Letter to the Editor: I am writing IN SUPPORT of Just Stop Oil’s slow walking protests and send out an appeal to everyone to lend their support to what Just Stop Oil is protesting about – namely to demand that the government cancel the granting of all new fossil fuel extraction licenses e.g. North Sea oil and gas.
Not so long ago, when the British Government hosted COP 26, there was agreed recognition that ‘limiting global warming to 1.5 °C requires rapid, deep and sustained reductions in global greenhouse gas emissions, including reducing global carbon dioxide emissions by 45 per cent by 2030.’
The seriousness of the climate breakdown situation is so obvious now with more and more extreme weather events happening and climate scientists constantly delivering stark warnings about the need for immediate drastic action.
Many scientists in fact accept that there is little chance now of restricting global temperature rise to 1.5 °C. and that we are heading for way above 2 degrees which will have catastrophic consequences.
Just Stop Oil protesters are just people like the rest of us but who are brave enough to highlight the danger that we are already in and also what dangers lie ahead if we don’t ‘act now’.
They are NOT (as they are often portrayed in some sections of the media) dangerous fanatics (‘eco-zealots etc.’) who are wanting to spoil people’s enjoyment of sporting events, stop people carry out their normal day to day tasks or just be generally obstructive for no reason.
I believe everyone must play a part in doing something to counteract the effects of the climate crisis – but most importantly demand the Government do the right thing in everyone’s interests.
It is patently obvious that continuing to allow extensions to fossil fuel exploitation is completely the wrong thing.
What we have seen in various ‘disaster movies’ is now happening in reality and we all – not just people who sprinkle orange powder at sporting venues or slow down traffic in capital cities – must demand that radical action is taken.
Richard Henson, Clearwell