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Appendix A1 - XR and "Heading for Extinction"
"Heading for Extinction (and what to do about it)" is a presentation on behalf of ExtinctionRebellion/RisingUP/CompassionateRevolutionLtd organisation by medical doctors Emily Spry (sub-section 3.1.42) and Kate Jeffery.(3.1.43).
This presentation of the organisations propaganda about the CACC hypothesis and anthropogenic ecological damage has been made to numerous audiences around the UK,
e.g. on the:
- 11th June 2019 the Chiltern Chamber of Commerce hosted it in the Chesham Town Hall,
- 7th September an audience of about 18 individuals in the St Albans Quaker meeting house heard Dr. Jeffery's rendering for XR's St Albans, Herts. branch (XRStAlbans or SAXR),
- 9th September it was the turn of some of our MPs to be indoctrinated (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=KYR_yBvF8UY#fauxfullscreen)..
e.g. on the:
- 11th June 2019 the Chiltern Chamber of Commerce hosted it in the Chesham Town Hall,
- 7th September an audience of about 18 individuals in the St Albans Quaker meeting house heard Dr. Jeffery's rendering for XR's St Albans, Herts. branch (XRStAlbans or SAXR),
- 9th September it was the turn of some of our MPs to be indoctrinated (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=KYR_yBvF8UY#fauxfullscreen)..
The video is rather poor quality so here's what happened at the XR St Albans presentation.
After introductions by SAXR coordinator Vinnie ????, Dr. Jeffery opened the XR propaganda presentation with a warning to the audience that they might find its content very upsetting and advised anyone needing it to seek counselling (scary stuff, eh;- just what Schneider ordered - see Appendix A6.1).
She advised that her role was to keep up with the science (see Footnote 1 of this sub-section) and develop this presentation of the TRUTH about and proposed ACTION against environmental changes that we are causing. She correctly acknowledged that despite being a scientist, she was not a climate scientist, but that her understanding from the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reports was that things were becoming worse and worse. This was in two areas, deteriorating global climatic and ecologic conditions, with the world heading for " .. the sixth mass extinction .. " as a result of our use of fossil fuels and damage to the natural environment.
The XR propaganda presentation's opening "slide" was simply "OUR HOME IS DYING", followed by a couple of "Greenhouse Gases are Sky-rocketing" graphs claiming to depict the atmospheric CO2 content during the past 2000 years and the causes, with an emphasis on fossil fuels, land use and those damned cows pumping out methane. Dr. Jeffery said that it was these graphs which had made her realise how drastic the climate situation is. That's understandable - she's NOT a climate scientist.
She went on to claim that the global climate has been stable for 4000 years!! - that may well be the case in XR's version of the TRUTH but honest scientists acknowledge the FACT that there were warmer periods 2000 and 1000 years ago (Roman and Medieval) and a cooler period than now 300 years ago which came to an end aboutv 150 years ago (the Little Ice Age).
She claimed that humans discovered fossil fuels about 150 years ago and implied that that was the cause of the warming since then, due to the carbon that we push into the atmosphere. The FACT is that any carbon (and other particulates) that we emit into the atmosphere have the opposite "dimming" effect, cooling the planet. This is what made ecologists like Stephen Schneider and other scientist believe was causing the natural cooling that occurred from 1940 to the late 1970s, raising the scare that we were heading into another ice age. The FACT is that developed country use of fossil fuels mainly pushes those essential, life-supporting substances CARBON DIOXIDE and WATER VAPOR into the atmosphere, not carbon (or fossil fuels, as Roger Hallam is prone to claim when he presents XR TRUTH).
Dr Jeffery also talked a bit about global environments are being destroyed by our "throw-away" societies' unsustainable use of natural resources - at last some real TRUTH!.
After introductions by SAXR coordinator Vinnie ????, Dr. Jeffery opened the XR propaganda presentation with a warning to the audience that they might find its content very upsetting and advised anyone needing it to seek counselling (scary stuff, eh;- just what Schneider ordered - see Appendix A6.1).
She advised that her role was to keep up with the science (see Footnote 1 of this sub-section) and develop this presentation of the TRUTH about and proposed ACTION against environmental changes that we are causing. She correctly acknowledged that despite being a scientist, she was not a climate scientist, but that her understanding from the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reports was that things were becoming worse and worse. This was in two areas, deteriorating global climatic and ecologic conditions, with the world heading for " .. the sixth mass extinction .. " as a result of our use of fossil fuels and damage to the natural environment.
The XR propaganda presentation's opening "slide" was simply "OUR HOME IS DYING", followed by a couple of "Greenhouse Gases are Sky-rocketing" graphs claiming to depict the atmospheric CO2 content during the past 2000 years and the causes, with an emphasis on fossil fuels, land use and those damned cows pumping out methane. Dr. Jeffery said that it was these graphs which had made her realise how drastic the climate situation is. That's understandable - she's NOT a climate scientist.
She went on to claim that the global climate has been stable for 4000 years!! - that may well be the case in XR's version of the TRUTH but honest scientists acknowledge the FACT that there were warmer periods 2000 and 1000 years ago (Roman and Medieval) and a cooler period than now 300 years ago which came to an end aboutv 150 years ago (the Little Ice Age).
She claimed that humans discovered fossil fuels about 150 years ago and implied that that was the cause of the warming since then, due to the carbon that we push into the atmosphere. The FACT is that any carbon (and other particulates) that we emit into the atmosphere have the opposite "dimming" effect, cooling the planet. This is what made ecologists like Stephen Schneider and other scientist believe was causing the natural cooling that occurred from 1940 to the late 1970s, raising the scare that we were heading into another ice age. The FACT is that developed country use of fossil fuels mainly pushes those essential, life-supporting substances CARBON DIOXIDE and WATER VAPOR into the atmosphere, not carbon (or fossil fuels, as Roger Hallam is prone to claim when he presents XR TRUTH).
Dr Jeffery also talked a bit about global environments are being destroyed by our "throw-away" societies' unsustainable use of natural resources - at last some real TRUTH!.
Dr. Jeffery commented that a 2018 IPCC report gave us only 12 years to avert a climate catastrophe, requiring a fundamental transformation of society and an end to our use of fossil fuels. She failed to include in XR's TRUTH the FACT that the IPCC's claim in 2009 was that we only had until 2016 to avert that disaster, with the goalposts pushed further down the line because Nature was refusing to comply with the IPCC's imperfect computer model projections.
Despite XR's demonisation of the UK's CO2 emissions, at no point in Dr. Jeffery's presentation was any mention made of the burgeoning construction of coal-fired power stations in two of the world's largest and growing economies' China and India. Neither did she mention the FACTS that:
- the Earth's biosphere is getting greener and greener - thanks to all of that lovely fertiliser, atmospheric CO2,
- many plants thrive in an atmosphere with higher concentrations of CO2 and consume less water, which is why commercial greenhouse atmospheres are controlled at around 1000ppm
That scary opening warning about the upsetting content of the XR propaganda and those scary opening "slides" were followed by those time-worn heart-wrenching pictures of:
- a skinny polar bear stranded on a small ice float,
- catastrophic flooding (see Footnote 4 of this sub-section),
- destructive wild fires
then comments on how ineffective our global politicians over recent decades in tackling this climate crisis issue.
In true environmentalist scaremongering fashion, there was no mention in XR's TRUTH of the FACT that the skinny polar bear was not a victim of hunger due to global warming making its food inaccessible, but simply an animal that was sick from other causes having nothing to do with our use of fossil fuels. There was no mention either in that XR TRUTH the FACT that those catastrophic flooding and wild fires around the globe are nothing new, were weather events similar to what was happening long before industrialisation and the invention of the motor car or aeroplane and have no correlation with our use of fossil fuels, never mind being caused by it. Neither did she mention in XR's TRUTH the FACT that one reason for more fires and destroyed houses is that there are more houses and more fuel available due to the preventative cutting back of undergrowth being curtailed as a result of environmental activism to protect wild-life rather than humans.
In support of her TRUTH about Catastrophic Anthropogenic Environmental Change (CAEC) Dr. Jeffery's pictures included:
- a family of those lovely cuddly polar bears,
- equally cuddly tigers,
- a cluster of those sweetly comical penguins,
- insects, (butterflies and bees as I recall),
suggesting that their decimation by human activity would be a disaster.
No mention was made in that XR TRUTH of the FACT that polar bear numbers are increasing significantly due to bans on culling them (much to the annoyance of farmers and other residents whose lives are made a misery by these dangerous scavengers.
Neither did that XR TRUTH make any mention of the FACT that climate change produces winners as well as losers. For example, a 2014 scientific report showed that in the Ross Sea area of Antarctica a breeding colony of Adelie penguins (by far the predominant Antarctic specie) grew by 84% between 1983 and 2010, as a direct result of a glacier shrinking and uncovering new nesting sites.
As for those suffering insects, dear old environmental evangelist Rachel Carson was predicting doom and gloom for them and us in her environmentalist propaganda booklet "Silent Spring". Over 50 years later the human population is still thriving, with more food being produced (and unnecessarily wasted) than ever before (thanks to human agricultural ingenuity) and more than enough wasps, ants and other pests interfering with our enjoyment of life - including those that intrude into our homes at night when we leave on lights and open doors which Dr Jeffery seems to miss so much.
One picture that Dr. Jeffery showed on several occasions to impress the audience with was of the claimed change in atmospheric CO2 during the past 2000 thousand years " .. Greenhouse gases are rocketing .. " she proclaims, to wards a point where the Earth will become uninhabbitable. This graph suggests that the concentration was consistently around the figure of 300ppm until the start of the industrial revolution, since when it has increased exponentially until its present level on 410ppm (and still rising).
What she did not point out in that XR TRUTH was the FACT that the graph is a clever splicing of two methods used to try to determine this. The pre-industrial period of thousands of years when the level is claimed to be 300ppm is derived from air allegedly "trapped" unchanged in ice sheets. Spliced onto the end are actual measurement of the real atmosphere at a few locations around the globe since 1958, mainly on a Hawaiian volcano, Mauna Loa.
No mention was made in that XR TRUTH of the FACT that the claim that atmospheric air captured by snow falling through the atmosphere to the surface before being eventually compressed to "solid" ice remains trapped unchanged in composition for millennia is highly questionable. Much more on this can be found at http://globalpoliticalshenanigans.blogspot.com/2010/12/smogbound-on-molecular-fractionation-in.html .
No mention was made in that XR TRUTH of the FACT that the claim that atmospheric air captured by snow falling through the atmosphere to the surface before being eventually compressed to "solid" ice remains trapped unchanged in composition for millennia is highly questionable. Much more on this can be found at http://globalpoliticalshenanigans.blogspot.com/2010/12/smogbound-on-molecular-fractionation-in.html .
Neither did she mention in that XR TRUTH the FACT that the potential impact of CO2 on global temperatures is a logarithmic function, with predictions by the models used by climate scientists of catastrophic future increases being based upon a fictitious positive feedback factor.
Another graph was shown claiming to depict a correlation between global mean temperature and atmospheric CO2 composition changes during the past 1000 years.
Again no mention was made in that XR TRUTH of the FACT that two different measures were spliced together, this time for temperature, the period before the industrial revolution being the result of proxy measurements from air recovered from ice sheet cores. This was the "trick" used by Professor Michael Mann of Pen State University, referred to in the infamous "Climategate" E-mails released in 2009.
Neither was any mention made of the scientific controversy over the questionable statistical method used by Michael Mann to remove two historic warming periods. The XR TRUTH made no mention of the FACT that previous IPCC reports had acknowledged the significant warming that occurred during the period of Roman occupation of Britain and the Medieval Warm Period - cleverly removed by the questionable statistical manipulations of Dr. Michael Mann (https://www.amazon.com/Hockey-Stick-Illusion-W-Montford/dp/0957313527). Those warm periods were long before the arrival of SUVs, aeroplanes, coal and natural gas electricity generation, etc.
Dr. Jeffrey has been asked for a copy of the complete XR presentation so that a critical assessment can be made of what is claimed therein. So far there has been no response from her. Maybe she has been too busy giving it to gullible audiences, or could it be that XR. shies away from criticism of its pseudo-scientific propaganda?
Dr. Jeffrey has been asked for a copy of the complete XR presentation so that a critical assessment can be made of what is claimed therein. So far there has been no response from her. Maybe she has been too busy giving it to gullible audiences, or could it be that XR. shies away from criticism of its pseudo-scientific propaganda?
When talking about her participation in XR's disruptive actions and inciting others to join in, New Zealander Dr. Jeffery commented that she had opted to be what XR refer to as "non-arrestable". This is someone who,participates in XR's general disruptive action without doing anything that breaks UK law, such as gluing oneself to an underground train. She expressed concern that if she was arrested it could impact on her application for UK citizenship!! (see Footnote 3 of this sub-section).
She also commented that there was a lot of fun to be had during those law-breaking demonstrations but chose not to mention the unwarranted aggravation they caused to law-abiding citizens trying to go about their legal business.
FOOTNOTES
1) Like other significant XR members, Dr. Jeffery appears to lack the relevant education, experience or expertise in the scientific disciplines required for any hope of understanding the highly complex processes and drivers of the different global climates, Despite that, these dedicated CACC evangelists are happy to pontificate on the perils of the emissions of CO2 from our use of fossil fuels to power our economies and increase our prosperity. Decarbonising our economies is an unwarranted.retrograde step that will creste unnecessary depravation for millions. A word of caution to the gullible (including many of our politicians) - Dr. Jeffery's presentation offers a plethora of misleading statements, which will be discussed if/when she agrees to supplying a copy of the entire presentation.
2) In March 2017 XR founding member Gail Bradbrook acknowledged the risk that she was taking concerning her law-breaking counselling/conspiring with others to commit criminal acts (http://stroudcommunity.tv/rising-up/ at 38mins 10secs +).
3) Law-abiding UK citizens are entitled to object strongly to the granting of the privilege of UK citizenship to anyone who has broken or is likely to break UK laws in order to destabilise our well-established political and economic systems. The requirements for granting UK citizenship include include:
3) Law-abiding UK citizens are entitled to object strongly to the granting of the privilege of UK citizenship to anyone who has broken or is likely to break UK laws in order to destabilise our well-established political and economic systems. The requirements for granting UK citizenship include include:
- 3 years continuous residence before the date of applying (satisfied by Dr. Jeffery),
- Have been living within the laws of the UK during the entirety of this 3 year period (possibly breached due to her conspiring to incite others to join and participate in the activities of an organisation which depends upon criminal acts to achieve its objectives - see Footnote 2 of this section).
The Gov.UK website says that anyone applying for UK citizenship will " .. have to make an oath of allegiance (or an affirmation .. ) and a pledge .. to respect the .. laws of the UK .. " (https://www.gov.uk/citizenship-ceremonies).
Hopefully the UK Visa and Immigration Service is keeping a careful watch on the activities of all applicants for UK citizenship.
Dr. Jeffery gives the impression that if she is granted UK citizenship then she is likely to start indulging in arrestable activities as a leading XR supporter.
4) Probably XR scaremongers will be adding to their TRUTH about flooding that the current flooding in the Valentia region of Spain is all a result of CACC and ignore the FACT that the River Turia has a history of severe flooding going back centuries before the motor car, aeroplanes and coal or gas electrical power stations.
After the catastrophic floods in 1957 Franco agreed to the diversion of the river away from it natural route through the city centre ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turia_(river) ). It appears that the embankments enforcing that unnatural routing were not capable of retaining the Turia under naturally-occurring periods of intense rainfall previously experienced, so they failed and the river returned to its long-established natural route. That's why the centre of Valencia was so badly effected recently - nothing to do with our burgeoning use of fossil fuels!!
"A picture paints a thousand words"!!
Appendix A2 - The Treebytree Charity
Before it was destroyed by hackers the Treebytree website (http://treebytree.org) included
QUOTE ..
Tree by tree is a project set up by Tino Rawnsley and his partner Catherine Selby. A woodworker and woodsman all his life, Tino has always been passionate about trees. Ever since childhood playing in the woods and coppices of the north downs of Kent. 'After a life spent working with wood and trees, I am acutely aware of the degradation of the environment and recognise the feeling of powerlessness many have in the face of the constant assaults upon the natural world. In time we have come to realise that planting a tree is one of the most simple yet powerfully positive acts we can do and have found that many people share this feeling but have nowhere to plant them ..
When a friend offered a two acre field to plant to kick-start the project, the Tree by Tree project was born. The idea is simple. When someone purchases a tree from Treebytree they are also buying the land where the tree will live. When the trees are planted there is a party a “Treefest” where all that wish to plant trees are able to do so. Where we can come together and celebrate the new wood.
