Rebels with a green cause

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Rebels with a green cause

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• Stop public activity: "Extinction Rebellion" (XR) blocked the path of fossil-fuel powered economy in 2018, with the belief that even small stoppages will change politics. The manipulative status-quoist system will be shocked, and finally public attention will focus on climate change.
• Inspiration for this: The founders have earlier been a part of the Occupy movement post the 2008 financial crisis. They are motivated by Gandhian civil disobedience and US civil rights struggle. The citizens loved it.
• The Declaration: Their declaration on 31-Oct 2018 said that "XR refuses to bequeath a dying planet to future generations by failing to act now. We act in peace, on behalf of life". Their high-visibility protests involve dramatic scenes to show climate ruin. 
• Three demands: XR demands all governments to

1. tell the truth about climate crisis and mass extinction of species
2. commit to a net zero carbon emission goal by 2025
3. create citizens assemblies to advise them on a just transition

• People, not the powerful: XR wants people to contribute directly to resolve the world's problems, and not just the powerful and rich ones. XR wants to prevent ecocide legally, and ensure decent healthcare and education for all.
• Open source: XR started in the UK, and gave a basic kernel, that was copied worldwide in 75 countries. The document "Power Together" is used everywhere, though governments have different tolerance levels. Despite harsh crackdowns, citizens persist. XR India chapter has 14 local groups, but Covid-19 hobbled everyone.
• Going mainstream: XR was rejected initially as a fringe outcorp of environmental movements, but the moment it linked with Greta Thunberg and the 'Fridays for Future' campaign, it went mainstream. In UK, its campaigns against carbon-intensive projects have been a hit. It was an intense campaign, with mass "die-ins" in public to shock people into accepting climate change.
• Criticism: Many criticised XR saying that minorities participating in it were at a greater risk of police action. Many youngsters broke away with a "XR Youth" group. The founders had focused on "mass arrests" as a tactic that would overwhelm governments. They realised it wasn't the one with best outcomes (racially).
• New crisis: With new crisis coming up regularly - wildfires, droughts, floods, heatwaves, coldwaves - the constant push by XR will force firms and govts to actually relook their fossil fuel policies. 
• Arrested: Disha Ravi organised the Fridays for Future events in India. She was arrested, once she spoke on the farmers issues, on charges of a tooklit inciting violence. Governments are actually worried about environment actions merging with other serious concerns.

Read more on - Polity | Economy | Schemes | S&T | Environment

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