Rhythm players from Lincoln XR Peregrines joined with other activists from the Midlands to send a message to Mark Spencer MP:
For the third year in a row, Mark Spencer, in his governmental role, has authorised a banned neonicotinonoid bee-killing pesticide for use on sugar beet. XR Newark and Sherwood are leading a campaign to highlight this.
Today the campaign landed in Hucknall, where Mark Spencer's office is located. Supported by XR Nottingham and other Midlands rebels, a choir and XR Rhythms.
Local people were angry to hear about their MPs involvement in this scandal, and worried about what a future without insects could hold.
Take action now to demand some democracy in decisions like this : https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/640166
95% of this pesticide ends up in soil and water, which is unacceptable in a climate and nature emergency - we need to make sure the ban is upheld and no exemptions given.
Climate change activists are raising the alarm about the devastating impact of raw sewage on Lincolnshire's waterways.
Members of Extinction Rebellion (XR) Lincolnshire assembled on Lincoln's High Bridge today (Friday), encouraging people to challenge their local water authority over the condition of local rivers.
Lincoln XR Rhythms players supported a fantastic Save the Bees action in Newark to protest the use of banned Neonicotinoids on locally grown sugar beet.
Many of us went to London to take part in The Big One over the whole weekend: we helped with planning and infrastructure behind the scenes, we helped with catering, toilet monitoring and water provision, playing with the Rhythms bands, outreach work, participating in People's Assemblies and holding our designated People's Picket location- outside the Houses of Parliament. The event was a great success, with huge numbers of people from many different organisations, or just there as individuals, to express their outrage at the Government's lack of action on the Climate and Nature crises. An estimated 60 to 100000 people attended the March for Nature on 22nd April.
On 8th April Extinction Rebellion staged a dramatic piece of street theatre in Lincoln to highlight the dangers of oil companies seeking to expand operations in Lincolnshire. Fake oil was poured over an XR supporter, symbolising the harm that the oil industry and its lobbyists are inflicting on the planet.
An application to create a new wellsite at Glentworth by IGas Energy plc will come before Lincolnshire County Council on 17th April.
Nelly, 68 year old grandmother, said: “To extract yet more fuel from beneath the fields of Lincolnshire and add more dangerous emissions to the atmosphere is, in my view, criminal and will lead to an unliveable planet. People are already dying around the globe from the effects of Climate change.”
Atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide (CO2), methane and nitrous oxide – the greenhouse gases emitted by human activity that are the most significant contributors to global heating – continued to increase rapidly during 2022. The oil and gas sector is the largest industrial source of methane, the most potent greenhouse gas.
“World leaders must step up to alter the course of this lethal trajectory of emissions.” Nelly said. “That starts with our local leaders, our Councillors.”
The UK’s Climate Change Committee said last year that “Any increases in UK extraction of oil and gas would have, at most, a marginal effect on the prices faced by UK consumers in future.” And they support “a presumption against exploration” in decisions on new explorations.
Local Extinction Rebellion supporters are urging people to make their feelings known to their County Councillor and hope that the Planning Committee will refuse the application.
UPDATE: Lincolnshire County Council approved the application!!!
Lincoln rebels visited Grimsby, Lincoln and Sleaford Barclays to join hundreds of other XR rebels across the UK in a protest against the bank, which is one of the biggest financers of fossil fuels in the world. Our beautiful cleaners tried to clean up the "dirty bank" and highlighted its tendency to greenwash. A lone rebel peacefully occupied the Lincoln branch in a poignant Rebellion of One, which culminated in her arrest. Lots of interest was generated and positive outreach was done to raise awareness of the climate crisis and the bank's role in exacerbating it! Time to switch banks!
The national XR bus tour came to Lincoln! Lots of outreach, wonderful conversations about how Citizens Assemblies are the way forward, many new people signed up to join our movement!
Supporters of XR Lincoln carried a large globe around the city to demonstrate, in a striking way, how sick our planet is and how we must join together and act now to stop further harm.
