What do you do when there’s so much wrong in the world and those with the power to make everything better just aren’t listening?
You’ve tried peaceful protest, social media campaigns, writing to politicians, speaking to the papers and highlighting where governments, businesses and more are getting it wrong in the courts - hoping the legal system will put things right.
A lot of times they don’t and companies and authorities are given the green light for climate wrecking projects like new gas and fossil fuel infrastructure, licences to dig up the land to see what’s underneath and the A-OK to burn toxic waste like tyres despite the toxins it will pump into the air, polluting the lungs of our children.
Business as usual is not working and neither is politics - for the good of humanity at the very least.
Our lands, animals and everything in between are being pushed to the brink - and it still feels like this isn’t the most vital and urgent fight of our lives.
So, when faced with that reality, unable to face the day because of the creeping climate depression their inaction had cemented deep in your heart, what do you do?
Any doctor would tell you people who take action to try and solve their problems, feel better about it. It’s called taking ownership of the situation and it’s far better for your well being than succumbing to your sorrows.
But the only thing that seems to be getting the message out there is disruption.
The French know that and it has always delivered results for them so why would groups like Just Stop Oil, Animal Rising and Extinction Rebellion not use all the tools available to them to get people to consider how we are failing the world and everything in it?
It’s not ideal when roads are being blocked, horse races delayed, someone has to clean soup off a priceless masterpiece or hoover orange dye off a snooker table.
But these things are not the end of the world - the climate crisis and biodiversity crisis are if the world doesn’t get its act together.
XR, Just Stop Oil, Animals Rebellion, Greenpeace and their like are not doing this for themselves.
They are doing it because they care about the world and everything in it unlike the slew of selfish and unrepentant money men throwing their millions at keeping the world they created - the very same version of the world that has left us in the mess we are in. So maybe cut the activists some slack.
Today, which is Earth Day, they will be taking to the streets in their thousands to call on governments the world over to do the right thing for the climate and biodiversity and put policies in place that will protect our planet for future generations.
Over 30,000 have signed up to take to the streets of London for THE BIG ONE.
The event, led by Extinction Rebellion, is taking place from April 21-24 in Parliament Square.
It is supported by a long list of groups from across society including NHS Workers Say No, Global Justice Now, Rewilding Britain, Animal Rising, War on Want, CAFOD, Black Lives Matter, Freedom for Animals, Stop Ecoside, Fashion Declares, Compass, The Fossil Fuel Non Proliferation Treaty, Debt Justice, Quakers in Britain, Baby Milk Action, Mothers Rise Up, Fuel Poverty Action and Patagonia.
In Dublin, Extinction Rebellion are holding a slow cycle through the streets in conjunction with the campaign.
And in NI campaigners will hold a protest outside the Department for Infrastructure offices to show their disgust at the thousands of trees and hedgerows they have removed for roads, projects and flood schemes.
No Gas Caverns are also inviting people from across Northern Ireland to join them for a social solidarity sea dip at Browns Bay, Islandmagee in support of their legal action against the Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs.
Former DUP minister Edwin Poots gave Islandmagee Energy a marine licence to carve out seven gas caverns under Larne Lough and pump a salty brine solution into the sea near a nature reserve, sparking major concerns for the area’s biodiversity.
XR says: “The climate, nature and humanity face disaster. We know it’s time to act. Do you trust politicians to do the right thing for us? For the planet?”
I can’t blame them for asking that question when I see, week in and week out, how political decisions put the future of this planet at risk.
It might be one decision at a time, but what’s playing out before our very eyes is the unwanted death of this planet by a thousand cuts.
We just need politicians and authorities to open their peepers, join the dots and enact policies to stop the wanton destruction of the very fabric of life.
Shove your rockets
I wish the rich idiots of the world would get over their space obsession.
Elon Musk’s big rocket exploded on its test flight earlier this week and the fumes pouring out of that bad boy didn’t look like zero emissions to me.
It would be a far more noble thing if Musk and his ilk concentrated their efforts on trying to fix this planet, rather than looking for the next one to pillage all its natural resources.
Imagine the world it would be if we all put our heads together to find a safe and healthy future for us all here - rather than looking to a red, dead zone many moons away.
Earth is way nicer than Mars if we can save it from ourselves - and there’s a reason we don’t live there.
Just stop it.
Counsel our perspective councillors
Council elections are looming and politicians need to know people care about the environment.
Ask every one that pops round what their manifesto says about the environment, climate and biodiversity and tell them what you think if it doesn’t even feature.
READ NEXT:
Diesel cars still not tested for toxic emissions by DVA in NI
NI environment bosses failing own targets at 40% of 'protected' sites
Majority of Belfast people want more segregated cycle lanes on roads
New air pollution site reveals the toxins outside your front door
Watch: Fears new lighting drove away Belfast's famous starling murmuration
For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.
