The Scottish Government is clearly not taking the climate crisis seriously.
Their Climate Change Bill is weak and completely insufficient - with no new action being taken before 2030. They voted down the Green’s Climate Emergency Motion last week.
Fossil fuel companies are allowed to flout the lobbying rules and advertise in the Scottish Parliament entrance as MSPs enter the chamber to debate the climate change bill.
It is not about what is politically possible or what is feasible, it is about what is necessary.
Time has almost entirely run out to address the ecological crisis which is upon us, including the 6th mass species extinction and abrupt, runaway climate change.
Societal collapse and mass death are seen as inevitable by scientists and other credible voices, with human extinction also a possibility, if rapid action isn’t taken.
Clearly on a day like today, we must make our voices heard. And we did.
Climate action groups gathered outside the parliament as MSPs entered the building to remind them that they serve us, the people, not corporate interests. And Extinction Rebellion & friends continued to make plenty of noise outside, throughout the debate.
However, protests are not enough.
People have been protesting for years, yet the fossil fuel industry retains an ever tighter grip on policy makers, emissions continue to go up and the Scottish Government refuse to believe that this is an emergency, despite the IPCC report making it clear that we only have 11 years to limit warming to 1.5 degrees.
What we need now is non-violent direct action. Real system change is necessary.
We need the people to rise up en masse and join together in mass civil disobedience. We have no other option.
Join the rebellion.
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