This is an ongoing campaign as Barclays are Europe biggest investor in fossil fuels. We will continue to raise awareness about their dirty investments, so...
Yesterday, on Day 3 of the Midlands Uprising brought us to Lincoln, where Lincolnshire and Midlands Rebels gathered to do a climate rally.
Five Lincolnshire Rebels entered the local Barclays branch and locked on.
They held placards sharing facts about Barclays, and personal messages about what the climate emergency means to them.
They remained in the bank until they were arrested, supported by Rebels carrying out outreach, samba, wellbeing, de-escalation.
We had so many positive conversations with the public, including many who are going to change bank - and tell Barclays why!
Overall it was an amazing day, and we are grateful to all the people who made it happen.
Lincolnshire red rebels visited The Earth Installation at The Collection to express grief over the Climate and Nature crises threatening our beautiful planet and to protest Government inaction.
2.05.22 Three Lincolnshire rebels, who had recently returned from the London Spring Rebellion, took part in a Podcast by Ronnie Byrne of The Lincolnite. Listen here.
Around 24 rebels from Lincolnshire joined the Spring Rebellion to take the message loud and clear to our Government that they are simply not doing enough to address the urgency and magnitude of the the Climate and Nature crises before us. More needs to be done by our leaders; civil resistance seems to be the only way left to us to achieve change in policy.
Several rebels from Lincolnshire were arrested. For each person arrested, there are around 10 other rebels performing crucial supporting roles, including: rebels looking after the wellbeing of others who are taking part in actions, like blockades or lock-ons; stewards; people looking after rebels as they are released from the Police Stations, even in the middle of the night and so on...
Here's why we rebel:
UN Secretary General António Guterres has called the recent IPCC Mitigation report, published on 4/04/22 , a “file of shame” in relation to the lack of environmental promises met.
“We are on a fast track to climate disaster. Major cities under water; unprecedented heatwaves; terrifying storms; widespread water shortages; the extinction of a million species of plants and animals.
“This is not fiction or exaggeration. It is what science tells us will result from our current energy policies.”
"The latest report is a litany of broken climate promises. Some government & business leaders are saying one thing, but doing another. They are lying. It is time to stop burning our planet. "
A previous report, on Impacts and Adaptation, was released in February 2022; for a helpful explanation of that report, see below.
It is important to note that the IPCC reports, already dire, are considered by many to be quite diluted since they have to be agreed by a consensus of politicians.
Now we are back home from the rebellion, we will be starting our movement-building work again, so watch out for notices of more "Look Up, Step Up " talks. Details will be posted in Events Section. Also, come to our Welcome zooms on the first Sunday of each month.
Refs
https://www.ipcc.ch/working-group/wg3/
https://www.ipcc.ch/report/sixth-assessment-report-working-group-ii/
THE FESTIVAL OF RESISTANCE DUE TO START 10TH SEPTEMBER AT HYDE PARK, LONDON HAS BEEN POSTPONED
Extinction Rebellion’s Red Rebels made their County debut in Lincoln City Centre on Black Friday in November 2021. The troupe, strikingly robed in flowing blood-red garments, their faces painted white, processed around the city centre. Their slow, silent movement amongst the crowds drew the attention and curiosity of many shoppers, spellbound by their powerful, eye-catching presence. The seven performers created tableaux on High Bridge, The Stonebow and Speakers Corner, expressing through mime: their sorrow at the way consumerism dominates our lives; joy of the natural world; and strength through unity.
Other local climate activists handed out fliers to passers-by. Rosemary Robinson explained “Today is Black Friday when everyone is being encouraged to buy yet more stuff. And yet consumerism is literally killing the planet. More products mean more pollution, more carbon emissions and more destruction of the natural environment. Our fliers “Fast Fashion Costs the Earth” gives information about the devastating impacts of the fashion industry, and what individuals can do to help protect the planet”
The iconic Red Rebels have appeared in towns and cities throughout the world. They are draped in red material with their faces painted white in order to portray “living statues”. The group often mime in slow motion or create a series of tableaux during XR protests.