By having people sponsor and purchase trees we raise funds to get the next site. At the planting there will be a fundraising party and so on, a rolling initiative to create new woodlands and perpetual reserves and sanctuaries for wildlife and people. a network of natural environments available for all. To enjoy forever.
Tree by Tree is working closely with established organisations such as The Woodland Trust whose aims dovetail perfectly with our own'.
.. UNQUOTE
The "Tree by Tree" organisation is " .. an environmental and social charity whose aim is to plant trees and celebrate, creating diverse and lasting habitats for wildlife and humans .. " (https://www.goldengiving.com/charity/search?searchCriteria=treebytree).
It was founded in 2017 by Plymouth woodworker/woodsman David (Tino) Rawnsley (see sub-section 3.1.22) and Catherine Selby, his business partner and project manager at their woodworking business (https://www.woodlands.co.uk/blog/woodland-activities/treebytree-a-social-movement-to-plant-trees-create-woodlands-and-celebrate/).
It was founded in 2017 by Plymouth woodworker/woodsman David (Tino) Rawnsley (see sub-section 3.1.22) and Catherine Selby, his business partner and project manager at their woodworking business (https://www.woodlands.co.uk/blog/woodland-activities/treebytree-a-social-movement-to-plant-trees-create-woodlands-and-celebrate/).
“ .. The idea and principle of Tree by Tree is simple. To empower people to plant trees on land they have available. Through a series of fundraising events, they also plan to raise enough money to buy a small plot of land, and plant it with woodland that has open access for everyone, forever .. A woodworker and woodsman all this life, Tino has been passionate about trees ever since his childhood .. .. For anyone who has a piece of land, big or small, Tree by Tree are offering you the means to plant trees. Through the fundraising efforts, Tree by Tree are able to supply you with the trees and know how to plant them .. ” (https://yallahcoffee.co.uk/blogs/news/tree-by-tree-carbon-offset).
Tino advised that they raise funds through donation and through ticket, food, and drink sales at their events (see 4th July 2019 E-mail, Appendix A5.1). They look for people with land to plant and have discount arrangements through the Woodland Trust and their local nurseries for the supply of trees (See Footnote 1 of this appendix for more on his fundraising)..
Although it claims to be a charity, "Tree by Tree" is not registered with the Charities Commission. The legal requirements for an organisation to be a charity in England and Wales are defined in the Charities Act (2011). " .. Charities are subject to a strict regime of regulation by .. the Charity Commission For England and Wales .. If a charity's annual income is under £5000, it is defined as a 'small unregistered charity' - not registered with the Commission, but still subject to its regulatory powers .. " (https://www.communitycompanies.co.uk/charitable-companies-limited-by-guarantee).
FOOTNOTES
1) One of Treebytree's fund-raising activities is “crowdfunding” appeals for charitable donations via websites. Tino’s 2017 apeal on the justgiving site said " .. My longstanding wish to plant a Forest of Hope, a legacy for everyone, has become an imperative. When a friend offered me a two acre field to kick-start the project, the Tree by Tree movement was born .. When we raise enough money to buy a small plot of land we will plant it with woodland that has open access for everyone, forever. And we will celebrate .. having a festival at which we start raising money to purchase a plot of land to plant more trees on .. " (https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/treebytree).
That appeal has to date (19th Aug 2019) raised £2003 towards its target of £50000 (https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/treebytree). That was followed by £5000 raised at their April 2017 Treefest festival (https://treebytree.eventcube.io/events/6350/treebytree-fest/). " .. we have about £7k. not much money to buy a piece of land but it IS plenty to get alot of trees and have a planting party, and that is what we are going to do. Over the summer we are actively looking for the next plots to plant, then we will come together to plant and celebrate .. ".
Their 2018 goldengiving appeal raised £1150, mainly due to a very generous £1000 from one Edwin Semans. Further funds were raised through ticket and other sales for their Easter 2018 "Treefest" (https://www.goldengiving.com/event/treebytree - during which 1500 trees were planted.
Tino and his partner have organised two "Treefest" festivals so far, that first in 2017 and a second in 2018 (both around Easter). Another is planned for Winter 2019 but has not yet been finalised. Participants in the festivals pay an entry fee, e.g. for the Lowton Farm, Devon in 2018 Treefest the fee was adult £15, youths £10, under 12 free (http://www.windysmithy.co.uk/blog/treefest-2018). Included was:- access to the festival, overnight camping, workshops and tree planting, Easter egg hunt, music, dancing,- Live Music by the Rin Tins, The Rev Schnider, the Band of Angels and Fletcher (a group in which Cecily Bender (see sub-section 3.1.19) played bass guitar – see http://pigtagram.com/cecilylane),- DJs
Food and drinks were available to buy and there were “ .. plenty of opportunities to find out about and donate to the TreeByTree project .. “ (https://treebytree.eventcube.io/events/6350/treebytree-fest/).
2) From personal experience as a voluntary Treasurer of a small registered charity, the only possible saving for us would have been the tiny amount of time required to electronically submit the formal annual return. Since an unregistered charity remains subject to regulation by the Charity Commission in all other respects, the same resources (money, materials, time) have to be expended in order to properly run the charity.
Appendix A3 – Sir David Attenborough
David Attenborough qualified in natural sciences and is a brilliant natural history program producer and presenter, but that does not make him an authority on the causes of climate change. He appears to be devoid of expertise in the hard scientific disciplines such as Maths, Physics, Chemistry, Spectrometry and Meteorology necessary for any hope of understanding the processes and drivers of the different global climates.
Despite that deficiency he enthusiastically promotes the CACC propaganda at every opportunity, such as his scaremongering pronouncements in:
- December 2018 at the UN’s climate change summit in Poland (using a new “people’s seat” for no doubt very carefully selected members of the global public to put in their 2-bits worth of CACC propaganda),
- April 2019 presenting the first part of the 8-part “Our Planet” series produced for Netflix (in collaboration with the WWF) - focussing on human impact and climate change on the natural world (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Our_Planet),
- April 2019 and May on the UK's CACC "Propaganda Bureau" the BBC with his "Climate Change - the Facts" (https://www.bbc.co.uk/
- April 2019 and May on the UK's CACC "Propaganda Bureau" the BBC with his "Climate Change - the Facts" (https://www.bbc.co.uk/
Fortunately there are those around who are prepared to disclose facts to counter such CACC propaganda, e.g. see:
.. the show became notorious for heart-wrenching footage of walruses falling to their deaths from cliffs in Siberia. Attenborough’s claim that this was due to global warming became highly controversial when it was revealed that the footage had been recorded during an incident when polar bears were known to have driven walruses over the cliffs. Now, archive video confirms that Attenborough misled his audience. US Fish and Wildlife Service footage, recorded at Cape Pierce in Alaska in 1994, shows that more than 100 walruses had fallen from cliffs there on a number of occasions. The explanation given by scientists at the time was overcrowding on the beaches.
Dr Benny Peiser, director of the Global Warming Policy Forum, called on Attenborough to acknowledge the empirical evidence and correct the record: “This video proves without any doubt that walruses have fallen from cliffs decades ago. These tragic episodes have nothing to do with global warming and everything to do with breeding success and population pressure. I hope Sir David will acknowledge these scientific facts. It would be a sad legacy if he did not set the record straight.” .. UNQUOTE (https://www.thegwpf.com/video-proves-that-david-attenborough-misled-the-public-over-falling-walruses/).
- QUOTE: .. The BBC continued its climate change propaganda season last night with David Attenborough’s well trailered “Climate Change – The Facts?
The opening sequences, recorded against film of hot weather and including these quotes, left no doubt of where the programme was headed:
Attenborough shows this graph of global temperature trends, (though omitting satellite temperature measurements which show no increase since 1998). But he fails to explain why temperatures rose sharply in the early 20thC, long before CO2 emissions began to rise significantly.
Nowhere either does he tell us that the 19thC marked the end of the Little Ice Age, probably the coldest period since the end of the Ice Age .. UNQUOTE (https://notalotofpeopleknowthat.wordpress.com/2019/04/19/attenboroughs-climate-change-the-facts/).
- QUOTE: .. Climate deniers are about to be smited by Saint Attenborough @ the BBC. It will be the coup de grace after being pummeled almost into submission by heart-breaking footage of walruses tumbling to their deaths shown recently by Attenborough @ Netflix. He gets around does our nonagenarian much loved wildlife presenter turned climate change prophet of doom. But even that’s not enough for the energetic 92 year old. He’s vowed to take on the Beast Himself, The Donald, the biblical Arch Climate Change Denier whose coming was foretold by such enlightened souls as Oreskes, Conway, Klein, Cook, Mann etc. in their various Books of Climate Revelations .. UNQUOTE (https://cliscep.com/2019/04/14/climate-change-the-facts-saint-attenborough-will-reveal-all-on-april-18th-and-deniers-shall-repent/).
It is prudent to be very wary of accepting on face value the version of TRUTH that others present to us, regardless of their status in society as National treasures - scepticism reigns supreme.
Appendix A4 - Roger Hallam, Fantasy v Fact
Goodness knows where Roger Hallam dreamed up his fantasy that the Arctic IS going to melt by 2023 or earlier. A 2015 article “Is Arctic rush worth it” says that “ .. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in 2007 estimated that the Arctic will have an ice-free summer by the end of this century. A few recent studies predict that this may happen as early as 2030-2040. But no one can say for sure. What everyone is sure about is summer now comes early and stays longer. .. ” (https://www.downtoearth.org.in/coverage/climate-change/is-arctic-rush-worth-it--38173 ). NOTE that "no one can say for sure" - except Roger Hallam, of course!
The article “Terrifying predictions about the melting North Pole!“ puts all this scaremongering into perspective (https://wattsupwiththat.com/2019/04/30/terrifying-predictions-about-the-melting-north-pole/).
He may have based his scaremongering fantasy about oxygen running out if temperature increased by 6 degrees on a 2015 paper by mathematicians at the University of Leicester. The University press bulletin included " .. A study .. has shown that an increase in the water temperature of the world’s oceans of around six degrees Celsius – which some scientists predict could occur as soon as 2100 - could stop oxygen production by phytoplankton by disrupting the process of photosynthesis .. About two-thirds of the planet’s total atmospheric oxygen is produced by ocean phytoplankton – and therefore cessation would result in the depletion of atmospheric oxygen on a global scale .. The team developed a new model of oxygen production in the ocean that takes into account basic interactions in the plankton community .. (https://www2.le.ac.uk/offices/press/press-releases/2015/december/global-warming-disaster-could-suffocate-life-on-planet-earth-research-shows).
Projections of up to a 6 degree increase in global mean atmospheric temperature have been made by unvalidated computer models using extreme atmospheric CO2 concentration scenarios and a speculative positive feedback effect. Such projections have failed to match reality, with a global mean temperature hiatus during this century, compared with projections of steadily escalating temperatures. Even if Ocean surface temperatures rose to that extent, the phytoplankton have a tendency to wander over to more comfortable waters and carry on with their lives. It's called adaptation, something that humans have had to do since they appeared on this Earth.
Roger can be seen presenting his scientific fantasies in his 1.5 hour "The time is now" propaganda presentation on the 27th July 2019 to an audience of about 150 in the Humphry Davy School, Penzance (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=s2sQ3XDxq2I or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_g3zoL8TFU). He wisely begins by pointing out that he is giving his own opinion, not on behalf of XR.
The first half consisted of nonsense about the impact of all of that carbon and fossil fuels that we are pumping into the atmosphere causing a climate crisis - global warming, global cooling, ice-free Arctic by 2022, global food scarcity, social upheaval, death of our children, etc. etc. etc. Stephen Schneider (Appendix A6.1) would have been very proud of Roger's scaremongering.
Then there was a period with Roger bemoaning the failure of Organics to Go, the 10-acre vegetable growing venture which he started in 1999 at Werndolau, Golden Grove, Llandeilo, West Wales (https://westwalesnewsreview.wordpress.com/2016/09/24/new-co-op-seeks-public-support-to-buy-organic-veg-business/). The vagaries of the UK's weather, flooding his vegetable plots in two consecutive years, cost him £100,000. Of course West Wales has never experienced such weather events before the current "climate crisis", had it???!!! - ooops, fantasy!!! There are records of such going back centuries, to the "Largest flood in living memory" of 1767 and "One of the largest floods in half a century (Carmarthen)" in 1831 (see http://www.dyfedarchaeology.org.uk/tywi/floodingreport.pdf pages 23/24 - see also Appendix A1, Footnote 4).
As that West Wales News Review report said " .. Vegetable production comes with no guarantees, and organic production has higher labour demand and thus wage costs .. ". Had Roger done a business-like due-diligence check before investing in his organic vegetables he'd have understood the risks that he was taking and perhaps avoided having to go cap-in-hand in 2015 to the Golden Organics co-op for a bail-out.
It appears that in 2014 his business had funds of £33,422, then in 2015 £31364. If he invested that £100,000 in 1999 the he would have lost £66,600 over 5 years - a clear and early warning of the enormous business risk that he was taking!
Roger spent part of the final half hour of his presentation giving a good impression of inciting the audience to join in XR's illegal disruptive actions and make the sacrifice of trying to get arrested - next event planned for mid-September in London. He boasted about the " .. criminal damage worth £7,000 .. " (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/may/09/extinction-rebellion-founder-cleared-over-kings-college-protest) with which he was associated in 2017 and claimed had forced Kings College, London to divest from fossil fuels. Getting arrested is not a bad experience, he advised his audience. All that happens is you get picked up and bundled into a police van, taken to a police station, logged in then released to go home, or back to the demonstration to get re-arrested.
It's all about sacrifice .. " Roger kept repeating. Of course he made no mention of the enforced and unwarranted sacrifice made by members of the police force, businesses or law-abiding members of the general public trying to go about their legal day-to-day activities.He was at it again on the 12th September 2019. While he and co-conspirator Mike Lynche White were being interviewed by a reporter ahead of their planned drone flying in the vicinity of Heathrow airport they were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit a public nuisance (https://www.standard.co.uk/news/transport/heathrow-airport-drone-protest-five-people-arrested-ahead-of-planned-extinction-rebellion-action-a4235396.html).Let’s hope that they are not released so that they can quickly rejoin the XR rabble to cause more unwarranted disruption. Let's also hope that they and their fellow XR conspirators get a hefty fine to help compensate for the enormous cost to the country of their actions.
After all, it's all about sacrifice, isn't it?
The article “Terrifying predictions about the melting North Pole!“ puts all this scaremongering into perspective (https://wattsupwiththat.com/2019/04/30/terrifying-predictions-about-the-melting-north-pole/).
He may have based his scaremongering fantasy about oxygen running out if temperature increased by 6 degrees on a 2015 paper by mathematicians at the University of Leicester. The University press bulletin included " .. A study .. has shown that an increase in the water temperature of the world’s oceans of around six degrees Celsius – which some scientists predict could occur as soon as 2100 - could stop oxygen production by phytoplankton by disrupting the process of photosynthesis .. About two-thirds of the planet’s total atmospheric oxygen is produced by ocean phytoplankton – and therefore cessation would result in the depletion of atmospheric oxygen on a global scale .. The team developed a new model of oxygen production in the ocean that takes into account basic interactions in the plankton community .. (https://www2.le.ac.uk/offices/press/press-releases/2015/december/global-warming-disaster-could-suffocate-life-on-planet-earth-research-shows).
Projections of up to a 6 degree increase in global mean atmospheric temperature have been made by unvalidated computer models using extreme atmospheric CO2 concentration scenarios and a speculative positive feedback effect. Such projections have failed to match reality, with a global mean temperature hiatus during this century, compared with projections of steadily escalating temperatures. Even if Ocean surface temperatures rose to that extent, the phytoplankton have a tendency to wander over to more comfortable waters and carry on with their lives. It's called adaptation, something that humans have had to do since they appeared on this Earth.
Roger can be seen presenting his scientific fantasies in his 1.5 hour "The time is now" propaganda presentation on the 27th July 2019 to an audience of about 150 in the Humphry Davy School, Penzance (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=s2sQ3XDxq2I or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_g3zoL8TFU). He wisely begins by pointing out that he is giving his own opinion, not on behalf of XR.
The first half consisted of nonsense about the impact of all of that carbon and fossil fuels that we are pumping into the atmosphere causing a climate crisis - global warming, global cooling, ice-free Arctic by 2022, global food scarcity, social upheaval, death of our children, etc. etc. etc. Stephen Schneider (Appendix A6.1) would have been very proud of Roger's scaremongering.
