Clearly, we have a different take on Extinction Rebellion, I do not believe their predictions for the future of mankind. I’ve mentioned before that they, in my view, are politically driven organisation to destroy capitalism and I still firmly hold that view. There philosophy is no better, in my opinion, in what they are trying to achieve than that of Pol Pot and his evil Khmer Rouge regime and what they inflicted on the people of Cambodia
We can also thank XR for the increase in the spread of the medically accepted diagnosed condition of “eco-anxiety”, we’ve seen on our TV screens children effected by it. I know someone, an adult, close to my family, that can’t even be involved in conversations about climate change without it adversely effecting him as he goes into a state of depression worrying about his two young children’s future. To me people who knowingly and willingly inflicting that on others is a form of mental abuse and it cannot be right. I have four children and seven grandchildren and I have concerns about their futures and don’t take these matters lightly.
I don’t agree with their extreme predictions and mantras of catastrophe, annihilation and disaster. That is my personal held view and opinion. Only a fool would deny climate change isn’t happening, we have all had experience of it. But I remain optimistic, but am not complacent.
Whilst there are people with vested interest in fossil fuels there are also those with a vested interest in the alternatives to them that drive the debate.
I spend a lot of time in Spain and where I am based there is little or no awareness of global warming in the local population. There is without question enormous potential for solar panels, but there are very few to be seen on the roofs of houses. I did have a conversation with a Spanish engineer the other day who said that as yet, there is no motivation for change in the local population. He gave me an analogy “smokers know that they run a high risk of dying from cancer, but they still continue to smoke”.
Footnote to XR
These are the countries that you should be concentrating on and set about educating them in global warming and climate change not disrupting honest everyday people fully aware of the issues, but who still have to make a living and make their way in life.
The challenge for Alternatives
Fossil Fuel and Bioenergy Production Q1 2019
Oil (production Millions of tonnes)
Q1 2019 - 14.9. Up by 9.2% on the same period last year, 51.73% of production
Natural gas (production Millions of tonnes)
Q1 2019 - 9.7 Down by 5.7% on the same period last year, 33.68% of production
Coal (production Millions of tonnes)
Q1 2019 - 0.4 Down by 8.5 on the same period last year, 1.38% of production
Bioenergy & waste (production Millions of tonnes)
Q1 2019 - 3.8 Down by 3.9 on the same period last year, 13.19% of production
Total Production Millions of Tonnes 28.8