ‘Marcha a Glasgow’
Join their facebook group

Some local press coverage here

Words from one of the group, Maribel Roldón,  “Science tells us that the future of humanity depends on what happens at the Climate Change Summit (COP26) in Glasgow in November 2021. It’s our very last chance to take effective action.”

Spanish activists and Nottingham human skittles

the human causes of climate change

The skittles have signs representing some of these causes listed below..

1. Road Transport 11.9%
Cars and Lorries transporting people (60%) and goods (40%) release mainly Carbon Dioxide (CO2) from burning petrol and diesel a fossil fuel.

2. Household energy 10.9%
Heating, Cooking and electricity generate CO2 from the energy industry and directly at home from the burning of oil, gas and coal fossil fuels and firewood.

3. Industry 10.6%
The chemical process used in Cement manufacture releases CO2.  Large amounts of energy are also needed in cement manufacture and industry which release CO2 from the energy industry

4. Unallocated fuel combustion – running the energy industry, nuclear biomass etc 7.8%
For example, the production of nuclear fuel is a very energy intense process requiring energy normally from the burning of fossil fuels on site. Burning biomass, usually wood chips or pellets, directly releases CO2. Hydroelectric storage of energy will often be fed by fossil fuel powered generation of electricity, releasing CO2.

5. Iron and Steel 7.2%
The iron and steel energy both uses huge amounts of energy for the temperatures required and uses coke (a fossil fuel) as part of the manufacturing process, releasing large amounts of CO2.

6. Commercial energy use 6.6%
Lighting, computers, running appliances and machines in offices, shops restaurants and other commercial buildings from the burning of oil, gas and coal fossil fuels.

7. LiveStock 5.8%
Microbes in the digestive tracts of mainly ruminants such as cattle and sheep release methane, a much more powerful greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide.

8. Chemical and Petrochemical 5.8%
Chemical processes release CO2 as a biproduct which is often used in other industries but it ultimately is released into the atmosphere. Large amounts of energy are used to drive chemical processes which releases CO2 in the energy industry.

9. Flaring and methane leaks from fossil fuel industry 5.8%
Mining coal and drilling for oil results in accidental release of methane. Natural gas is methane and burning it for energy production is supposedly “cleaner” in that it produces more energy for the amount of CO2 dioxide released.  However, being a much more powerful greenhouse gas than CO2 the amount that is lost in leaks doesn’t make it any “cleaner” than coal.

In order to deal with excess methane, oil and gas companies burn it without using the energy.  This is known as flaring and directly releases  CO2 into the atmosphere.

10. Deforestation and crop burning 5.7%
Deforestation reduces the amount of carbon able to be stored in forests and forest soils. This also reduces biodiversity and habitats pushing more species towards extinction.

Crop burning, the practice of burning residual plant material after harvest, releases CO2, methane and nitrous oxide greenhouse gases directly into the atmosphere.

11. Agriculture soils (Artificial fertilisers) 4.1 %
Nitrates released by artificial fertiliser breakdown are a very strong greenhouse gas.  Use of artificial fertilisers and pesticides reduces the soil’s ability to sequester CO2 naturally making the situation worse. Annual monoculture crops also require a large energy input to grow and reduce biodiversity.

12. Shipping and aviation 3.6%
81% of aviation emission come from passenger and 19% from goods.  Burning Kerosene, a fossil fuel, release carbon dioxide

Shipping of goods and passengers, releases CO2 from burning diesel and petrol.

13. Organic Landfill 1.9%
>Biodegradable and compostable material buried in landfill do not breakdown properly due to a lack of oxygen.  Instead, it releases methane, a much more powerful green house gas than CO2, over decades.

Source : Our World in Data (2020)
https://ourworldindata.org/ghg-emissions-by-sector

 

COP26 – what is your plan?

COP26 in Glasgow this autumn 
is the last chance for action.

What is COP? Governments from around the world met for the first ‘COP’ in 1995. Since then, there have been 25 meetings which have all failed to prevent us heading for climate catastrophe. Carbon emissions have continued to rise… by over 50% since 1990!

COP26 banner

Targets but no Action

The UK government are failing on their own target of net zero by 2050. A target utterly inadequate to make a meaningful difference to the crisis we are facing.

Greenwash

This is when we’re told something is happening, or the figures are misleading. The UK emissions may have gone down, but without including aviation, shipping and all the goods and food we buy from overseas – this is greenwash!

view of clumber st shoppers and rebels on ladders

It could be so different!

Will our leaders come up with a real plan?
If governments were serious there would be a wartime-style mobilisation of resources.
There are many solutions for a green and fair future for all of us. With secure jobs, warm homes, clean air, healthy food and space for nature & wildlife.

what caN YOU DO?

Click ‘Get Involved‘ and join the email list and find your place within our movement.
Join us and the COP26 Coalition on Sat Nov 6th from 1pm
for a globally co-ordinated day of action.
1pm Meet at the Forest Recreation Ground
2pm walking down Mansfield Road
3pm arriving in the Market Square

‘Ladders’ action

Photos today from our action on Clumber Street on Sat 9th Oct. The sombre messages seem to have an impact on people passing by and really helps provoke thought and allow us to start some conversations about the climate and ecological crisis and talk about COP26.

rebel on step ladder holding sign - vanishing arctic
rebel on step ladder holding sign - rising seas
email sign up table
rebel on step ladder holding sign - floods drought

Telling the truth to the Pension Fund Committee

Last Thursday we interrupted the Nottinghamshire Pension Fund Committee with a 2min speech…

All except 3 committee members walked out and the only member with voting rights on the committee who stayed was Ashfield councillor Lee Waters – who clapped at the end of our speech.