Then there was a period with Roger bemoaning the failure of Organics to Go, the 10-acre vegetable growing venture which he started in 1999 at Werndolau, Golden Grove, Llandeilo, West Wales (https://westwalesnewsreview.wordpress.com/2016/09/24/new-co-op-seeks-public-support-to-buy-organic-veg-business/). The vagaries of the UK's weather, flooding his vegetable plots in two consecutive years, cost him £100,000. Of course West Wales has never experienced such weather events before the current "climate crisis", had it???!!! - ooops, fantasy!!! There are records of such going back centuries, to the "Largest flood in living memory" of 1767 and "One of the largest floods in half a century (Carmarthen)" in 1831 (see http://www.dyfedarchaeology.org.uk/tywi/floodingreport.pdf pages 23/24 - see also Appendix A1, Footnote 4).
As that West Wales News Review report said " .. Vegetable production comes with no guarantees, and organic production has higher labour demand and thus wage costs .. ". Had Roger done a business-like due-diligence check before investing in his organic vegetables he'd have understood the risks that he was taking and perhaps avoided having to go cap-in-hand in 2015 to the Golden Organics co-op for a bail-out.
It appears that in 2014 his business had funds of £33,422, then in 2015 £31364. If he invested that £100,000 in 1999 the he would have lost £66,600 over 5 years - a clear and early warning of the enormous business risk that he was taking!
Roger spent part of the final half hour of his presentation giving a good impression of inciting the audience to join in XR's illegal disruptive actions and make the sacrifice of trying to get arrested - next event planned for mid-September in London. He boasted about the " .. criminal damage worth £7,000 .. " (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/may/09/extinction-rebellion-founder-cleared-over-kings-college-protest) with which he was associated in 2017 and claimed had forced Kings College, London to divest from fossil fuels. Getting arrested is not a bad experience, he advised his audience. All that happens is you get picked up and bundled into a police van, taken to a police station, logged in then released to go home, or back to the demonstration to get re-arrested.
It's all about sacrifice .. " Roger kept repeating. Of course he made no mention of the enforced and unwarranted sacrifice made by members of the police force, businesses or law-abiding members of the general public trying to go about their legal day-to-day activities.He was at it again on the 12th September 2019. While he and co-conspirator Mike Lynche White were being interviewed by a reporter ahead of their planned drone flying in the vicinity of Heathrow airport they were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit a public nuisance (https://www.standard.co.uk/news/transport/heathrow-airport-drone-protest-five-people-arrested-ahead-of-planned-extinction-rebellion-action-a4235396.html).Let’s hope that they are not released so that they can quickly rejoin the XR rabble to cause more unwarranted disruption. Let's also hope that they and their fellow XR conspirators get a hefty fine to help compensate for the enormous cost to the country of their actions.
After all, it's all about sacrifice, isn't it?
The latest good news about the recent attempted (failed) disruption by Heathrow Pause is that
.. Extinction Rebellion co-founder .. Roger Hallam .. was arrested on Saturday .. entered the dock at Uxbridge Magistrates' Court on Monday .. faces one charge of conspiring to cause a public nuisance between 1 August and 14 September.
QUOTES: ..
.. Extinction Rebellion co-founder .. Roger Hallam .. was arrested on Saturday .. entered the dock at Uxbridge Magistrates' Court on Monday .. faces one charge of conspiring to cause a public nuisance between 1 August and 14 September.
The charge relates to a plan to fly drones near Heathrow airport 'in order to cause widespread disruption' .. Activists are accused of planning to fly drones within the exclusion zone at Heathrow Airport
The action was part of ongoing protest activity by environmental campaign group Extinction Rebellion (XR). A splinter group of XR, called Heathrow Pause, had threatened to interrupt flights by flying drones within the 5km exclusion zone around the airport.
He was remanded in custody to appear at Isleworth Crown Court on 14 October .. " (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-49716251).
Roger Hallam .. was .. detained by police on Thursday .. Fellow activist Mike Lynch-White was also arrested alongside him. All were held on suspicion of conspiracy to commit a public nuisance.
As of 1pm Friday, the Met Police said ten people have been arrested as part of the operation .. Extinction Rebellion has released a statement saying that while some of its members are involved with the splinter group - it 'does not support an action at Heathrow as designed at this time' .. " (https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/9918836/heathrow-airport-drone-protest-pause-news-today/).
.. UNQUOTE.
It's reassuring to see that these extremists are now being subjected to appropriate action by the police and the courts, but much more needs to be done to deter the main conspirators within XRUK and their followers from indulging in their unwarranted illegal and disruptive activity. Perhaps they are not as keen as Roger Hallam to make that "sacrifice" so, anticipating much tougher action by the police/courts regarding conspiracy and incitement, have decided to dissociated themselves from Roger Hallam's involvement with Heathrow Pause.
Watch out Gail, George, Simon, Stuart, Emily, Kate, etc. etc. etc. It could be your turn next!!!
Appendix A5 – E-mail and other Exchanges
These appendices make available complete threads of E-mails and other exchanges for anyone wishing to check the context of cherry-picked quotes presented in the main article.A5.1 With Treebytree
***********************************
Thu, Jul 2, 2019 6:01 PM
from Pete Ridley
to Tino Rawnsley
Hi, I wanted to find out a bit about tree-by-tree and the treefeste but was unable to get onto the page (server unauthorised). How can I get some inf? Best regards, Pete
************************************
Jul 2, 2019, 6:57 PM
from Tino Rawnsley
to Pete Ridley
Hi Pete.
Our website was comprehensively destroyed by hackers this spring and we have had to rebuild it from scratch. We are currently nearly there with the new site. In the meantime I can let you know about it. what is your particular interest?
Kind regards
Tino Rawnsley For www.treebytree.org
Our website was comprehensively destroyed by hackers this spring and we have had to rebuild it from scratch. We are currently nearly there with the new site. In the meantime I can let you know about it. what is your particular interest?
Kind regards
Tino Rawnsley For www.treebytree.org
***********************************
Jul 2, 2019, 8:48 PM
from Pete Ridley
to Tino
I came across your organisation and the Treefest as a result of researching the Extinction Rebellion organisation. I was at one time able to get into your website (only a few days ago) and was impressed by what you were doing so decided to go back to the site to find out where abouts you had done some planting, what plans you had for further work and how you were funding what seems to me to be a costly business. I expected that you would have been registered as a charity but couldn't find one under that name (although there are numerous charities with "tree" in their title.
Best regards, Pete
***********************************
Thu, Jul 4, 7:04 PM
from tino.rawnsley@……
to Pete Ridley
Hi Pete
Thanks for your enquiry. intrigued that you accessed the site only a few days ago as it went down before March ?!
Anyways Please find attached some info about Treebytree and the Treefests we have had.
We raise funds through donation and through ticket, food, and drink sales at our events, we have discount arrangements through the Woodland Trust for the supply of trees and also with nurseries local to us in the SW We are continuing to look for people with land to plant
We are not currently registered as a charity as our income is less than £5k per year and in order to economise on the nessesary bureaucracy this would entail we review this at every trustee meeting. and have all the paperwork in place to register should we need to.
Attached also is a description of our first Treefest, since then we have had another treefest in March 2018 planting a further 1500 trees with equal success and fun.
Hopefully the site will be up very soon.
Please let me know if you need further information.
Kind regards
Tino Rawnsley for Treebytree.org
3 Attachments (2 x Treebytree descriptions and Treefest 2017 doc)
*******************************
Thu, Jul 4, 2019 7:06 PM
from Pete Ridley
to Tino Rawnsley
Hi again Tino,
I've just rediscovered how it was that I found that I couldn't get into your "tree-by-tree" web-site. It was via the link at your appeal last year for charitable donations on goldengiving (https://www.goldengiving.com/wall/tree-by-tree), which has so far raised £1150 (thanks to a generous £1000 from Edwin Seman.
I see that a couple of years ago you made an appeal on justgiving, with a target of £50,000 which raised only £2,000 and said " .. including the amazing £5000 we raised at our Treefest event we have about £7k. That's not much money to buy a piece of land but it IS plenty to get alot of trees and have a planting party, and that is what we are going to do. Over the summer we are actively looking for the next plots to plant, then we will come together to plant and celebrate .. " (https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/treebytree).
The total from those two appeals and your first treefest is about £8200 - as you said, not much for buying a piece of land but will fund a lot of plants. I see that you had your second treefest at Lowton Farm, Bondkeigh, Devon during this past Easter. Was that land donated or planted on behalf of the owner (farmer)? as is suggested by Mark Simon's comment (
I understand that there are Government grants to encourage farmers to restore woodland/forests, so do you manage to get a share of any grant if you plant for the farmer?
Have you managed to find/fund another plot? If so, where is it and when do you intend to have another "treefest" planting, which I'd be interested in joining. I could combine the treefest gig with a holiday in the West Country or S-Wales.
Best regards, Pete
**********************************************************
Jul 4, 2019, 7:37 PM
from Pete Ridley
to tino.rawnsley
Hi again Tino,
Sorry to bombard your E-mail account but I was just cleaning up my browser and spotted this article about an award-winning animation "The boy who plants trees" from 2 years ago. Its co-creator Cecily Bedner credited treebytree as its inspiration and mentioned that her classmate and co-producer Rose is a close friend of yours (https://www.intofilm.org/news-and-views/articles/animation-challenge-winners).
It was through Cecily's involvement with Extinction Rebellion and her mentioning attending/supporting your treefest (guitar-playing and selling vegan delicacies) that I became aware of treebytree.
Best regards, Pete
*************************************************
Jul 9, 2019, 7:51 PM
from Pete Ridley
to Tino
Hi again Tino,
I have a puzzlement regarding tree planting. My wife and I regularly go for long walks in a 320 hectare park of trees and grassland, a lake and all that goes with them. Apart from the occasional bits of rubbish left by lazy visitors, the park is beautiful. We have noticed that quite a lit of trees have recently been planted there but are puzzled about why the protective tubes surrounding the plants nd their supports are apparently made of plastic. I've attached a couple of photos.
Are there alternatives to plastic that you know of?
I'd also appreciate if you could make the time to respond to my E-mail of 4th July (appended).
Best regards, Pete
*********************************************
Wed, Jul 10, 1:24 PM
from Tino
to Pete Ridley
Dear Pete,
There are some biodegradable/cardboard tree guards becoming available. I do not have any experience of using them. Young saplings do need protection in order to have the best possible chance of survival. Our projects to date have be undertaken with both trees and guards supplied by the Woodland Trust.
Our finances are fully transparent and we do not receive a share of any grant funding that farmers that we work with may have benefited from. All our income is the result of genuine fund raising activities.
We are in the process of trying to arrange an event for this winter which we will anounce in due course on our new website and facebook page.
Best regards
Tino Rawnsley
***************************************************
Jul 10, 2019, 6:15 PM and 6:23 PM
from Pete Ridley
to Tino
Hi Tino, thanks for that inf. about the tree guards. Are those provided by The Woodland Trust made of cardboard or other bio-degradable material? If so and you can provide me with a Woodland Trust contact I'll pass it on to the local park authorities and ask why they use plastic ones.
Surely you'd be better off as a registered charity, then you could claim that 20% tax contribution. I spent several years as treasurer of a small local charity and we still had to run the charity and maintain all of the records as required by law, whether registered or not. The only additional work involved was my minimal amount of time filling in the online form fir the annual return. That 29% extra was very good value for that small effort.
Best regards, Pete
*************************************************
Jul 10, 2019, 6:23 PM
from Tino
to Pete Ridley
Dear Pete,
The WT use plastic tree guards.
Our Charitable status is discussed by the trustees at every meeting.
Tino
*********************************************
Fri, Jul 19, 7:35 PM
Pete Ridley
to Tino
Hi again Tino,
As I mentioned in a previous E-mail I am interested in contributing time and money to your charity, however, before I make decision I'd appreciate sight of its governance. Can you let me see the details of its trustees and a copy of the most recent accounts?
Thanks, Pete
*********************************************
Aug 13, 2019, 9:12 PM
from Pete Ridley
to Tino
Hi Tino,
Do you still plan a treefest later this year? If so then I'd appreciate knowing when and where so that I can see if I can do some volunteering with your treebytree charity. It may also provide an opportunity for me to have a chat with you and your trustees.
I hate the cutting down of beautiful trees and fully support the planting of more where land is available, so am eager to volunteer my time if possible, however, I have for several years been very wary of donating to charities about which I know little. This follows a careful investigation of who is really behind those plastic bags that many of us get pestered with asking for our good quality unwanted belongings. There's a scam and a half!!
That is the reason why I have asked you for sight of the latest treebytree accounts (which you say " .. are fully transparent .. ") and who are its trustees (which you say meet regularly). You have not yet replied to my E-mail of 19th July so do I have to assume that you do not intend to provide the information about treebytree's that I requested, or have you just not had time to get the information together? Treebytree's board of trustees should have that information readily available.
The Charities Commission have recently advised of treebytree that " .. Although not registered they would have to follow charity law and the Charities Act 2011 .. if they are calling themselves a charity we do have some jurisdiction. We note that you have requested information from them .. They should be willing to make these available and if they are not, especially when it is the purpose for informing a potential donation you would have to contact us explaining what it is you want and what reasons they have provided for not cooperating with you .. ".
I'd rather not have to go back to the Charities Commission so please get back to me with the requested information.
Best regards, Pete
*******************************************
Aug 17, 2019, 6:44 PM
from Pete Ridley
to Tino Rawnsley at an alternative E-mail address
Hi Tino,
On several occasions recently I have tried unsuccessfully to get information from you about treebytree via your treebytree email. Please see the appended Emails.
If I still get no response by 24th August then I shall have to try through the Charities Commission.
Best regards,
***********************************
To be updated
A5.2 With XR Chesham
************************************************
On Tuesday, 3 September 2019 18:13, Yelder Retep wrote
After signing up to XR Chesham I have been onto its website but can find nothing worthwhile about its governance. Please can you advise where i can find such information
Best regards, Pete Ridley
*************************************************
On Wed, 4 Sep 2019 at 10:21, cheshamxr wrote:
Dear Mr Ridley, I would suggest going to the XR UK website rebellion.earth for further information about the self-organising system that the organisation uses.
Regards XRChesham
*************************************************
On Wednesday, September 4, 2019 10:41 AM, Yelder Retep wrote:
Hi, thanks for the speedy response. I have already found out a lot about the primary XR organisation but am looking to get involved with a local branch. Chesham is not too far away but I'd like to know how that branch is organising itself. There must be some kind of structure/governance otherwise I cannot see how it would achieve anything worthwhile.
All that I know about it so far is that it is based in Chesham and has at least one member, retired doctor Lyn Jenkins. There is surely more information available than that!
Best regards, Pete
************************************************
On Tue, 10 Sep 2019 at 07:01, cheshamxr wrote:
Dear Peter, We work in the same structure as the national XR in that we have a number of groups, focusing on a different area. Each group has two co-ordinators, once which co-ordinates inside the group and the other who co-ordinates with other groups via an 'anchor circle'. The co-ordinators volunteer for a time and then someone else takes on the role, this helps to share the workload and ensures we don't create a hierarchy which is important in XR.
Anything a group plans to do must be in line with the XR principles and values (these can be found on the website) and have support from a number of members of the group. We are still a fairly new group and so we are still establishing ourselves. This video helps illustrate what I have described above. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eG1jVkK9i9Y&t=109s
I hope this helps. Best wishes, XR Chesham
**********************************************************
On 10 Sep 2019 at 13:08 Yelder Retep wrote To: cheshamxr:
Subject: Re: Information about XR Chesham
Subject: Re: Information about XR Chesham
Hi again, Having looking very closely at publicly available information about XR I'm still little wiser about how XR's branch groups can make a worthwhile contribution to achieving the prime objectives set by directors of the parent organisation.
My experience within the St Albans branch and brief exchanges with the Chesham branch suggest that there is indeed a sort of hierarchical structure, albeit somewhat secretive. On the other hand the parent organisation has a relatively clearly defined hierarchy, at the top of which is Compassionate Revolution Ltd. (firmed in 2016) with directors Gail, George and Stuart.
Next is RisingUP? (also 2016) which is the source of funds for the third member of the hierarchy, Extinction Rebellion (2018).
The top of XR's sub-hierarchy is "Chairperson" Gail. supported by "Managing Director" Roger, "Campaign and Morality Directors" George and Stuart and "Compliance Director" Farhana, with medical Drs. Emily Spry and Kate Jefferey functioning as "Directors of Education".
At a lower level are people like Simon ("general duties", Jojo (ecocide specialist), campaign organiser and spokesperson Robin, etc. etc. etc. (for more see http://globalpoliticalshenanigans.blogspot.com/2019/04/spotlighton-extinction-rebellion.html).
As XR Chesham works in the same structure as national XR then please advise who are the equivalent individuals at branch level. What are the groups, who are the co-ordinators and what are their job specifications? Who wrote the job specs and who gave authority for them to do so? What is the process for someone to apply to be a co-ordinator? Who adjudicates whether or not they satisfy the job spec? Who makes the choice between several candidates. These are all fundamental requirements in any organisation.
