Dead as a dinosaur: 'Die-in' at Glasgow museum for climate change

“Are we next?”, read handwritten signs on participants chests. Some children are wearing animal masks – a panda, a crown of peacock feathers, to highlight the fact that 20 species a day are dying. But this quiet, peaceful – but disruptive – protest is also about highlighting the risk of human extinction. One girl twirls slowly holding a large banner that reads: “We are in the now in the midst of the sixth mass extinction”.

READ MORE: Extinction Rebellion leave camp to march on Parliament Square

Last year the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) claimed in a report that we have just 12-year window to take radical action that cuts carbon emissions in order to keep global warming below a 1.5C rise, and avoid ecological melt down. Even that may not be enough, with the impacts of climate change – from floods and freak storms to forest fire – sweeping countries around the world. Rise any higher and the scientific predictions are grim. In Glasgow, serious flooding could be the first major impact.

This flash mob event comes after a week of protest, mainly in London, including a similar event at the Natural History Museum last weekend by Extinction Rebellion protestors. In Scotland, North Bridge was blocked.

The reactions of visitors observing are mixed. “I’m fine about it happening,” said Carol Simpkins, who is here with a friend and her family. “Obviously climate change is on my radar just now and this is focussing people’s attention.”

Maddie, 25 who works in biology, and Giselle, 19, who is studying Geography, agree that the issue is increasingly high on the agenda, especially for their generation – along with their friends they actively look for ways to make lifestyle changes to cut their carbon contributions.

READ MORE: Joining the dots between the Clearances, colonialism, land reform and climate change

They support the idea of protesting about climate change, but are unsure if this is the right target and worry this type of event could alienate rather than inform. “Some of the places where these protests are taking place affect people who care about the natural world already,” said Maddie.

Sitting with her husband and four-year-old son Lorraine McDonald is visibly upset that it’s happening. “I’m not someone who likes public displays like this,” she said. “I think there are better ways of campaigning, like speaking to those in the know. I think we talk about it enough. And I don’t want my four-year-old seeing it. It’s upsetting.”

But across the room the thing that upsets Amy Quinn, lying on the floor with her four-year-old daughter Lex and her father John Quinn, is the thought that her children will have to deal with the fallout of global warming. “We are in the middle of a man-made mass extinction,” she said. “My children are seven and four and I want them to live in a healthy planet, so we have to do something. This is a perfect place to make that point – right under this model dinosaur.”

Margaret and Ralph Green – whose sign reads: “Our grandchildren next” – are both 75 and are also taking part to highlight the plight of younger generations. “It’s tragic that our children and grandchildren are going to have to deal with this,” said Margaret, who worries about how eventually there might be issues accessing basics like food and unpolluted air. “It’s very clear from the context that we are in deep trouble,” adds her husband. But he believes that there is hope though, though growing protest movements such as this. “The politicians are in part led by the people so the people,” he added.

READ MORE: How mud from the bottom of the ocean can reveal the effect of climate change

This protest is directed at all of those with the power to lower carbon emissions – Extinction Rebellion’s is calling for action to cut them to zero by 2025 – locally, nationally and globally. But other actions by the group are focussed more firmly on Glasgow City Council, which as Scotland’s largest local authority, campaigners believe must declare a climate emergency and start taking seriously action to tackle the crisis. Edinburgh City Council declared a climate emergency in February.

Protests outside the City Chambers have been ongoing for months and though a climate emergency working group, chaired by Scottish Green councillor Martha Wardrop, has been set up, it is claimed that its monthly meetings go nowhere near far enough to addressing the urgency of the issue.

Myke Hall, of Extinction Rebellion Glasgow, said: “We have set up a system where we have people outside the City Chambers most lunchtimes to keep a presence and press for our demands to be heard. They include that the council tells the truth. That should come in terms of declaring a climate emergency.

“We want the city to be carbon zero by 2025 and at the moment the council don’t seem to be taking that seriously. The die-in is to raise awareness of the risk of extinction humanity is facing. A lot of people have difficulty believing that. It can be disturbing and frightening to think about, but we have to face the truth so that we can take action.”

