From Rebellion To Locally Coping With Climate Change?

 

Rupert Read was a founder member of Extinction Rebellion. He has subsequently helped set up the Climate Majority Project, with its 'Strategic Adaptation For Emergency Resilience' (SAFER) project. This seems a move away from direct action to prevent climate change, to encouraging local actions to mitigate its effects (https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/jan/01/extinction-rebellion-uk-net-zero-2025-climate). Read now opines that UK folk will have to recognise that decarbonisation will no longer (never could?) save them from the consequences of climate change. He still thinks decarbonisation efforts must continue, but wants people to concentrate on coping, adapting and preparing for inevitable climate change. SAFER advocates bringing neighbours together to do things like retrofitting buildings, making them more resilient to weather extremes. Read favours planting gardens, rather than paving them over (for parking) to reduce the likelihood of flooding. He suggests, if an area must be paved over. using absorbent material.  Encouraging installing water butts to collect rainwater in every garden, could also be helpful in dealing with water shortages. These are all sensible small mitigation suggestions. Read's change of focus may, however, be a response to the draconian legal penalties imposed on participants in direct action. Getting locals involved in dealing with the direct consequences of climate change, could be a good recruitment strategy. It's certainly likely to boost the numbers of environmentalists!