Am I correct in thinking that co-ordinators are all volunteers and if so, do any get paid Volunteer Living Expenses, as do privileged members of the national organisation, like Roger, Gail, George, Stuart, etc. etc. etc. (see below extract from my article.
- £8500 in Nov 2018-May 2019 to Ronan McNern (??)
- £7000 from Oct 2018-Apr 2019 to Liam Geary Baulch (3.1.36)
- £6900 in Dec 2018-May 2019 to Roger Hallam (3.1.2)
- £6150 to Raphael/Rapharl Coleman (??)
- £5700 in Jan-May 2019 to Jamie Lowe (??)
- £5487 in Dec 2018 - May 2019 to Sophie Cowan (??)
- £3199 in Dec 2018-May 2019 to Roman Paluch/Paulch Mauhnick (??)
- £5100 in Jan-May 2019 to Howard Rees
- £4710 in Nov/Jan/Feb/Mar/Apr/May to Gail Bradbrook (3.1.1)
- £4600 in Dec 2018-May 2019 to George Barda (3.1.3)
- £4240 in Nov 2018 - May 2019 to Tasmin Osmond (??)
- £4000 in Jan/Feb/March/April 2019 to CJ and Claire Farrell (??)
- £3600 in Feb-May 2019 to Jasmine Salter (??)
- £3440 in Nov/Dec 2018/Jan/Mar 2019 to Annie Randall (see 3.1.2!!)
- £3311 in Apr/May/Jun 2019 to Laura Reeves (??)
- £3060 in March/April/May 2019 to Adam Mitchell (??),
- £3048 in April/May/June 2019 to Chris Smith (3.1.138)
- £2800 in Jan-May 2019 to Sarah (Greenfield) Clark (??)
- £2670 in Dec 2018/Jan/Feb/Mar/Apr/May 2019 to Francesca Harris (??)
- £2665 in Mar/April 2019 to Eva Arnold (??)
- £2420 in Apr/May 2019 to Stuart Basden (3.1.5)
- £2670 in Nov2018-May 2019 to Sam Knights (??)
- £2520 in Feb-May 2019 to Phil Edmundson (??)
The whole XR branch set-up appears to me to be very wishy-washy (and somewhat secretive). On Saturday I attended a presentation to the St Albans branch, given by Kate Jefferey. She appears to be part of the national organisation, giving her presentation with Emily Spry throughout the UK. That aspect of XR's operation seems to be well organised but I have been unable to find out much at all about the St Albans branch structure, other than that it was founded in Feb/Mar 2019 by medical doctor Emily Spry, appears to have a current membership of about 10 individuals, including a co-ordinator called Vinnie (who would not disclose his surname), an ex-member called Alison Gale (whose husband was helping out) and possibly Tania Leon, Hermione Leon (13), Craig Scudder and Susie Hope.
Maybe I'll be able to gradually pry out the required information and add it to my article, but why such secrecy? - and incidentally, what is your surname?
Best regards, Pete Ridley
*****************************************************
On 11 Sep 2019, 13:11 Yelder Retep wrote to Rebel@XRChesham.co.uk, cheshamxr:
Hi,
First, I tried the two links given in the latest XRChesham bulletin for the XR presentations on "TRUTH" (https://rebellion.earth/the-truth/)
and ACTION (https://rebellion.earth/act-now/) by posting into two browsers but clicking on the link given at those web pages did not access anything. I have seen a very poor quality recording of Kate Jeffery's presentation to MPs on 9th but would like to see decent quality videos if they are available.
and ACTION (https://rebellion.earth/act-now/) by posting into two browsers but clicking on the link given at those web pages did not access anything. I have seen a very poor quality recording of Kate Jeffery's presentation to MPs on 9th but would like to see decent quality videos if they are available.
Also, my earlier requests for information about XR's Chesham branch have yielded little of value. Please would someone with a sound understanding of the structure of XR Chesham remove the shroud of secrecy that it appears to be hiding under.
Best regards, Pete
********************************************************
On 17 Sep 2019, 07:01 CheshamXR wrote:
Dear Mr Ridley
We are sorry you are not getting the information you require from the links and responses we have sent.
If you are writing an article perhaps you could elaborate more and we could see if any of our group would like to talk to you further? We are a new group, establishing ourselves. Our groups and activities are co-ordinated by different people depending on who has the time and experience to take on tasks, so we have no leadership structure. There is no intentional 'shroud of secrecy' but understandably some people are reluctant to share details about themselves with people they don't know.
Regarding access to talks and climate information, the IPCC and IPBES reports can be accessed on line. The World Resources Institute have provided FAQ's to simplify information around the IPCC report. This too can be found online. These are clear that we need to halt biodiversity loss and drastically cut greenhouse gas emissions within 10 years, and we need to start immediately. The reports are also clear this will involve transformative change within our current leadership systems in order for us to survive as a species .
To support the governments decision making process around this XR are promoting deliberative democracy through citizens assemblies (https://rebellion.earth/act-now/resources/citizens-assembly/). You may have already researched these and seen that within this process participants have equal power, it avoids decisions being influenced by the need to gain votes and allows a long term view of the situation. Citizens assemblies are an existing way of the government tackling difficult problems e.g. in Ireland about abortion laws and in England regarding social care. This method is tried and tested and recognised as legitimate and so we are unclear why this recommendation by XR is being labelled as anarchistic by some.
If you want more information about Central XR then I suggest you continue to pursue the central contacts from the main XR website. We are a local group with local volunteers who are acting out of concern for our future and future generations. We adhere to the XR principle of being a peaceful movement. If you would like to find out more you are welcome to attend a meeting.
Best wishes
************************************************************
On 17 Sep 2019, 13:30 Yelder Retep wrote to cheshamxr:
Hi Mr/Mrs /Ms Anonymous,
Thanks for that well-considered response - of waffle. XR Chesham's shroud of secrecy remains firmly in place.
My article "SpotlightON Extinction Rebellion ... " (http://globalpoliticalshenanigans.blogspot.com/2019/04/spotlighton-extinction-rebellion.html) includes in sub-section 6.1 (appended) as much as I have been able to drag out from under that shroud. Any missing information or corrections that XR Chesham two members (Mistry and Jenkins) are prepared to expose to the spotlight would be appreciated.
The expression "courage of convictions" springs to mind. After all, does not the brains behind XR Roger Hallam believe that it is all about SACRIFICE!!
Best regards (and no rage, just disgust) Pete
APPENDED ITEM
6.1 XR Chesham
XR's Chesham branch's web-site is at http://www.xrchesham.co.uk/.
Current membership appears to be limited to Dr Lyn Jenkins (see sub-section 3.1.45) and Vicki Mistry (sub-section 3.1.44)
Despite his lack of expertise in the hard sciences required for any kind of understanding of the processes and drivers of the different global climates, Dr. Jenkins is happy to pontificate on the CACC issue. In response to an irate Chesham resident's complaint about XR disruption he offered typical XR nonsense, a fictional analogy - an asteroid predicted to hit the Earth in 50 years time, wiping out 90% of life, with only 10 years to do anything about it. " .. I suspect the world would take necessary steps to avert disaster. We are in a similar situation with the climate crisis .. "(http://www.xrchesham.co.uk/letters.html) due to our use of fossil fuels and disregard for the environment.
Closing his response, he said " .. We are not a political party and do not want to take over the decision-making process .. ". Maybe he is unaware of the prime objective set by XR's leading lights, to replace the well-developed (albeit imperfect) political and economic systems (through which he is able to enjoy his retirement) with anarchy. Dr. Jenkins should have a read of this article.
When questioned about the structure of XR Chesham branch's an anonymous representative simply advised that it was self-organising, structured along the lines of the parent organisation. When it was pointed out that XRUK has a relatively clear hierarchical structure (with significant members (like Gail Bradbrook, Geirge Barda, etc. being paid for their services - see 5.1.2) the CheshamXR response has been - Zero, Zilch, Nothing, Nada. The anonymous contacts have now been asked if they would remove the shroud of secrecy under which they appear to be hiding and reveal the branch structure and individuals that it must have, otherwise it could not function - but don't hold your breath.
The XR Chesham web-site comments " .. This is a good read about the think tank report that has been widely quoted in the press labling Extinction Rebellion as a "EXTREMISTS" Organization .. " and links to an article "Group That Called Extinction Rebellion 'Extremist' Is Funded By Big Energy". This article complains about the refusal of the Policy Exchange to revel its funding sources. It's somewhat hypocritical of Chesham XR to support criticism of the Policy Exchange organisation (see Section 1,0, Footnote 2) for refusing to disclose details of its source of funds when XR branches are so opaque about their members and structure
********************************************************
A5.3 With Dr. Andrew Basden
Pete Ridley
15th July 2019
about "Extinction Rebellion"
Hi Andrew,
I'm contacting you as a result of your invitation on a couple of your blogs. I became aware of you through my interest in your son Stuart, co-founder of Extinction Rebellion.
I've been actively debating the Catastrophic Anthropogenic Clmate Change (CACC) issue since being scared out of my whits by a 15th March 2007 article in the Sunday Times Magazibe which summarised the scaremongering booklet "Six Degrees: Our future on a warmer planet" by environmental activst Mark Lynas.
My position on the CACC hypothesis is that it is driven by politics, not science and that actions such as those taken by Extinction Rebellion supporters to disrupt the lives of innocent Londoners are totally unwarranted.
From what you have written and your participation in that action shows that we are on opposite sides of that debate (as we are about religion - I have some interesting exchanges with frequently-visiting Jehovah's Witnesses, trying to convert them to agnosticism-bordering-on-
We do have some things in common. I studied electronics, specialising in computer engineering (analogue and digital) and have now retired after a long and successful career as a systems designer (Telecommunications/
My main reason for getting in touch is that I have published on my Global Political Shenanigans blog an article "SpotlightON - Extinction Rebellion" (http://
I have tried to make contact with XR individuals mentioned in my article for a discussion about what I have said. (I have no wish whatsoever to misrepresent anything or mislead anyone, so feedback on any of my comments that are considered contentious would be appreciated, so that I can review and change/withdraw/appologise whe
I have included in my article what I consider to be pertinent details about significant members/supporters of XR and you are covered in sub-section 3.1.23. That is not just because of your participation in and support of XR but also because of the influence that you must have had on Stuart's mindset. If you are so inclined and can make some time to review it I'd appreciate any feedback. I'd also appreciate sone feedback on sub-section 3.1.4 on Stuart, if you would be kind enough to let him know about it.
As you may have gleaned from the above, once I get started on the vexed issue of CACC I find it hard to stop ( friends and family frequently scream "enough already". Sorry if I've bored you.
Best regards, Pete
*********************
From: Andrew Basden
16 July 2020
Hi Peter, Thank you for writing to me. I'm sorry it has taken me so long to reply; I had not realised that (email address) was active and had not looked at it since before you wrote a year ago. You asked me to comment on your article.
1. Your article about XR is useful; please would you send me a copy that I can read offline. Many thanks.
2. Sometimes however it is misleading and in some places wrong. Insofar as your page is intended to inform and help put things right, it is a valuable document for those who are wise. However if, as I suspect, your intention is to attack XR, it is less useful because it then becomes just yet another 'anti'.
2. I am aware of problems in XR (some of which you do not cite, while some of those you do cite are probably not so problematic. I have some things with which I disagree, but many things with which I agree. I see XR as a vehicle not as an end in itself, one vehicle among many, with a particular role. So, instead of merely attacking XR over the things I disagree with I would rather act to change or ameliorate. As they say, better to light a candle than to complain of the darkness?
3. You say that your intention is to help readers to explore the CACC issue themselves. XR is perhaps not the best vehicle for doing that. However, insofar as it has achieved something in the debate, it is worth your consideration.
4. You say "The objective is to encourage readers to do their own due diligence research into the CACC issue and its supporters rather than simply accepting on face value what they are told (e,g by the BBC, or David Attenborough, or Brian Cox, etc. or read about." However, your article is one-sided. For example, do not readers need encouragement to avoid taking at face value what they are told by Fox News, or the Cornwall Alliance, and other anti-green sources? Your article would do a bigger service if critically questioned also those who question CACC, as well.
5. Your section on me has some correct things about me as far as it goes, and you have dug up some interesting pieces on me that I had not seen before. However, much is missing. Prabook is an unhelpful source because it is erroneous (e.g. it misses my 6 years work on databases in the health records sector) and is two decades out of date.
6. However, I have pressing engagements and deadlines that prevent me from suggesting or requesting changes at the moment. So, if you would send me a copy of the article to read offline, maybe I can come back at a later stage.
7. I have yet to read the section on Stuart, but thank you for pointing it out. I will endeavour to read it soon.
All the best,Andrew Basden16 July 2020
All the best,Andrew Basden16 July 2020
************************
From: Pete Ridley
24th July 2020
Hi Andrew,
Thanks very much for responding to my E-mail and for the civil tone. I do not have hard copy of my article and am puzzled as to why you would want it in that format. I find it very useful to have electronic copy as searching for specific information is so easy.
Hi Andrew,
Thanks very much for responding to my E-mail and for the civil tone. I do not have hard copy of my article and am puzzled as to why you would want it in that format. I find it very useful to have electronic copy as searching for specific information is so easy.
I would very much appreciate if, despite your pressing schedule, you could find time to advise on anything in the article which is incorrect, as I have no desire to mislead anyone. I mainly wish to encourage others to think for themselves, do their own research and form opinions from a basis of fact, rather than ignorance.
My interest in XR arose entirely from my rejection of the CACC hypothesis, following years of personal research and debate involving highly regarded scientists from the two (some would say three) sides of the issue. As for my "intention to attack XR", my objective is to expose any flaws that I believe exist in claims made in the name of the CACC hypothesis. XR founding members and their supporters fall into that category.
You say "better to light a candle than complain of the darkness" but not all light is beneficial, as many a mariner discovered when mistaking a wreckers lamp for the beacon from a lighthouse.
You say that XR is perhaps not the best vehicle to help readers to explore the CACC issue themselves. In my opinion XR is one of the very worst sources of guidance about the CACC hypothesis because of a dearth of relevant expertise. I recognise this precisely because I have given its membership very close scrutiny and consideration.
For example, you claim " .. we should take immediate, and sacrificial, action to immediately cease climate change emissions .. ". On the other hand. you appear to have no education, training or experience in relevant hard sciences necessary for any hope of understanding what impact any of our emissions have on the different global climates. Am I mistaken?
I don't recall anywhere in my article having encouraged readers to unquestioningly accept the word of Fox News, the Cornwall Alliance, anti-green or any other sources. I have seen no evidence that any of my sources fall into any of those categories. If you have spotted me doing so then please advise so that I can review the item(s) and make appropriate changes.
On the contrary, I have tried to do my best to encourage readers to think for themselves and do their own research. For example, I say in sub- sections:
- " .. 3.1.17 Dr. Alison Green .. What children should be taught is real science and the value of scepticism and critical thinking, not the politicised science that appears in the IPCC's Summary for Policy Makers (SPM) .. ",
- " .. 3.1.20 Harley Sample .. Harley appears to accept on face value all of the scaremongering propaganda from the usual UK sources. It is worthwhile having a critical look at her unsubstantiated beliefs/predictions and recognising the biased nature of her sources .. ",
- " .. 3.1.46 Elizabeth Bella Kitchiner Haughton .. Here's another significant XR member with no apparent relevant education, training or experience in the hard scientific disciplines .. pushing CACC propaganda with impunity. Our Universities appear to be complicit in this nonsense instead of encouraging their students to think for themselves and form opinions based upon fact, not fantasy .. ".
- " .. 3.1.20 Harley Sample .. Harley appears to accept on face value all of the scaremongering propaganda from the usual UK sources. It is worthwhile having a critical look at her unsubstantiated beliefs/predictions and recognising the biased nature of her sources .. ",
- " .. 3.1.46 Elizabeth Bella Kitchiner Haughton .. Here's another significant XR member with no apparent relevant education, training or experience in the hard scientific disciplines .. pushing CACC propaganda with impunity. Our Universities appear to be complicit in this nonsense instead of encouraging their students to think for themselves and form opinions based upon fact, not fantasy .. ".
If you have any suggestions as to how I can encourage more of this then please advise.
As you have made no suggestion that you regard our exchanges as private and confidential then I'll assume that I am at liberty to quote from and comment on them in my article. I'll wait for a few days before doing so in case you have reservations.
Best regards, Pete
***********************
A5.4 With Dr. Margaret Klein Salamon and associates at TCM
This is a (grammatically improved) copy of my most recent comment as re-submitted to Margaret's blog (http://theclimatepsychologist.com/about-the-author/#comment-15722) and presently in moderation.
Pete Ridley says August 9, 2020 at 12:17 pm
.. comment will be visible after it has been approved.
.. comment will be visible after it has been approved.