The Red Rebels were devised as an international performance “artivist” troupe, dedicated to illuminating the global environmental crisis and supporting groups and organisations fighting to save humanity and all species from mass extinction.
“The Red Rebels symbolise the common blood we share with all species, that unifies us and makes us one. As such, we move as one, act as one, and more importantly, feel as one. We are unity and we empathise with our surroundings, we are forgiving. We are sympathetic and humble, compassionate and understanding. We divert, distract, delight, and inspire the people who watch us. We illuminate the magic realm beneath the surface of all things and we invite people to enter in, we make a bubble and calm the storm, we are peace in the midst of war. We are who the people have forgotten to be!”
Let us know if you would like to be a Red Rebel, or you’d like the Red Rebels to make an appearance in your town..Email xrlincolnshire@gmail.com
At the Lincolnshire Showground on October 13, 2021, Lincolnshire County Council held its Lincolnshire Climate Summit during the run up to the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow.
To quote the council’s blurb ‘The summit had a fantastic line up of inspirational speakers and exhibition stands to shine a light on some of the solutions that will help us reach net zero and accelerate action towards a greener future.’
Those exhibition stands were mostly involved in promoting business ideas, some giving out shiny plastic promotional gifts which bore no connection to saving the planet. The few others that could be commended involved forestry, waste recycling and educational projects for the family.
The morning was taken up by speakers in various fields of expertise presenting 20 minutes each on global climate change; challenges to farming in the county, and more.
Central to what I wanted to hear was Councillor Colin Davie’s speech on all that the county council was doing. He gave a glowing account of how the council had reduced emissions setting a target of 68% reduction by 2025. We later realised he was not talking about the county as a whole but of just the council premises.
Conspicuously absent was the council leader Martyn Hill, whom I wanted to tackle. Despite Cllr. Davie’s assurances on how forward-thinking the council is, in the Q&A session that followed, I felt compelled to highlight that Martyn Hill is frequently on air supporting oil exploration in the county whilst at the same time criticising those who campaign against fossil fuels and mocking climate change and other environmental groups. ‘What message does his absence send our delegates today?’ I asked. Cllr. Davie told the room that Martyn Hill was a busy man. I was not impressed.
After a vegetarian and vegan lunch, provided for free, we returned for the afternoon session. This was of local business people who saw the climate change issue as either a threat to their businesses or as an opportunity to expand their businesses. Bored, we left them to their ramblings.
The organisers later sent an email wanting feedback. My criticism was that the caterers provided their good food on plastic plates with plastic cutlery and served drinks in plastic beakers. I saw the whole lot going into bin bags as they cleared.
In May 2021 A new Samba-fusion band was formed, based in Lincoln but available to attend other group's actions.
Here they are at Cleethorpes in August, helping to make a spectacle and attracting attention for lots of outreach work.
New members are very welcome! No prior musical know-how required. Email lincoln@extinctionrebellion.uk and ask to be put in touch with the band if you would like to have a go!
Environmental charities Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, and Earth Day; health groups NHS Workers Say No and Greener Practice; justice groups Global Justice Now, Black Lives Matter local groups and Don’t Pay UK; global peace movement Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND); and trade union PCS Union; are just a few of the organisations in a groundbreaking alliance committed to supporting The Big One from 21st April at the Houses of Parliament.
It’s time to do the work. Ordinary people across the UK are uniting. Will you be one of them?
Pledge that you will go to Parliament on 21st April here
Contact us for details of our coach travelling from Lincoln to London, return, on 21st April lincoln@extinctionrebellion.uk
Lincoln rebels visited Grimsby, Lincoln and Sleaford Barclays to join hundreds of other XR rebels across the UK in a protest against the bank, which is one of the biggest financers of fossil fuels in the world. Our beautiful cleaners tried to clean up the "dirty bank" and highlighted its tendency to greenwash. A lone rebel peacefully occupied the Lincoln branch in a poignant Rebellion of One, which culminated in her arrest. Lots of interest was generated and positive outreach was done to raise awareness of the climate crisis and the bank's role in exacerbating it! Time to switch banks!