This past week climate activists threw soup on a famous painting and glued themselves to the walls of the gallery. The focus of the media and most commenting on it has been the damage they didn’t do to the painting. Nobody was concerned about the damage they had done to themselves with glue. Or the reason they were there.
The Rubberbandits with some sense:
Official reaction to their action:
In other news this week:
“The Living Planet Report 2022 is WWF’s most comprehensive study to date of trends in global biodiversity and the health of our planet. The latest flagship publication reveals global wildlife populations have plummeted by 69% on average since 1970. The staggering rate of decline is a severe warning that the rich biodiversity that sustains all life on our planet is in crisis, putting every species at risk – including us.”
Why doesn’t society act? Oblivious? Defiant? Busy? Lazy? Easier to scapegoat those sounding the alarm. Do you think the two activists wanted to throw paint at a picture? Do you think their ambition in life has been to glue themselves to a gallery? That they had nothing better to do? I would love to be able to stop being a climate activist. They have been criminalised for sounding the alarm.
For over 15 years I am one of many people who have been raising awareness, running events, writing press releases, speaking to politicians, decision makers and public audiences only to be ignored. We may make a dent here and there but the response has not fit the gravity of the situation. I was at the receiving end of the hate for direct action at the golf open. I took this pic on the 18th green at the Irish open golf tournament in 2019 for Extinction Rebellion Clare:
I never ever wanted to get involved with direct action. I always believed that government worked in our best interests. For the greater good. I am pretty sure that most environmental activist don’t want to be doing what they are doing. The trouble is that once you understand how bad the situation is you can’t ignore it.
When I became aware of climate breakdown I set about personal change. I reckoned I would do my bit. Then I read that community change was more effective so I got involved locally. Then I found out that policy prevented change so I got involved with policy. Now 15yrs later I realise that it’s policy that completely nullifies the changes I have made so far. The fossil fuel industry is subsidised. The energy guzzling data centres as well. Major polluters have the government running around after them spending whatever tax they get from them on cleaning up after them.
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/data-centres-could-get-10-000-fuel-bailouts-nbdxdgzt2?t=ie 
ˇ https://www.businesspost.ie/news/aughinish-plant-gets-e2m-ida-grant-to-treat-red-mud-dump/?utm_campaign=article&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=web 
https://www.oecd.org/newsroom/support-for-fossil-fuels-almost-doubled-in-2021-slowing-progress-toward-international-climate-goals-according-to-new-analysis-from-oecd-and-iea.htm
Meanwhile we try to get people to hold decision makers accountable and raise awareness. Here’s some of what we do in Clare:
There is no justice when polluters are rewarded, get tax breaks or subsidies and those sounding the alarm are treated as the criminals.
Find activists in your area to get involved http://www.climatecare.ie
Theresa O’Donohoe
October 14th 2022
TheresaOD.com 