Hi again Margaret,
Here is a re-submission of my comment that you have so far declined to post. I’m referring to it in my latest update to sub-section 3.1.30 of my blog article “SpotlightON: Extinction Rebellion … ” (http://
You ask ” .. Are you increasingly depressed about the future? Terrified? Enraged? Helpless? .. ”.
Yes, I am – because of the politicised nonsense about imminent anthropogenic climate change catastrophe/chaos/emergency/
Thanks to their relatively recent discovery and global application, millions of us have enjoyed far greater prosperity than ever before, a prime example being the Chinese population, whose use of coal-fired electricity generation is ramping up as we speak, bringing the living standards of many more of its population closer to what you and I have enjoyed for decades.
I also am very depressed by the unwarranted waste of valuable resources by politicians because of their futile attempt to stop climate change by trying to deprive us of the fossil fuel resource instead of improving our resilience to whatever climate changes Mother Nature decides to throw at us. Of course, I don’t expect you to have any desire to help me dispel my anxiety – or even post my comment on your blog, so I’ll post it on mine instead. You know where it is.
BTW, are you OK with my comments there about you in sub-section 3.1.30?
Best regards, Pete .. ".
*****************************************
To: Margaret Salamon
Cc: Yelder Retep, Matt Renner, Malik Russell, Ezra Silk
Date: Aug 10, 2020, 5:48 PM
Subject: Climate Apocalypse/ Armageddon/ Catastrophe/ Chaos/ Crisis/ Emergency
/ etc.etc.etc
Hi Margaret,
I'm disappointed (but not really surprised) that you appear to have declined to publish any of my recent comments on your blog article "Self Help for the Climate Emergency: Announcing my Book" (http://
As I advised in those comments, I've made several updates to sub-section "3.1.30 Margaret Klein Salamon" of my blog article "SpotlightON: Extinction Rebellion .. " (http://
It is possible that you have handed over to another the responsibility for managing your blog, including reading, responding to, leaving in moderation or deleting comments from readers. That is the main reason for me contacting you via your Climate Mobilization group, rather than persist in commenting on your blog..
As I opine in subsection 3.1.30, you use pseudo-scientific terminology to get your propaganda message across, i.e. that the subject climate changes are anthropogenic in origin, a.k.a. the Catastrophic Anthropogenic Climate Change (CACC) hypothesis. Anyone with a basic understanding of relevant science should easily spot your dearth of expertise about the processes and drivers of the different global climates. Education, training and experience in psychology are less than adequate.
It appears to me that the same lack of relevant expertise applies to other significant members of your group (Ccd) and for your associates at the Climate Emergency Fund..If I am mistaken then please let me know who possesses such expertise, so that I can review my article and consider whether or not any changes or apologies are warranted.
As the "Basics" heading to my article says " .. Fear feeds on ignorance .. ". This is something of which any qualified psychologist should be well aware (https://www.jstor.org/stable/2771546?seq=1), From what you said in your presentation "Facing the climate emergency" (see https://ynotfreakinrecyclable.com/episode-2-facing-the-climate-emergency-with-margaret-klein-salamon/ you certainly appear fully appreciate this,
That web site invites viewers of your presentation to " .. Tune in for an inspiring episode about facing climate truths, welcoming fear, grief and other painful feelings, re-imagining your life story, understanding and entering emergency mode, and living as a climate warrior .. ". I spotted not one "climate truth" so wonder to what they were referring.
As I have pointed out in previous comments sent to your blog, I have no wish to mislead others. My sole intention is to encourage others to apply critical thinking when forming their own opinions rather than simply accepting what others tell them. From what I have read in your scaremongering propaganda piece "Self Help for the Climate Emergency", nothing therein should be taken on face value, but perhaps I'm being too harsh. Let me know where, if anywhere, you think that I have misrepresented or misunderstood what you have said and I'll review.
Hi Ccs,
I'm disappointed (but not really surprised) that you appear to have declined to publish any of my recent comments on your blog article "Self Help for the Climate Emergency: Announcing my Book" (http://
As I advised in those comments, I've made several updates to sub-section "3.1.30 Margaret Klein Salamon" of my blog article "SpotlightON: Extinction Rebellion .. " (http://
It is possible that you have handed over to another the responsibility for managing your blog, including reading, responding to, leaving in moderation or deleting comments from readers. That is the main reason for me contacting you via your Climate Mobilization group, rather than persist in commenting on your blog..
As I opine in subsection 3.1.30, you use pseudo-scientific terminology to get your propaganda message across, i.e. that the subject climate changes are anthropogenic in origin, a.k.a. the Catastrophic Anthropogenic Climate Change (CACC) hypothesis. Anyone with a basic understanding of relevant science should easily spot your dearth of expertise about the processes and drivers of the different global climates. Education, training and experience in psychology are less than adequate.
It appears to me that the same lack of relevant expertise applies to other significant members of your group (Ccd) and for your associates at the Climate Emergency Fund..If I am mistaken then please let me know who possesses such expertise, so that I can review my article and consider whether or not any changes or apologies are warranted.
As the "Basics" heading to my article says " .. Fear feeds on ignorance .. ". This is something of which any qualified psychologist should be well aware (https://www.jstor.org/stable/2771546?seq=1), From what you said in your presentation "Facing the climate emergency" (see https://ynotfreakinrecyclable.com/episode-2-facing-the-climate-emergency-with-margaret-klein-salamon/ you certainly appear fully appreciate this,
That web site invites viewers of your presentation to " .. Tune in for an inspiring episode about facing climate truths, welcoming fear, grief and other painful feelings, re-imagining your life story, understanding and entering emergency mode, and living as a climate warrior .. ". I spotted not one "climate truth" so wonder to what they were referring.
As I have pointed out in previous comments sent to your blog, I have no wish to mislead others. My sole intention is to encourage others to apply critical thinking when forming their own opinions rather than simply accepting what others tell them. From what I have read in your scaremongering propaganda piece "Self Help for the Climate Emergency", nothing therein should be taken on face value, but perhaps I'm being too harsh. Let me know where, if anywhere, you think that I have misrepresented or misunderstood what you have said and I'll review.
Hi Ccs,
Best regards, Pete
*************************
Date: Mon, Aug 10, 2020 at 5:52 PM
Subject: Re: Climate Apocalypse/Armageddon/Catastrophe/Chaos/Crisis/Emergency/etc.
To: Pete Ridley
Cc: Yelder Retep, Matt Renner, Malik Russell, Ezra Silk,
Hi- Please don't contact us again.
Cc: Yelder Retep, Matt Renner, Malik Russell, Ezra Silk,
Hi- Please don't contact us again.
Margaret Klein Salamon, PhD
Founding Director, the Climate Mobilization Project.My book Facing the Climate Emergency: How to Transform Yourself with Climate Truth is a radical self-help guide for our time.Read a free chapter or order now.
Founding Director, the Climate Mobilization Project.My book Facing the Climate Emergency: How to Transform Yourself with Climate Truth is a radical self-help guide for our time.Read a free chapter or order now.
*************************
From: Margaret Klein Salamon
Date: Mon, 10 Aug 2020 at 21:28
Subject: Your Free Book Preview
To: Peter Ridley
Dear Friend,
It's a pleasure to meet you. Thank you for your courage in facing the climate emergency.
If you have ever experienced fear, grief, anxiety, loneliness, or despair connected to the unfolding climate emergency and mass extinction event, I wrote this book for you.
As a clinical psychologist and executive director of Climate Mobilization Project, I want to help.
It's not going to be easy. It's going to be the opposite of easy.
But going “all in for life” will give you a mission and purpose beyond anything you have experienced before. It will allow you to, at long last, heal your pain and feel genuinely good about yourself.
Most importantly, it will help give humanity a better chance of protecting ourselves, our loved ones, and the living world.
Ordering Facing the Climate Emergency (paperback, e-book, or audiobook) is inexpensive, and all proceeds go to our 501c(3) non-profit. You can order at:
- New Society Publishers Bookshop- Amazon or Audible- At your local bookstore
Please enjoy the book preview. I look forward to mobilizing with you.
Onward!
Margaret Klein Salamon, PhD
Clinical Psychologist & Executive Director, Climate Mobilization Project
Find me on Twitter @ClimatePsych
Margaret Klein Salamon, PhD
Clinical Psychologist & Executive Director, Climate Mobilization Project
Find me on Twitter @ClimatePsych
P.S. I love hearing from readers! My work is all about helping people reckon with the climate emergency and fight for humanity. I need to hear from you to know if it's working. Over the next few days, I look forward to getting to know you, hearing your feedback, and sharing some practical tools and resources to help you grapple with the climate emergency.
********************************
From: Pete Ridley
To: Anya Grenier
Subject: "SpotlightON: Extinction Rebellion ... " and The Climate Mobilization
Date: 26th Aug. 2020 at 21:4
Hi Anya,
I am responding to your invitation in the Yale Daily News about " .. starting conversations and creating pockets of sanity and open discussion .. " (https://yaledailynews.com/
Hopefully you will be more forthcoming than your associates at TCM whom I contacted several days ago (see Appendix A5.4 of my article) by reading what I say and challenging anything that you believe is misleading.
(I haven't been able to find an E-mail address for Rebecca so please would you pass this on to her also.
As TCM's "Organising Director" and "Head of Media" she and you may spot something in what I say about TCM and its leading lights that you consider misleading. As I pointed out during earlier exchanges with TCM, I do not wish to mislead anyone, only encourage others to use critical thinking when forming their own opinions rather than accepting on face value what others have to say, especially about the Catastrophic Anthropogenic Climate change (CACC) hypothesis. I hope that you agree that we should all be doing this!
Best regards, Pete
***********************
From: The Climate Mobilization Team
To: Pete Ridley
Subject: News from The Climate Mobilization and the Climate Emergency Movement
Date: Wed. Aug. 26th 2020 @ 10:32PMM
..
Extreme Weather .. this month is bringing extreme weather to the United States. The impacts of the climate emergency are clear, terrifying, and intensifying. ..
T-Shirts are Back! We’re happy to announce the opening of our new online store! Our t-shirts, mugs and stickers will start conversations and help you tell the world about the Climate Mobilization we desperately need to create a just economy and a stable climate ...
etc. etc. etc. ...
***************************
From: Pete Ridley
TO: TCM
Subject: Re: News from The Climate Mobilization and the Climate Emergency Movement
Date: Thur. 27th Aug. 2020 @ 11:46
TCM's advert says " ., t-shirts, mugs and stickers will start conversations .. ". That may well be, but E-mails and comments to TCM can fail miserably if someone dares to challenge CACC scaremongering. I've tried repeatedly to get a conversation going with the "braibs" behibd TCM but without any success whatsoever. On the contrary, the founder of TCM wants no contact. For more see subsections 3.1.30 and 3.2.4 and Appendix A5.4 of "SpotlightON: Extinction Rebellion .... " (
http://
https://
Best regards and hopes for intelligent, open-minded conversations,
https://
Best regards and hopes for intelligent, open-minded conversations,
Pete Ridley, CACC denier
************************
************************
Comment posted to Margaret Salamon's blog (http://theclimatepsychologist.com/about-the-author/#comment-15722)
Your comment is awaiting moderation. This is a preview, your comment will be visible after it has been approved.
Hi Geoffrey,
I wonder what your definition of “good people” is. Do you class as “bad people” those, like me, who reject the Catastrophic Anthropogenic Climate Change (CACC) hypothesis ? If so what would you have “good people” do about them?
For more on those “good people?” at TCM see subsections 3.1.30, 3.2.4 and Appendix A5.4 of “SpotlightON: Extinction Rebellion … ” (https://globalpoliticalshenanigans.blogspot.com/2019/04/spotlighton-extinction-rebellion.html and https://globalpoliticalshenanigans.blogspot.com/2019/10/appendices-to-spotlighton-extinction.html).
Best Regards, Pete
(see Footnote 1 for more on this comment and the cause of it).
*********************
FOOTNOTES
1) CACC evangelist Dr Geoffrey Chia, MBBS, MRCP, FRACP, is a Cardiologist based at the Wesley Medical Centre in Auchenflower, QLD 4066, Australia (convener of the “Doctors and Scientists for Sustainability and Social Justice” group from 2006 to 2013).
On 4th May 2020 he posted a comment on Margaret Klein Salamon's blog, commenting on what Margaret had said in a radio interview, part of which was that “The corona virus is a tiny fraction of what we are in for with the climate emergency …. We are on a collision course with the collapse of civilisation .. I personally do not expect to die of natural causes .. (but) .. from the chaos and breakdown that the climate emergency is sowing .. it is not a reality we can afford to forget even when we are facing another crisis .. ”
His comment included " .. Dear Dr Salamon, These painful but truthful words from you .. struck a chord with me: .. Horrible premature death is certainly likely for those who continue to pursue a grid-dependent city or suburban lifestyle, but is not necessarily applicable to those who establish an off-grid lifestyle in a remote climate resilient location where you can grow your own food .. that is the only thing worth doing now .. the neoliberal, neoclassical, neocolonial, neoconartist economic system .. is the major driver of climate catastrophe .. Good people need to save themselves and help save as many other good people as they can .. ".
He included links to http://www.doomsteaddiner.net/blog/ where his "tiny house" lifestyle notions are frequently presented. These can also be found on the Resilience.org blog https://www.resilience.org/resilience-author/geoffrey-chia/.
It appears that Geoffrey's notion of "good people" is those who live sustainably in a "tiny house" similar to his own, burning wood instead of fossil fuels.
In 2019 Geoffrey offered his "expert" opinion and advice to Extinction Rebellion " .. There is absolutely nothing you can do about the looming general die-off. You can however take steps to reduce the likelihood that you and your family and friends will die horribly in the next few decade. Please note that nobody's survival is guaranteed. All anyone can do is increase the probability of their survival .. " (http://econintersect.com/pages/opinion/opinion.php?post=201906300247).
His advice to XR members on their options included " .. What should you do? .. If you have .. no intention or ability to change your lifestyle .. You may make a personal choice to go down with the Titanic and nobody can criticise you for that. However telling others to "abandon hopium" ,, so that they too will be dragged down and die alongside you, is completely unacceptable. Only a malicious turd, a "Kool Aid" Jim Jones type homicidal psychopath, would do such a thing.
If you have assets, liquidate them to purchase remote land in a climate resilient location with sufficient fresh water to grow food .. Set up several tiny dwellings on your land, each powered by standalone off-grid solar electricity systems. You will need help establishing your permaculture homestead from young energetic Sapients who may be found among existing Extinction Rebellion and School Strike for Climate members. They can reside in the tiny dwellings and engage in an exchange economy without involving money. If you are forced to continue working in a city to fund your remote homestead, ensure you have the means to bug out at short notice to travel to your “bolt hole". Travelling by road post collapse may be difficult due to blockades, fuel constraints and rampaging zombie hordes.
If your remote homestead is coastal, a sailboat may be the best way out, a literal lifeboat for you. .. Cities will be the killing fields of the future.
If you have no assets .. make yourselves known to those setting up homesteads and develop skills so you can help grow food or provide useful services for your prospective off-grid community ..
You will need to use fossil fuels to set up your homesteads. Do not agonise over that, just do it .. ".
Geoffrey complains that " .. I have written open letters to various parties in the past, with little to no results .. ". I wonder why??!!!?
Any who feel they can stomach more of Dr. Geoffrey Chia's "open letter" medicine for saving the world can get more doses at http://www.doomsteaddiner.net/blog/2019/06/29/open-letter-to-extinction-rebellion/.
Sneaked among his long rant of nonsense he does include a few tiny snippets of sound advice under " .. What should you not believe?/believe? .. " such as " .. Do NOT believe in the misleading pronouncements spouted by Politicians, Corporations, the mainstream Media .. Economists and even the IPCC (which is more a political than scientific body). Be extremely critical of information coming from even Academia as they too may be subject to delivering corrupt, distorted messages .. You must believe in reality. REALITY BEATS ANY RUBBISH .. You must listen to those scientists with a track record of getting things right .. ".
His conclusion says " .. It is possible, perhaps even highly probable, that humanity may go extinct by the end of this century but it is by no means a certainty. Massive population die-off however is an absolute certainty, there is no credible scenario in which it can be avoided .. it is inevitable that humanity will try to emigrate to a thawing Antarctica which may be the last liveable location on the planet .. That will be the next great challenge .. ".
We can only hope that he enjoys being a hermit there in his "Tiny House", growing his own food and producing his renewable energy. Long may it last.
One thing for sure, like the various parties to whom he has written, ignore what Dr. Geoffrey Chia has to say about climate change and how to tackle it. Instead, apply your own critical thinking then form your own opinions based on knowledge, not ignorance.
