A RECENTLY formed Extinction Rebellion group continues to spread its climate emergency message across Saddleworth and Mossley.
Around 20 campaigners, including several youngsters, engaged Saturday shoppers in Top Mossley, handing out flyers, carrying placards and collecting signatures for a petition to hand to Tameside Council.
The group hopes its petition will help persuade Tameside Council to adopt a stance taken by more than 300 local authorities across the country, including Oldham, and declare a climate emergency.
Next, the Extinction Rebellion (XR) Mossley and Saddleworth group is hosting a talk about climate change issues at 7pm on Wednesday, February 5 at Tame Valley Tennis and Squash Club, Greenbridge Lane, Greenfield.
Everyone is invited and entry is free but donations are welcome.
Magda Sachs, local government officer, said: “A lot of people are seeing the news about the effects of climate change already happening – the fires in Australia, the fires locally in 2018.
“They are learning that there is scientific consensus that we are in a climate emergency.
“We want to let people know that they are not alone in being concerned, that others in Mossley and Saddleworth also feel that urgent action is required by governments. We received a lot of support.”
The group added: “We are ordinary people – students, workers, pensioners, parents, neighbours and friends who care about the long-term future of the planet and want to do something positive to help.
“Despite repeated warnings from the world’s climate scientists, governments have failed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the situation is becoming critical.
“Locally, moorland fires and valley flooding have become more frequent and globally we see the consequences of a warming planet every day in the media (fires in Australia, flooding in Indonesia).
“But our leaders continue with business as usual (fracking, coal mining).
“Extinction Rebellion was created to press for positive change using non-violent direct action methods similar to those used successfully in the Suffragette and Civil Rights movements.”
For more information about local group actions and meetings email: xrmossleyandsaddleworth@gmail.com
What is Mossley and Saddleworth’s share of the UK’s annual 1.1% contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions? It is so tiny that XR can’t tell you; so minuscule that its members won’t be able to tell whether they have succeeded or failed to reduce it.
Not that they will care, for their real intention is to organise direct sabotage, causing the collapse of much of current society and a descent into anarchy. They don’t offer solutions based on science – merely extreme disruption in an effort to seize power.
AaronH’s comments are ill informed.
Current society will collapse if action is not take to stop the planet warming (see Sir David Attenborough’s speech at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqbgVCJZVoA).
XR was formed to help to prevent social collapse which is the total opposite of AaronH’s claim. Science already has the solutions to many of the problems. XR does not support any political party and is not trying to ‘seize power’. To find out more see: https://rebellion.earth/
Mossley and Saddleworth XR members are ordinary people (so please, no comments about not having jobs/being hippies/being wealthy enough not to work etc) who are giving up some of their free time to raise awareness of the climate crisis. Time is running out.