Climate activism 101: Where to get involved.
These are exciting times for climate activism, with powerful new movements like the Youth Strikers and Extinction Rebellion rapidly growing. It’s inspiring and encouraging that the climate movement is growing so quickly, and more and more people are getting involved. But if you’re new to taking action on climate change, how do you know which campaign is the right one for you?
So here’s a quick guide to some of the groups currently taking climate action, to help you decide where’s the best fit for what you’d like to achieve.
The most important thing is that you’re comfortable with the group’s aims and tactics, and that the group you choose is supportive and welcoming. Specific skills can be learned by doing them, whether that’s how to glue yourself to a bridge or how to talk about fiduciary duty. You don’t need to already have these skills before you start taking climate action!
Extinction Rebellion
Also known as XR, this group’s theory of change focuses on large-scale disruption and mass arrests to push governments for change, along with uncompromising messaging about the scale and severity of the climate crisis.
It has organised a series of local, national and international “rebellions” against climate change, species loss and ecological devastation. It has a large number of sub-groups which welcome new members, including local and regional groups and groups of people with different interests or affiliations, such as Scientists for XR.
While XR has undeniably mobilised huge numbers of people, its focus on arrest as a catalyst for change has also been criticised as exclusionary towards people for whom arrest is unsafe, such as people of colour or refugees. News coverage of XR emphasises its actions and arrests, but it also needs people in other roles including providing support for activists. Moreover, XR is developing a range of tactics as new people join, so you could play a role in helping to diversify their work.,.
https://rebellion.earth/act-now/join-us/
Fossil Free/ divestment campaigning
Groups around the UK (and beyond) are campaigning for their local council or university to move its pension fund out of fossil fuels, and stop providing financial support and a license to operate to this destructive industry.
Campaigning on pension investment decisions might sound dry, but it can involve a wide range of activities, including lobbying, protests and direct actions. Divestment campaigning on fossil fuels in the UK kicked off in 2013 with a focus on fossil fuel investments by universities. Since then 76 UK universities have committed to divest from fossil fuels, along with organisations including the National Trust and the Royal College of GPs.
But there’s a long way to go before our councils and pensions stop funding the climate crisis, with local government still investing billions in fossil fuels, including fracking.
School strikes
From a start just over a year ago of one Swedish schoolgirl going on strike from school to protest against the lack of government action on climate change, the climate strikes have grown into an international movement mobilising millions around the world.
The UK Student Climate Network is coordinating the Friday school strikes, held by students to protest against the lack of government action on climate change. They’re calling for the government to declare a climate emergency and put in place a Green New Deal, as well as for better education on climate change in schools.
https://ukscn.org/take-action/
Anti-fracking campaigning
Companies attempting to carry out “hydraulic fracturing” to expand onshore oil and gas drilling, better known as fracking, have met with resistance wherever this has been tried in the UK. Groups including Frack Free, Frack Off and Reclaim the Power have taken action to protest against the impacts of this extreme form of extraction, which include earthquakes. The fracking industry’s failure to take off in the UK has been attributed to public opposition, showing how powerful climate activism can be.
Transition towns
The Transition movement aims to tackle the huge problems of climate change and inequality on a local level, helping people to feel empowered to create the changes we all want to see in our communities. The aim is to create a positive movement towards a sustainable future. https://transitionnetwork.org/transition-near-me/
Local groups of Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth and People and Planet
National NGOs working on climate change have local groups around the UK which you can join to take part in street campaigning, divestment lobbying or campaigning on issues related to climate change, such as air pollution. These groups can also be a great way to meet others in your area who are interested in working on local climate and clean energy issues.
https://www.greenpeace.org.uk/volunteering/join-a-local-volunteer-group/
https://friendsoftheearth.uk/local-groups/our-local-groups
https://peopleandplanet.org/network
Art Not Oil
The Art Not Oil coalition brings together groups protesting about sponsorship of cultural institutions, such as museums and theatres, by fossil fuels companies.
The campaign to get oil companies out of the arts has had a number of high profile wins, including the success of the Liberate Tate group in 2016 in pressuring the Tate gallery to drop its BP sponsorship, and most recently the National Theatre’s decision to end its relationship with Shell and the RSC’s ending of its relationship with BP.
…or start your own group!
If there’s a climate or clean energy issue which you think is important, or you can see a space or a tactic for engagement but other groups don’t seem to be working on this, start your own! Reach out to other people and local groups who might be interested, and get your own campaign, group or action going.
And if you’re part of a brilliant climate action group you think we should know about, get in touch. Just drop us a line at hello@wearepossible.org, or post in our Facebook climate actions group.
"Climate change march"by matthukirby is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