Here's a piece of advice for Dr. Geoffrey - Cardiology is irrelevant as far as understanding the processes and drivers of the different global climates so stick to your area of expertise, such as coronary angiograms, transoesophageal echoes and permanent pacemaker implantations (https://wesley.com.au/doctors/Geoffrey-Chia). Leave climate change to scientists who are educated, trained and experienced in relevant hard scientific disciplines such as Maths. Physics, Chemistry, Meteorology, Spectometry, Geology, Physical Geography, Palaeontology, etc.
Several attempts have been made to contact Dr. Chia in order to try to have a meaningful conversation with him on the CACC issue, about which he has extreme opinions, but, as with no response yet. Maybe he has already set off for Antarctica, with a boat-load of materials for his new "Tiny House" etc. He'll not be worried about having to use all of that carbon-producing fossil fuel to get there and get set up in his new home. He recognises that it's too late (for him).
One thing that cardiologist Dr. Geoffrey Chai, MBBS, MRCP, FRACP may overlook when setting up his solar-powered electricity generation system in his new home in Antarctica - the coldest time there is when little or no sun is shining on those solar panels. Also, those batteries won't last forever, so he's doomed like the rest of life on Earth. If he packs a tanker-full of fuel and a diesel generator then he may survive a little longer, but he's doomed anyway - Shame!!!!
A5.5 With Dr. Philip Sutton and Davis Spratt
*******************************
Pete Ridley
To: Philip Sutton, David Spratt
Aug 13, 2020, 7:29 PM
Aug 13, 2020, 7:29 PM
Subject: Re: Education/Training/Experience
Hi Philip and David,
I write in response to the invitation in the Darebin "Strategy" document for " .. contributions from people and organisations in the Darebin municipality .. and elsewhere .. " (https://www.voteplanet.net/uploads/1/2/7/5/12758111/darebin-climate-emergency-plan-v4.pdf).
As a result of my interest since March 15th 2007 in the Catastrophic Anthropogenic Climate Change (CACC) Hypothesis I was attracted to the antics of Extinction Rebellion founding members and significant supporters. That led me to Ezra Silk, co-founder of the Climate Mobilization organisation, who claims to have learnt all that he knows about climate change from your Philip.
I note that for decades you both have extensively written on and advised about a "climate emergency". That raises the question of how much you know about the subject. I have searched and searched the Internet for anything about your education, training and experience in the hard sciences essential to having any hope of understanding the processes and drivers of th different global climates but have drawn a blank - although I recall a mention of you Philip being qualified in Physical Geography, a discipline which has some relevance.
Please would you both be kind enough to provide me with details of your relevant education, training and experience so that I can add them to my blog article "SpotlightON: Extinction Rebellion". I give you both a mention in subsection 3.2.4 THE CLIMATE MOBILIZATION ORGANISATION.
If either of you have any comments about or objections to what I say then please advise so that I can review and make any changes or apologies that I consider to be warranted. I do not wish to mislead anyone, only to encourage others to use critical thinking rather than simply accepting on face value what others say/write.
I hope that you both reply to this E-mail but am happy to accept a null response as indicating no objections to what I have written about you in my article and no relevant education, training or experience in those hard sciences Maths. Physics, Chemistry, Meteorology, Spectometry, Geology, Physical Geography, Palaeontology, etc.
Best regards, Pete
*************************************
Pete Ridley
To: Philip Sutton, David Spratt
Aug. 18, 2020, 4:30 PM
Subject: Re: Education/Training/ExperienceHi Philip and David,
I forgot to give you the URL for my article SpotlightON: Extinction Rebellion ... " ( https://globalpoliticalshenanigans.blogspot.com/2019/04/spotlighton-extinction-rebellion.html).I have made recent updates to subsections 3.1.30 and 3.2.4 which you may wish to comment on. If I do not hear from you then I'll accept that as indicating that there is nothing therein that you find contentious.
Best regards, Pete
*************************
From: David Spratt
To: Pete Ridley, Philip Sutton, David Spratt
Aug. 18, 2020, 10:33 PM
Subject: Re: Education/Training/Experience
Peter,
You should not assume that not hearing from me indicates anything, especially that I do or do not find anything contentious in something that I may or may not have read that was sent to me unsolicited. I have a backlog of hundreds of emails.
David Spratt
*************************************
From: Philip Sutton
Aug 19, 2020 at 5:09 AM
To: Peter Ridley
Cc: David Spratt, Philip SuttonSubject: Re: Education/Training/Experience
Hi Pete,
David Spratt forwarded your email.
" .. I hope that you both reply to this E-mail but am happy to accept a null response as indicating no objections to what I have written about you in my article and no relevant education, training or experience in those hard sciences Maths. Physics, Chemistry, Meteorology, Spectometry, Geology, Physical Geography, Palaeontology, etc. .. "
I specifically do not give you permission to assume anyhing about my attitude to anythiing you write or say about me, at any time, including about my education/ training/ experience, and I reserve the right to object at any time to anything you say about me.Your proposal to take a null response from me as indicating no objections is unprofessional and untenable, and I absolutely do not accept it.For your information, I have never at any stage had any involvement in or affiliation with Extinction Rebellion.
Regards,Philip Sutton.
*****************************
From: Pete Ridley
Aug 19, 2020 at 6:36 PM
To: Philip Sutton, David Spratt
Subject: Re: Education/Training/Experience
Hi Philip and David,
Thanks for making the time to respond. I'm disappointed but not surprised that you both have declined to provide any evidence of you having any significant education, training or experience in the hard sciences that are essential to any hope of understanding the processes and drivers of th different global climates. I've made appropriate updates to subsections 3.1.30 and 3.2.4 of my article and will leave it to my readers to draw their own conclusions.
I've still found nothing to show that either of you have relevant expertise in the hard sciences, but it may exist and I simply haven't found it, All that I have come across is CACC propaganda, so please guys, help me out here and provide me with some evidence of your education, training and experience in the hard science such as Maths. Physics, Chemistry, Meteorology, Spectometry, Geology, Physical Geography, Palaeontology, etc.
Philip, no one requires your " .. permission to assume anyhing about my attitude to anythiing you write or say about me, at any time, including about my education/ training/ experience .. ". Others are perfectly entitled to make whatever assumptions they please about anything anyone says or writes. If any such assumptions are mistaken then only evidence can refute them.
I have never denied your " .. right to object at any time to anything you say about me .. ", On the contrary, in my first E-mail I invited you so to do. I'll be delighted to hear from you if you feel like doing so in order that I can review and improve my article if warranted - be my guest!
That you consider my " .. proposal to take a null response .. as indicating no objections is unprofessional and untenable and I absolutely do not accept it .. " is in my humble opinion somewhat pompous.
Regarding " .. For your information, I have never at any stage had any involvement in or affiliation with Extinction Rebellion .. " I have made note of that in my article. I have also pointed out that Extinction Rebellion is significantly influenced by and has similar motives and strategies to those of other organisations that support the CACC hypothesis, therefore some such other organisations are covered in the article. The Climate Mobilization organisation, which preceded XR by several years, is one such organisation.
TCM co-founder and Executive Director Margaret Salamon is an influential member of XR as its Fundraising Director. Margaret publicly acknowledged that you and David have had significant influence with TCM and David has had significant involvement with Australian Extinction Rebellion, e.g. " .. David Spratt, the Australian hawk behind Climate Code Red, and now the Australian Breakthrough Institute, is very good on the science .. " (https://www.ecoequity.org/2019/05/david-spratt-on-1-5c/ - I've watched the video linked in that article and David provides a plethora of CACC propaganda but not a scrap of relevant science).
Both of you have been used by TCM as sources of the science behind the CACC hypothesis, Her co-founder at TCM, Ezra Silk says that he has learned all that he knows about climate science from you (and it appears that he knows virtually nothing about relevant science) and David is an advisor to TCM, hence both of you must have influenced XR through Margaret.
Best regards, Pete
*******************************************
Best regards, Pete
*******************************************
A5.6 With Christians in Science
********************
From: Pete Ridley
To: Steph Bevan
Subject: Re: John Lockwood - Leeds CiS, Extinction Rebellion and CACC
Date: 30 Jul 2020, 16:09
Hi again Steph,
After reading through Christopher West's very interesting runner-up submission to the CiS 2020 essay competition (https://www.cis.org.uk/wp-
Best regards, Pete
****************************
FROM: Steph Bevan
TO: Pete Ridley, Paul Ewart, Diana Briggs
Subject: Re: John Lockwood, CiS, Extinction Rebellion and CACC
Date: 3 Aug 2020, 10:05
Dear Pete,
... In answer to the last few questions:
- I have copied in Paul Ewart (CiS Chair) and Diana Briggs (CiS General Secretary) ...
- Diana may also know the answer to whether the two Christopher Wests are indeed the same person.
- ...
Many thanks,
Steph Bevan
Development Officer
Christians in Science
Christians in Science
********************************
From: Pete Ridley
To: Dianna Briggs
Subject: Christopher West amnd Christopher West
Date: 6 Aug 2020 at 12:29
I'm following up on Steph's request for your assistance on whether or not the 2020 CiS essay runner-up Chris is also the evangellist Chris (see appended email of 30 July). If you can't help on this then would you be able to contact the runner-up Chris and ask him if he'd get in touch with me? I'm keen to clarify this point in the CiS sub-section of my article on Extinction Rebellion. Also, depending upon the outcome it may have relevance for my work-in-progress article "SpotlightON: Christians in Science and Technology".
....
Best regards, Pete
***************************
From: Dianna Briggs
To: Pete RidleySubject: Re. David West and David WestDate: Fri, 28 Aug 2020 at 07:56
Dear Pete,
Apologies for the delay replying.
The Christopher West who submitted the article to the essay competition is a Masters student in Theological Studies at Trinity College Dublin.
If you would like to be in touch with him I can certainly contact him on your behalf and ask if he is happy for me to pass on his contact details.
Best wishes,Diana
************************
From: Pete Ridley
To: Dianna Briggs
Subject: Re. Christopher West and Christopher West
Date: 28 Aug 2020, 16:49
Hi Diana,
Thanks very much for your efforts. It certainly does look as though the two Christopher Wests could be one and the same. I am happy for you to pass on this thread of E-mails to Christopher in the hopes that he will confirm or otherwise and in any case be open to having exchanges on that vexed subject of Catastrophic Anthropogenic Climate Change.
Best regards, Pete***********************************
From: Christopher West
To: Pete Ridley
Subject: Correspondence with Christians in Science
Date: 28 Aug 2020, 18:22
Dear Pete,
I hope and trust this finds you safe and well, especially under the current circumstances.
Dr Diana Briggs, the General Secretary for Christians in Science, kindly passed on your correspondence about my contribution for last year’s essay competition. It was encouraging to read about your interest in my essay, and – on a much more significant note – your interest in how we might respond to the ecological crisis. If you are interested in reading about Christian perspective on the associated issues, might I suggest the Earth Bible Commentary series? Margaret Daly-Denton’s work on John’s Gospel is especially worth reading.
The other Christopher West you mention in your emails is a university lecturer and quite a prolific writer, whereas I am a postgraduate student. We also operate within different theological traditions, different parts of the Christian family – he is a theologian from the Roman Catholic tradition, whereas I am a deacon in the Anglican tradition. Interestingly enough, our areas of interest are almost identical: he has produced extensive treatments of the theology of the body; my own research concerns embodiment in relation to eucharistic theology (I have just completed a Master’s thesis on the subject).
All good wishes, Christopher.
******************
From: Pete Ridley
To: Christopher West
Cc: Diana Briggs, Stephanie Bevan
Subject: Re: Correspondence with Christians in Science
Date: 29 Aug 2020, 12:01
Date: 29 Aug 2020, 12:01
Thanks very much for making the time to chat with me. Yes, I'm one of the lucky ones, very fortunate (at 83) to be in excellent health and as safe, comfortable and happy as any of us can be in this dangerous but wonderful world.
Thanks also for clearing up my puzzlement about the other Christopher West. I can now update subsection 3.2.2 "Christians in Science" of my article "SpotlightON: Extinction Rebellion ... " (http://
Reference is often made by others to "climate truth" when promoting the CACC hypothesis but when pushed for evidence substantiating their version of truth they fall silent. I wonder why!! Perhaps it has something to do with the quote from that renowned environmentalist Dr. James Lovelock FRS that I present at the head of my XR article - "Fear feeds on ignorance".
My interest in your essay on XR arose through my research into XR's founding members. One such leading light is theologian Stuart Basden, leading me to his devout father Andrew, thence to The Climate Change and Global Economics Group and John Lockwood (who is a member of CiS) thence to you. It's a never-ending thread of intrigue which keeps me well out of mischief.
You make reference to my apparent interest in an ecological crisis. My primary areas of interest at present are not in any perceived ecological crisis but in the hypothesised imminent climate apocalypse arising from our burgeoning use of fossil fuels and the:
- mindless actions of gullible individuals who are driven by fear of the unknown,
- the real and varied objectives of those individuals and cliques who are goading the gullible,
- potentially catastrophic consequences of implimenting misguided climate change mitigation policies,
- waste on a fantasy of valuable resources that would be better expended aiding actual deprived global millions of humans,
- ever-present dishonesty in the political fraternity.
- mindless actions of gullible individuals who are driven by fear of the unknown,
- the real and varied objectives of those individuals and cliques who are goading the gullible,
- potentially catastrophic consequences of implimenting misguided climate change mitigation policies,
- waste on a fantasy of valuable resources that would be better expended aiding actual deprived global millions of humans,
- ever-present dishonesty in the political fraternity.
My XR article makes clear my position on much of this.
I would be surprised if you had bothered to read all of that long thread of E-mail exchanges that Dianna sent you so I'll repeat my 29 July comment to CiS's Steph Bevan about how I first became involved in the Catastrophic Anthropogenic Climate Change (CACC) issue back in the "naughties" (remember the hype leading up to the IPCC's 2009 CoP15 "Copenhagen Catastrophe" and those expensive, fossil-fuelled shindigs the 1000's of politicians, environmentalist and journalist have every four years - hopefully this year's in Glasgow will be reduced to a "virtual" shindig due to that genuine global crisis, Covid19)..
QUOTE: ..
My interest in CACC was sparked by a 15th March 2007 Sunday Times Magazine article (http://www.adishakti.
My interest in CACC was sparked by a 15th March 2007 Sunday Times Magazine article (http://www.adishakti.
When XR started its disruptive gatherings in Spring 2019 the misleading impression given in the media was that it was a CACC campaining organisation so I joined the St. Albans chapter. At the one and only meeting that I attended I was astounded to hear one of XR's "educators" (a Kiwi who tours the country spreading the XR message to the various chapters and anyone else who'll listen) say that she opted to be a "non-arrestable" when demonstrating because she didn't want to impact her application for UK citizenship.
Applicants have to SWEAR an OATH that they will abide by UK law, yet she is a leading member of an organisation with the declared tactic of committing criminal actions. I sincerely hope that her application failed.
This blatant dishonesty by a leading member of XR inspired me to investigate the movements leaders, revealing that they appear to be simply using the CACC issue to attract support for its disruptive actions, the real objective being to replace global economic and political systems with ANARCHY. That's not something that I could ever give my support to. Unfortunately it appears that few of XR's supporters have bothered to do any of their own due diligence
This blatant dishonesty by a leading member of XR inspired me to investigate the movements leaders, revealing that they appear to be simply using the CACC issue to attract support for its disruptive actions, the real objective being to replace global economic and political systems with ANARCHY. That's not something that I could ever give my support to. Unfortunately it appears that few of XR's supporters have bothered to do any of their own due diligence
This is all discussed in my work-in-progress article "SpotlightON: ExtinctionRebellion/RisingUP?/
As you may by now appreciate, once I get started on this I find it hard to stop. If I am boring you then please shout HALT. ..
.. UNQUOTE
.. UNQUOTE
I close my rant making the point that my real objective in all of this is to try to persuade others to use critical thinking when forming opinions, rather than simply accepting what others tell them, be it about the:
- causes of the different global climates and any changes thereto,
- difference between weather events and climates,
- real objectives of the likes of politicians/advertisers/
- origins of different religious beliefs and what motivates their ideologues.
- causes of the different global climates and any changes thereto,
- difference between weather events and climates,
- real objectives of the likes of politicians/advertisers/
- origins of different religious beliefs and what motivates their ideologues.
Ppphhheeeww - coffe time!!
Best regards, Pete
**************************
Best regards, Pete
**************************
Appendix A6 – Environmentalist Scaremongering and CACC Propaganda
All well thought out propaganda merges fact with fantasy (i.e. "fanctasy"). The "fanctacists" behind CACC propaganda conflate wild scaremongering about CACC with a genuine concern about human impact upon bio-diversity and the environment. This is a tactic used by CACC fanctacists like the BBC, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), Friends of the Earth (FoE), Greenpeace, David Attenburough (see Appendix A3), etc.