Previous actions have included the Blue Wave protest in March to warn that a key impact of climate change in Glasgow would be flooding. “People are not aware enough about the impacts,” he said. “So yes, we are trying to grab the council’s attention but we are also trying to raise public awareness. For that reason we are intentionally disruptive.” People power, he says, is already working.

Richard Dixon, director of Friends of the Earth Scotland, said: “It is really important for Scotland’s largest city to be helping lead the way on action on climate change. Glasgow played a huge part in driving the Industrial Revolution from ship building to exporting steam engines, so it is only right the city should aspire to be at the front of action to reduce the climate problem it helped unleash.

“In Glasgow a huge contribution would be improving public transport and walking and cycling provision so less people would resort to using a car. There has been talk for years of creating a pipe network to share heat around the city centre... [that] would make our use of heat much more efficient and so reduce climate emissions. “Glasgow Councillors oversee the Strathclyde Pension Fund which the most recent data says have over £800 million invested in the fossil fuel companies that are driving climate change. This money could be reinvested in productive, sustainable activities like zero carbon social housing or renewable energy generation.”

Ellie Harrison, of the Get Glasgow Moving campaign for Better Buses added: “Transport is the single biggest contributor to carbon emissions. It’s the thing that is being completely over-looked. We need to stop fiddling round the edges and take radical reform, which we believe should be to make public transport free.” The group is campaigning for amendments to the transport bill to allow Glasgow and other councils to run their own bus services to replace private companies. A spokeswoman for Fossil Free Glasgow claimed addressing Strathclyde Pension Fund investment in fossil fuels was also a critical issue for the city. “As a public institution, GCC should make decisions that do not endanger the future of this planet,” she said. “Currently no council pension funds have divested in Scotland, but campaigners are pushing for it. It is possible if there is political will.”

Councillor Anna Richardson agreed that cities “have a responsibility to lead on climate change, particularly following the IPCC report” and said it was “likely” that the climate emergency working group “will recommend a climate emergency declaration, but more importantly if we do so it will be with a clear set of actions to take forward”.

Action is being taken, according to Richardson. “Transport is a significant contributor to our emissions, so we are investing both in electric infrastructure, by rolling out EV charging points.” Low emission zones and more city centre pedestrian and cyclist streets are also being rolled out, she added, as well as district heating and renewable energy programmes.

“We met our 2020 emissions target two years early, and we will set ambitious new emissions targets. We have already committed to becoming a carbon neutral city by 2037, but we are actively investigating whether it is now feasible to bring that date forward,” she added.

Back at Kelvingrove museum a bell chimes, and a round of applause breaks out before people disperse. The protest is over. But the threat is certainly not.

WHAT CAN LOCAL AUTHORITIES DO?

There is lots of action local authorities across Scotland can take to address climate change, according to Friends of the Earth. Here are some of its suggestions:

• Identify a councillor as a Climate Champion who makes publicly available annual reports on progress.
• Take immediate action to reduce emissions, don’t use strategy development as an excuse for delay.
• Stop building new road capacity. There is lots of evidence that new road capacity just encourages more traffic and drives up greenhouse gases.
• Introduce workplace parking charges and/or ultra-low emission zones and/or a congestion charging. 
• Charge high-carbon emission vehicles more for parking permits.
• Support car-sharing through extensive parking for car clubs.
• Invest in active travel infrastructure and quality public transport – set ambitious targets to increase journeys by foot, bike and public transport. 
• Aim for zero waste to landfill or incineration – in waste disposal contracts ensure biodegradable waste, such as food waste and paper/cardboard, is recycled and composted.
• Require renewable energy such as solar thermal, PV or heat pumps in local authority and private sector developments.
• Switch street lighting to well-designed and well directed LED lights – Dumfries and Galloway is currently leading the way in Scotland. 
• Divest from fossil fuels and invest in renewable energy projects. Scottish councils have still to act. 
• Buy green energy – local authorities are major energy purchases so councils should commit to only buying green electricity. Those already doing it claim it does not cost much more than its existing source.
• Require deliveries to be by electric vehicles – use procurement powers to require council deliveries to use EVs, including where appropriate electric cargo bikes. 
•  Plant trees on council land to offset carbon.