Here is the text of the speech…

We welcome the new committee members Andre Camilleri, Mike Introna, Sam Smith, Lee Waters & Jonathan Wheeler who we hope may bring new impetus to the committee.

We applaud the County Council’s declaration of a Climate Emergency and the commitment to achieve carbon neutrality in all its activities by 2030.

We noted that the leader of the County Council Ben Bradley specifically identified council investments and Pensions as part of the carbon neutrality target.

This new positive direction of the County Council creates an exciting opportunity to boost the local economy and create thousands of sustainable jobs whilst at the same time helping to save future generations from a miserable uncertain future.

We strongly believe that the people of Nottinghamshire and the pension fund members would support a shift from the immoral funding of the very industries that have knowingly caused this crisis to the creation of a strong local economy that will help mitigate against its worst consequences.

We believe this is the stated intent of the new leader of the Council so we are particularly disappointed at the postponement of the report and discussion on “financial investments in relation to climate risk” This demonstrates a lack of urgency once again when asked to face up to the reality of pension investments.
This now appears to be completely at odds with stated County Council policy.

An emergency clearly requires urgent action

It is your duty and responsibility to all pension fund holders and on behalf of the people of Nottinghamshire and future generations to act with integrity and honour the commitments that you have made to Carbon neutrality.

History will bear witness as to whether you make the right choices or continue to find reasons for not acting now with all due urgency.

Thank you for your time.

‘Not the Sun’ newspaper

On Friday 23rd July, we handed out copies of cheeky tabloid style ‘Not the Sun’ at Nottingham and Beeston railway stations.

Except for our very independent and supportive LeftLion Magazine Nottingham, no press in Nottingham and hardly anywhere else in the country reported on this. 

Creating ‘Not The Sun’ offered an unsettling glimpse into the iron grip of fear that Murdoch exerts over an entire industry. Two major printers and their lawyers refused to print our tabloid after seeing our hard-hitting front-page exposé of Murdoch’s environmental crimes

Could it be because…

Three-quarters of British newspapers are held hostage by three billionaires such as Frederick Barclay, who (from his private island) makes sure we only ever read the stories that keep profits growing. 

While people die in floods in Germany, China, and America and the UK bake in a deadly heat wave, the ultra-rich media barons Rupert Murdoch, Viscount Rothermere and Frederick Barclay run headlines such as “green hysteria” – despite being riddled with false claims.Not the Sun is sharing the truth that the media and politicians from all political parties don’t want you to know: that this is the worst crisis that humanity has ever faced, and that our leaders are failing to protect us.

But it’s not all doom and gloom: there’s a jokey Page 3, a problem page, and hope for a better tomorrow if we take action and all together tackle the crisis with Brit grit and spirit.

Read a copy of ‘Not the Sun’ online here…

March for Wildlife

An amazing ending to the tour of the East Midlands over the last few weekends.
Chesterfield, Leicester, Derby, Lincoln and then Nottingham!!
Over hundred rebels and supporters joined a very sunny march through the city centre – to bring a colourful, entertaining and noisy parade…. with a serious message.
We are in the middle of the sixth mass-extinction on this planet – and human activity is the driver of this situation.
🦊 Of all the mammals of the world
4% of wild animals
36% are human
and a massive 60% are farmed animals who exist just to feed us!

⚖️ Why is nature out of balance?

Pollution, overfishing, pesticides, erosion of soil, destruction of wetland/peatlands, factory farming, deforestation and fossil fuel driven climate change.


🦋
 Why do we need nature?

Insects pollinate the food we eat.
Nature is complex, take one species away, it impacts many others.
Nature recycles nutrients, essential for life to flourish.
It is literally our life-support system.

Letter to County Councillors

Open letter sent to all new or re-elected county councillors

Congratulations on being successfully elected to represent your ward on Nottinghamshire County Council.

As you are probably aware Extinction Rebellion Nottingham organised a Climate Camp between Trent Bridge and the County Council offices for 9 days leading up to the elections. While we were there, we spoke to many people walking alongside the Trent travelling to or from work or taking their daily exercise. Many of them were extremely concerned about the climate change emergency and wanted us to send you their picture with the frame caption that captured their feelings at the time. 

 Your tenure, whether you are newly elected or a seasoned councillor, comes at the most crucial time for taking the action that will give the planet the best chance of keeping with in the 1.5oC above pre industrial temperatures – we are currently at over 1.2oC and counting. Scientists are telling everyone that unless we actually reduce (as opposed to only talk about reducing) our CO2 emissions into the atmosphere significantly every year from now on, then the impact for us all including you, your family and your constituents will be catastrophic. 

The County Council with its strategic and wide-ranging responsibilities and influence has a crucial part to play and we urge you to do everything you can, working cooperatively with all councillors from all parties and none, to make a difference. This temperature rise is caused by humans and human activities, including us all in Nottinghamshire, and humans are capable of slowing it down, but only if elected representatives such as yourselves take the necessary emergency action now. 

What you do as an individual in the next election period in terms of the climate emergency will be your lasting legacy. 

Every decision you make from now on will have its own impact on the climate. 

Please consider this prior to all votes and in all discussions that you have on the council starting with the very welcome possibility of the council making the first step of declaring a “Climate Emergency” on Thursday 27th May.

Best Wishes,
Extinction Rebellion Nottingham