One scaremongering scientist who stood head and shoulders above the rest was environmentalist Dr. Stephen Schneider, who was prominent throughout the 1970s-2000s.
A6.1 Professor Stephen Schneider
Sadly deceased leading environmentalist campaigner and CACC propagandist Dr. Stephen Henry Schneider (d2010) infamously declared in 1989 " .. On the one hand, as scientists we are ethically bound to the scientific method, in effect promising to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but .. On the other hand .. we’d like to see the world a better place .. To do that we need to .. capture the public’s imagination .. So we have to offer up scary scenarios, make simplified, dramatic statements, and make little mention of any doubts we might have .. Each of us has to decide what the right balance is between being effective and being honest .. " (bold added).
This revealing statement has been discussed ad-nauseam in the blogoshere, e.g. see:
In that third article one-time University of Calgary Professor of Geography Dr. Tim Ball quotes from Schneider's scaremongering 1976 book reflecting scientific and media opinion about the predicted coming ice age " .. There is little food stored to cushion the shock of the kinds of weather problems that so suddenly and unexpectedly damaged crops in 1972, 1974 and 1975, and there is growing evidence that such damaging weather may occur more frequently in the next decade than in the last one. The most imminent and far reaching [danger] is the possibility of a food‐climate crisis that would burden the well to do countries with unprecedented hikes in food prices, but could mean famine and political instability for many parts of the nonindustrialized (sic) world .. ”.
That sounds very like the pseudo-scientific scaremongering propaganda of the Extinction Rebellion organisation, the BBC, David Attenborough, Greta Thunborg (see Appendix A3), etc.)
Schneider can be seen pushing his CACC propaganda to Australian sceptics here.
Back in the 1970s he was doing the same thing, but then it was all about global cooling and "The Coming Ice Age" (https://stevengoddard.wordpress.com/2014/02/24/schneider-went-from-cooling-alarmist-to-warming-alarmist-in-just-four-years/). He can be seen pushing both scares here.
TO BE UPDATED
A6.2 Catastrophic Cooling/ Warming/Climate Change!!??!!??
(Half a Century of Environmentalist Propaganda)
The Competitive Enterprise Institute and PopTeck blogs provide numerous examples of Schneider-style scaremongering (see https://cei.org/blog/wrong-again-50-years-failed-eco-pocalyptic-predictions and http://www.populartechnology.net/2013/02/the-1970s-global-cooling-alarmism.html). Several are presented here.
A6.2.1 Stanford University professor Paul Ehrlich (biologist)
1967 " .. in the 1970s and 1980s hundreds of millions of people will starve to death .. " (http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/858441468739780840/pdf/multi-page.pdf)
1969 “ .. the trouble with almost all environmental problems is that by the time we have enough evidence to convince people, you’re dead .. unless we are extremely lucky, everybody will disappear in a cloud of blue steam in 20 years .. "
(New York Times , Sunday 10th August).
1970 " .. the oceans will be as dead as Lake Erie in less than a decade .. " (Redlands Daily Facts, Tuesday 6th October - see https://realclimatescience.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Image375_shadow.png).
A6.2.2 Director of Climate Research, University of East Anglia, Professor Hubert Lamb
1972 " .. We are on a definite downhill course for the next two centuries .. the last 20 years of this century will be progressively colder .. there will be a lot of glaciers on high ground that do not exist at present .. " (The Windsor Star, 11th September) Sept. 11, 1972).
A6.2..3 University of Michigan professor T.M. Donahue
1974 passing on (to a US Congressional committee on atmospheric ozone depletion) the opinion of Harvard University professor Michael B McElroy " .. We appear to be on the verge of a period of great peril to life on this globe produced by the development of the very technology designed to make life more pleasant, tolerable, and even possible for all of this human kind .. " (https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED132028.pdf Page 28).
A6.2..4 Dr David Viner, senior climate researcher, University of East Anglia
2000 " .. within a few years winter snowfall will become "a very rare and exciting event .. Children just aren't going to know what snow is .. " (https://web.archive.org/web/20091230061832/http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/snowfalls-are-now-just-a-thing-of-the-past-724017.html)
A6.3 Greta Tintin Eleonora Ernman Thunberg
On 23rd September 2019 a Sedish schoolgirl, 16-year-old Greta Thunberg, made a well-rehearsed, emotion-filled presentation of the CACC drama "You have stolen my dream, my childhood" to the UN in New York (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=TMrtLsQbaok&feature=youtu.be). She should be nominated for an Emmy "outstanding young actress" award.
That drama may well have been written and produced by her parents Svante (an author, arts manager, actor and producer) and Malena (singer and environmental activist) - see Footnote 1 of this sub-section.
Svante and Malena seem to have allowed Greta to be brain-washed from the very young age of 8 by the UN's CACC propaganda, which she apparently came across through media scaremongering. The disturbed child now appears to genuinely believe that the world is heading for a climate catastrophe due to our burgeoning use of fossil fuels. They appear eager to have her paraded in front of the world to promote the same propaganda.
That drama may well have been written and produced by her parents Svante (an author, arts manager, actor and producer) and Malena (singer and environmental activist) - see Footnote 1 of this sub-section.
Svante and Malena seem to have allowed Greta to be brain-washed from the very young age of 8 by the UN's CACC propaganda, which she apparently came across through media scaremongering. The disturbed child now appears to genuinely believe that the world is heading for a climate catastrophe due to our burgeoning use of fossil fuels. They appear eager to have her paraded in front of the world to promote the same propaganda.
In November 2018 Greta gave a presentation "The disarming case to act right now on climate change (https://www.ted.com/talks/greta_thunberg_the_disarming_case_to_act_right_now_on_climate/transcript#t-54708) in Stockholm for the media platform TED (https://www.ted.com/about/our-organization). It appears from that (and her other talks) that Greta's comprehension of climate science has not developed one iota since she formed her opinions at the age of 8. Typical of CACC propagandists, in that presentation she offered a plethora of emotion with zero science. She ranted on about how we HAVE to stop using fossil fuels in order to prevent a fantasised climate catastrophe but could not provide one piece of "evidence" to justify her belief that " .. We already have all the facts and solutions .. ". She offers not a single FACT to justify destroying global economies by keeping fossil fuels in the ground in the hope of interfering with natural weather events and natural changes in the different global climates.
Greta and her father can be seen on parade together on 4th December 2018 at a Scientists Warning presentation (see Footnote 2 of this sub-section) during the UN's COP24 climate extravaganza in Poland (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=TrP5hj9_7xU). In that presentation Greta's father offers the same CACC propaganda as Greta has been doing. It is not clear who influenced whom, but if, as she has claimed, it was Greta who inspired her parents then perhaps they should be looking closely at their parenting skills (but see Footnote 5 of this sub-section).
The Thunbergs appear to have been little known outside Sweden until April 2019. That is when Greta gave a presentation to the rabble in London during their illegal disruptive action orchestrated by the Extinction Rebellion organisation. Since then Greta has become a darling of the global CACC movement, even being nominated for the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize (see Footnote 3 of this sub-section). The whole Thunberg family is now basking in Greta's notoriety, which saw her winning Sweden’s annual "Rights Livelihood" award for “inspiring and amplifying political demands for urgent climate action reflecting scientific facts”, worth a healthy £83,000 (https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2019/sep/25/greta-thunberg-wins-alternative-nobel-environmental-work-guo-jianmei-right-livelihood-awards).
That award, lucrative as it is, may well have turned out to be a great disappointment for the family. It could be why she failed to be awarded the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize (https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-nobel-prize-peace/a-nobel-for-swedens-greta-thunberg-a-tough-decision-for-prize-committee-idUKKBN1WA18W), worth ten times as much as the Rights Livelihood one. Fortunately, common sense prevailed and the 2019 prize went to a worthy winner.
Greta said on Twitter that " .. I have Asperger’s, which means that my brain works in a slightly different way. I see things in black and white, with logic .. I’m the kind of person who does not like it when someone says one thing and does another, and that’s the case with climate change .. " (https://bluevisionbraskem.com/en/human-development/who-is-greta-thunberg-16-year-old-activist-nobel-prize-nominee/). A major flaw in her "logic" is that her conclusion is based upon her BELIEF that our CO2 emissions are an existential threat. There is no convincing evidence that this is a FACT. It is pure speculation. Even her very distant relative Svante Arrhenius saw the potential benefits of a warmer world (https://www.econlib.org/library/Enc/GlobalWarmingABalanceSheet.html).
Greta's blind acceptance of and blinkered focus on the CACC hypothesis appears to be well explained by her Asperger's. " .. While it is largely inherited .. Environmental factors are also believed to play a role .. Individuals with AS may collect volumes of detailed information on a relatively narrow topic such as weather data .. without necessarily having a genuine understanding of the broader topic .. " (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asperger_syndrome).
Greta's blind acceptance of and blinkered focus on the CACC hypothesis appears to be well explained by her Asperger's. " .. While it is largely inherited .. Environmental factors are also believed to play a role .. Individuals with AS may collect volumes of detailed information on a relatively narrow topic such as weather data .. without necessarily having a genuine understanding of the broader topic .. " (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asperger_syndrome).
Greta also said " .. Everyone keeps saying climate change is an existential threat and yet they just carry on as before. I don’t understand that, because if the emissions have to stop, we must stop the emissions. To me that is black and white. There are no grey areas when it comes to survival .. " (http://www.speakeasy-news.com/school-strike-for-the-planet/).
Although there may be no grey areas when it comes to survival, when it comes to a scientific understanding of the processes and drivers of the different global climates there are enormous areas of different shades of grey and even more concerning human impact upon them. Damaging weather events around the globe are used by CACC supporters as evidence of a fantasised climate catastrophe resulting from our use of fossil fuels but isolated weather events are NOT climate change. Also, climate change has been a natural "existential threat" since life first appeared on Earth, long before humans started using fossil fuels. Life has never and does not "just carry on as before". Instead it ADAPTS to whatever Mother Nature decides to throw at it.
Like so many other CACC hypothesis supporters, Greta and her parents appear to have inadequate education, training or experience of the essential hard sciences required, such as Maths, Physics, Chemistry, Spectrometry and Meteorology. Her parents should be encouraging her to study these (and it takes years of hard study for even the most brilliant students) rather than encouraging her to skip school in order to promote the CACC propaganda from a position of ignorance. Of course, not everyone has the intellectual capacity for those hard sciences, being more inclined towards the arts (see Footnote 4 to this sub-section).
Right-thinking adults should fully appreciate this fact but Greta's parents and others who are supporting/using her scaremongering activities (and those of other children who follow her lead) have chosen to close their minds to it. They appear more interested in promoting the fantasised "Climate Crisis" on the world stage, for whatever reasons of vested interests that drive them.
There are many interesting critical articles on Greta, including:
- In September 2019 "Breaking the Glamour of Greta Thunberg (https://www.patheos.com/blogs/thezenpagan/2019/09/breaking-the-glamour-of-greta-thunberg/),
- in March 2019 "Climate Change Student Strikes: An Aspergers Kid Believed Climate Change Claims" (https://wattsupwiththat.com/2019/03/11/climate-change-student-strikes-an-aspergers-kid-believed-climate-change-claims/.
"Self-Harm Versus the Greater Good: Greta Thunberg and Child Activism" (https://quillette.com/2019/04/23/self-harm-versus-the-greater-good-greta-thunberg-and-child-activism/) is another very interesting article questioning the motives behind Greta's activism. Included is the relevant statement " .. A school strike .. constitutes a form of self-harm, undertaken to attract adult attention. And the global school strike for climate is led by a girl with a long and tragic history of self-harm to her own body .. ". The article attracted numerous pertinent comments, including " .. In the case of Greta Thunberg she is clearly being exploited by her parents and others to her own detriment. Both children may have genuine mental health problems but pandering to and celebrating her unreasonable anxiety and propensity to self harm is not in her interest .. ".
FOOTNOTES
1) Greta's mother will no doubt have had a significant influence on her daughter's mind-set. Malena Erman Thunberg's environmental activism preceded that of her daughter Greta by several years. For her efforts she shared an award from that scaremongering environmental organisation the WWF (see Footnote 4 of sub-section 3.1.7). On 11th October 2017 " .. King Carl Gustaf .. delivered the Environmental Hero of the Year Awards to opera singer Malena Ernman for her commitment to the climate issue .. " (http://www.theroyalforums.com/forums/f241/king-carl-xvi-gustaf-and-queen-silvia-current-events-part-10-feb-2016-july-2018-a-40254-18.html).
Malena said of her 2017 WWF award " .. - It is a tremenduous honor to be named the Environmental Hero of the Year. My small role in the environmental movement is as a public person trying to lend my voice to those who are not heard in the media noise. No other issue is more important or more difficult to spread. Communicating the climate issue is a bit like running right into a rock wall every day. For each day, we are getting more and more close up. And every day, the rock wall starts to fall .. " (https://www.wwf.se/pressmeddelande/artisten-malena-ernman-och-biologen-rebecka-le-moine-utsedda-till-arets-miljohjaltar-av-wwf-2689982/).
Malena said of her 2017 WWF award " .. - It is a tremenduous honor to be named the Environmental Hero of the Year. My small role in the environmental movement is as a public person trying to lend my voice to those who are not heard in the media noise. No other issue is more important or more difficult to spread. Communicating the climate issue is a bit like running right into a rock wall every day. For each day, we are getting more and more close up. And every day, the rock wall starts to fall .. " (https://www.wwf.se/pressmeddelande/artisten-malena-ernman-och-biologen-rebecka-le-moine-utsedda-till-arets-miljohjaltar-av-wwf-2689982/).
Six months earlier, when interviewed following her and Greta's participation in a climate change demonstration, Malena had sagely declared " .. We have to change our habits and leave the fossil behind us. We are facing a climate disaster if we do not act now .. unfortunately, there are no magic inventions that will solve the problems for us. We must change to a completely renewable and sustainable society .. " (https://www.aftonbladet.se/nojesbladet/a/Pb08J/malena-ernmans-protest-rovhattar). Not bad for someone completely devoid of relevant education, training or experience in any relevant science!!
2) In that Scientists Warning talk the presenter made reference to Svante Arrhenius's prediction of global warming due to our CO2 emissions, then claimed that Arrhenius had predicted a climate catastrophe. Arrhenius predicted just the opposite, anticipating significant benefits for life on Earth. The Scientists Warning presenter followed that with comments about the relationship of the Thunbergs with Arrhenius and threw in the possibility of "destiny" being a factor in Greta's activities. Destiny has nothing to do with Greta Thunberg's current high profile with CACC supporters.
(Recall that Allison Green (3.1.27) is the UK "Director" of the Scientists Warning blog, which may account for how this presentation came about.)
3) Greta's nomination for a Nobel Prize for Peace is as big a joke as the 2007 award to the IPCC and Al Gore The UK's High Court found Al Gore guilty of spreading a highly misleading CACC message with his dramatic pseudo-scientific production "An Inconvenient Truth",used by teachers in an attempt to indoctrinate UK schoolchildren with CACC propaganda. The court found 9 significant misleading errors among numerous others, ruling that " ..
- in order to show this movie to the children teachers must make clear that the film is a political work and promotes only one side of the argument.
- If teachers present the film without making this plain they may be in breach of section 406 of the Education Act 1996 and guilty of political indoctrination.
- Nine inaccuracies have to be specifically drawn to the attention of school children .. "
4) Both of Greta's parents have achieved success in the arts, Malena as a singer and Svante as an actor/producer/writer but neither demonstrate any competence in any science. Svante's father, actor Olof Thunberg, is descended from Carolina Thunberg, the wife of renowned physicist Svante Arrhenius's father (https://www.encyclopedia.com/people/science-and-technology/chemistry-biographies/svante-august-arrhenius). That brilliant physical chemist was awarded the 1903 Nobel Prize for Chemistry and. " .. was the first to use basic principles of physical chemistry to estimate the extent to which increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide are responsible for the Earth's increasing surface temperature .. " (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Svante_Arrhenius).
It has been claimed that Greta Thunberg's father was named after Svante Arrhenius, which may be correct because tof that distant family relationship. Some have gone so far as to claim that he (hence Greta) is even a descendent of Arrhenius. That is incorrect if the relationship is simply through Arrhenius's mother.
Thunberg genes were passed on to Svante Arrhenius so he may have enjoyed some artistic talent in addition to his scientific brilliance. There is no evidence that Greta or her father have benefited from anyone's "science" genes. On the contrary, they appear to have no scientific competence whatever between them, .
Thunberg genes were passed on to Svante Arrhenius so he may have enjoyed some artistic talent in addition to his scientific brilliance. There is no evidence that Greta or her father have benefited from anyone's "science" genes. On the contrary, they appear to have no scientific competence whatever between them, .
5) Of course, rather than Greta having been simply raised inappropriately for someone with her particular attributes, the whole escapade that brought her to stardom might have been been very carefully orchestrated! Could that possibly be the case, rather than just a natural emotional reaction to the pleas of a disturbed youngster? With people like Ingmar Rentzhog and Al Gore (see Footnote 3 above) involved from very early on one has to wonder!!!!! - see "The Greta deception" ((http://www.iamawake.co/
Even better, Rentzhog says " .. I have been an entrepreneur my entire adult life. I founded one of Sweden’s biggest financial communications firm back in 2004 and it has been a profitable company ever since .. ". Looks just what Gail Bradbrook and associates need - an expert in " .. securing your own salary .. " (see sub-section 3.1.1).
A6.4 Relevant Quotes From Long Ago
Michael de Montaigne (1533-92) " .. Nothing is so firmly believed as that which we least know .. ".
Francis Bacon (1561-1626) " .. These idols are built up in the field of theology, philosophy, and science, and because they are defended by learned groups are accepted without question by the masses. When false philosophies have .. attained a wide sphere of dominion in the world .. they are no longer questioned. False superstructures are raised on false foundations, and in the end systems barren of merit parade their grandeur on the stage of the world .. They say it is observed in the Low Countries (I know not in what part), that every five and thirty years the same kind and suit of years and weathers comes about again; as great frosts, great wet, great droughts, warm winters, summers with little heat, and the like .. ".
Appendix A7 - "Deep Adaptation: A Map for Navigating Climate Tragedy"
Professor Jem Bendfell (sub-section 3.1.50) is responsible for the concept of 'Deep Adaptation: A Map for Navigating Climate Tragedy' (https://www.lifeworth.com/deepadaptation.pdf) – thanks to Jem, “tragedy” can now be added to the fantasised outcomes arising from our burgeoning use of fossil fuels, i.e. "climate change emergency/chaos/crisis/tragedy”.
In the "acknowledgements" for his July 2018 IFLAS article on the concept he commented " .. I had to block out time to review climate science for the first time since I was at Cambridge University in 1994 .. ". It appears from Jem's list of references (pages 27-34 of his article) that his "review" was simply of scare-mongering propaganda about the fantasised catastrophic impact of our use of fossil fuels on the different global climates (much of which has originated from Cambridge University, a globally renowned hot-bed of CACC propaganda).
Jem is happy to refer to articles by CACC-supporting organisations like WWF, the Guardian, Huffington Post, Washingtion Post and New York Magazine. Like most devout CACC evangelists with inadequate expertise in the hard sciences, Jem chooses to ignore the arguments of appropriately qualified, trained and experienced CACC sceptics like those mentioned in the main article, sub-section 3.1.50, Footnote 3.
Jem claims that " .. The purpose of this conceptual paper is to provide readers with an opportunity to reassess their work and life in the face of an inevitable near- term social collapse due to climate change .. with serious ramifications for the lives of readers .. it is premised on the view that social collapse is now inevitable .. The author believes this is one of the first papers in the sustainability management field to conclude that climate-induced societal collapse is now inevitable in the near term
.. I outline a “Deep Adaptation Agenda” to help guide discussions on what we might do once we recognise climate change is an unfolding tragedy .. the information on our climate predicament is so negative .. (NB: the CACC propaganda used as the foundation for Jem's "deep adaptation agenda" is NOT information - i.e. facts provided or learned about. Wild speculation is not fact) .. impacts will be far more rapid and severe than predictions based on linear projections .. the changes no longer correlate with the rate of anthropogenic carbon emissions (NB: not a mention from Jem of the FACT that even CACC-supporting scientists recognise that there has been virtually no change in mean global temperature throughout this century - the hiatus - despite the steady increase in atmospheric CO2) .. In other words - ‘runaway climate change.’ .. " (bold added).
Jem’s beliefs in inevitable near-term societal collapse induced by a fantasised unfolding climate tragedy arising from our burgeoning use of fossil fuels are fundamental to the CACC hypothesis. Fortunately there is no convincing scientific evidence to support them - only that there is indeed a potential (but insignificant) warming effect arising from the increasing atmospheric "greenhouse" gasses like carbon dioxide (not carbon, as Jem and other CACC scaremongers prefer to call it). This FACT is not disputed by relevantly qualified and experienced CACC-sceptical scientists such as those listed in sub-section 3.1.50, Footnote 3.
Perhaps the most revealing and pertinent comment in Jem's article is his (petulant?) response to criticism from one of the paper's reviewers. That review was on behalf of the non-scientific Sustainability Accounting, Management and Policy Journal to which it was initially submitted hoping for publication but rejected.
That critical review included " ..The authors stress repeatedly that “climate-induced societal collapse is now inevitable” as if that was a factual statement... I was left wondering about the social implications of presenting a scenario for the future as inevitable reality, and about the responsibility of research in communicating climate change scenarios and strategies for adaptation. As the authors pointed out, denial is a common emotional response to situations that are perceived as threatening and inescapable, leading to a sense of helplessness, inadequacy, and hopelessness and ultimately disengagement from the issue .. ”.
Jem responded " .. The trauma from assessing our situation with climate change has led me to become aware of and drop some of my past preoccupations and tactics. I realise it is time to fully accept my truth as I see it, even if partially formed and not polished yet for wider articulation. I know that academia involves as much a process of wrapping up truth as unfolding it. We wrap truth in disciplines, discrete methodologies, away from the body, away from intuition, away from the collective, away from the everyday. So as that is my truth then I wish to act on it as well, and not keep this analysis hidden in the pursuit of academic respect. Instead, I want to share it now as a tool for shifting the quality of conversations that I need to have. Therefore, I have decided to publish it simply as an IFLAS Occasional Paper .. The process has helped me realise that I need to relinquish activities that I no longer have passion for .. Therefore, I must step back from the Editorial team of the journal ., " (see pages 35/6 of the article).
During his participation in XR's anti-fracking disruption in April 2019 Jem spoke at length about "truth" and offered his version of truth about CACC " .. The truth is that climate change is unfolding faster and harder than we were told was likely. Seventeen of the eighteen hottest years ever recorded have occurred since the year 2000. We have woken up to the warm dawn of dangerously hot century. The colourless blanket of carbon gases wrapping our planet is trapping so much heat that forests are catching fire and harvests failing. Already there have been more forest fires in the UK in 2019 than ever recorded. The last highest year was 2018. Also last year we saw how chaotic weather could begin to threaten our own lives. In the UK and in many European countries the production of grains and open-air vegetables fell by over twenty percent. The climate emergency is therefore about all of us, and the future of our food and water. Yet humanity is heading in the wrong direction, with carbon emissions rising last year faster than ever .. the IPCC report in October .. said we have to make massive cuts right now, each year for the next 12 years to have a chance of avoiding catastrophe .. climate change is now a matter of national security. It is disrupting food production and water supplies. It threatens the future of Britain as a stable and prosperous country " (https://jembendell.com/2019/04/29/come-clean-or-step-down-speech-at-the-fracking-shale-gas-site-of-cuadrilla-lancashire/).
It is opined that Jem's decision to "fully accept my truth as I see it, even if partially formed and not polished yet .. " is akin to the faith of those whose pseudo-scientific "truth" derives from what is written in their "bible", despite the lack of any convincing evidence of an omnipotent being or "intelligent design" of the Universe (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intelligent_design).
Faith has no place in science.
As Ronald Bailey said in March 2019 " .. I must conclude, that .. Bendell is engaging in "apocalypse abuse." Like earlier practitioners of that suspect craft, Bendell operates chiefly by extrapolating only the most horrendous trends, while systematically ignoring any ameliorating or optimistic ones, offering worst-case scenarios in the guise of balanced presentations .. " (https://reason.com/2019/03/29/good-news-no-need-to-have-a-mental-break/).
Respected CACC sceptic Paul Holmwood also made critical comments about the UK's propaganda bureau BBC giving air-time to Jem and his nonsense about CACC, including " .. It is the usual muddle of warped thinking .. " (https://notalotofpeopleknowthat.wordpress.com/2019/05/16/bbcs-eco-anxiety/)
Respected CACC sceptic Paul Holmwood also made critical comments about the UK's propaganda bureau BBC giving air-time to Jem and his nonsense about CACC, including " .. It is the usual muddle of warped thinking .. " (https://notalotofpeopleknowthat.wordpress.com/2019/05/16/bbcs-eco-anxiety/)
It is worthwhile noting that the concept of adapting to whatever changes in the different global climates Mother Nature decides to throw at us is nothing new. Since life on Earth began "deep adaptation" has been the driving force behind the sustainability of life - although on occasions Mother Nature has decided that it was time for a drastic change. No doubt she has the same plans for present life forms, but not through of our burgeoning use of those wonderful fossil fuels that she has made available to us.
Appendix A8 "CACC, XR, Sustainability, Global Citizenship and Indoctrination"
A8.1 Introduction
The notion of imminent climate catastrophe/chaos/crisis/tragedy/etc.etc.etc. (CACC) links Extinction Rebellion and the notions of Sustainability and Global Citizenship.
Speculation about looming Catastrophic Anthropogenic Climate Change (CACC) arising from our use of fossil fuels has been promoted by politicians, environmentalists and the media for decades. In the 1970s the scaremongering was about global cooling towards a new ice-age It became global warming in the 1980's and more recently global climate change (near-surface based global measurements suggest a small mean global temperature increase of less than 1C during the last century, while they and more recent satellite measurements suggest no increase this century, even possible cooling). More on this is presented in Appendix A6.
Indoctrination of youngsters is not a new issue, having been practiced very effectively for centuries, a prime example being religious "education". A major concern about indoctrination of UK students wrt CACC was raised in 2007 (see the main article Sub-section 3.1.50, Footnote x+1?). Promotion of "Sustainability" within the political hierarchy (from the top level of UN down to local council level) appears to underpin this recent version of indoctrination in schools.
The introduction of Development Education Centres in the UK (and globally) stems from the UN's" Decade of Education for Sustainable Development 2005/14" (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Decade_of_Education_for_Sustainable_Development).
A leading figure in the Uk's "development education" activities is Douglas Bourn, who is a manager of the HEC (see A8.3.1.1).
At the top of the UK's DEC hierarchy is the Consortium of Development Education Centres (CoDEC - see sub-section A8.2).
It does not come as a surprise that Laura Goad (see A8.3) is a Director of CoDEC along with Alia al Zougbi (see A8.3.1) or that Jem Bedner's partner Katie Carr is a former Director.
TO BE UPDATED
A8.2 The Consortium of Development Education Centres
The Consortium of Development Education Centres (CoDEC - https://www.codec.org.uk/) comprises members from nearly 80 UK local authorities. It is a private company, limited by guarantee (#07198365), registered in 2010 by Eleanor Knowles (nee Thorpe).
The company's Registered office address is that of CDEC, in Low Nook, Rydal Road, Ambleside, Cumbria, the same location as the University of Cumbria. It moved to Lancashire Global Education Centre a year later but returned to CDEC in 2016.
The three subscribers at registration were Cumbria (signatory Eleanor Knowles), Leeds (Patricia Sandbach) and South Yorkshire (Robert Unwin) DECs.
Although the CDEC web-page of Trustees recognises Vice-Chair Eleanor's early involvement with CDEC (1991) it makes no mention of the fact that she initiated the registration of DEC overlord CoDEC in 2010.
A8.3 The Cumbria Development Education Centre
CoDEC member (or is it alter ego?) CDEC (a charity, unlike CoDEC) has close links with Katie Carr, the partner of Jem Bendell (Main article, Sub-section 3.1.50). Katie was a Director of CDEC and is now an associate trainer (https://www.cdec.org.uk/about-us/meet-the-team/) with the Cumbria Development Education Centre, (a charity, #1156649). " .. we have strong links with .. the University of Cumbria, where we have ongoing links with the Institute for Leadership and Sustainability .. CDEC’s existing object as a charity in playing a leading role in the development of global citizenship as central to educational thinking in Cumbria .. " (pages 10 and 11 of http://apps.charitycommission.gov.uk/Accounts/Ends49/0001156649_AC_20190331_E_C.pdf).
The EU has been a major source of CEDC funds (90%) and the major expenditure was 36% on "staff costs" (3 full-time equivalent) and 50% on "Transfers to partners" (see page 20, Note 5 and page 21 Note 7 of the CDEC accounts).
The response of CDEC director Laura Jane Goad (45) to a request for further details included
- " .. This funding has been incredibly important .. leaving the EU will have an impact on this. .. we and the charities in the DEC sector have been mindful of the changes and those impacts and as a result we have been exploring other ways of working and other funders. We have secured funding from UK grant making organisations, like Big Lottery for example .. ",
- " .. Our board is ‘voluntary’ but we do have a staff team. The current ration is 4 members of paid staff and 4 volunteers, plus 8 board members .. ",
- " .. As part of our EU funding currently (and in the past), CDEC has been a lead partner. This means we receive the full grant and then transfer the partner proportion. Currently, we have 3 partners involved in 1 EU project .. " who are
- " .. HEC global learning centre- another DEC in England and with SEVER in the Czech Republic and SOSNA in Slovakia. The project is called Sankofa- storytelling in a digital age .. ".
CDEC provides some information about the Sankofa project on its web-site (https://www.cdec.org.uk/what-we-offer/projects/sankofa/). On the surface it appears to be a worthwhile project helping to improve educational techniques using today's technology, but is there any reason to worry about indoctrination with CACC propaganda?
It is clear that CDEC runs that risk, considering its close links with Jem Bendell's IFLAS, but do partners HEC, SEVER abd SOSNA?
It is worthwhile taking a closer look at each of those lucky recipients of that £46000
from the CDEC coffers and try to understand why CDEC functions as an intermediary between EU coffers and the pockets of other EU member states. After all, isn't the CDEC close to the bottom of the European branch of the "global citizenship hierarchy" of UN, EU, UK, England, Cumbria?
TO BE UPDATED
A8.3.1 HEC Global Learning Centre, London
HEC is effectively a London Borough of Tower Hamlets subsidiary, with some additional funding from the EU's Erasmus+ project (programme for education, training, youth and sport) and the British Council.
" .. HEC .. works with schools and the community to promote a global perspective on equality, justice and sustainability .. We create innovative projects .. to co-produce active responses to the most urgent challenges our world faces today ..
Global Learning, or Global Citizenship Education, aims to empower learners to engage and assume active roles .. to face and resolve global challenges .. It .. emphasizes the need to foster the knowledge, skills, values, attitudes and behaviours that allow individuals to .. take informed decisions ..
Alia Al Zougbi is Head of the HEC .. and is among the core teaching staff at the British Museum. Her background as a social anthropologist and an artist-educator is in using theatre and performance tools to engage schools and communities in critical conversation around .. " (http://www.globallearninglondon.org/about-hec/).
It is noteworthy that Alia (39) is also Director of CoDEC (see 8.1)..
The HEC has a seven-strong management committee.
TO BE UPDATED
A8.3.1.1 Douglas (Doug) Bourn
UCL's " .. Douglas Bourn is the Director of the Development Education Research Centre, Institute of Education, University College London and editor of the International Journal of Development Education and Global Learning .. " (https://www.developmenteducationreview.com/issue/issue-20/development-education-global-learning-changing-agendas-and-priorities).
Doug is not only a committed supporter of the political version of "sustainability but appears to be a staunch supporter of the CACC hypothesis. A Guardian article "Move to drop debate on climate change in schools faces backlash" reported that " .. Doug Bourn .. said dropping all mentions in the proposed slimmed-down geography curriculum allowed teachers to choose whether to include climate change but would make it easy for them to ignore it. 'Climate change is important,' he said. 'The danger is that it will now not be taught at all or that the vacuum could be filled by people who are not positive about it, like deniers' .. " (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/t2013/mar/18/climate-change-schools-backlash).
TO BE UPDATED
A8.3.1.2 Annika Eadie-Catling
TO BE UPDATED
A8.3.1.3 Alison Gawthrope
TO BE UPDATED
A8.3.1.4 Gillian Harris
TO BE UPDATED
A8.3.1.5 Naheeda Maharasingam
TO BE UPDATED
A8.3.1.6 Sheila Tucker
TO BE UPDATED
A8.3.1.7 Ros Wade
TO BE UPDATED
A8.3.2. SEVER, Czech Republic
SEVER is one of the largest and oldest Czech non-governmental organizations in the field of environmental and development education (sustainability education).. In our work, we pursue sustainable life on Earth. Through practical environmental education and awareness-raising ..We organize educational projects .. for primary and secondary schools .. offering courses, seminars, consultations, conferences, internships, teaching aids and literature for educators and pedagogy students. We also educate other groups of adults .. ".
It goes on to say " .. some of the most interesting projects we have worked on .. ":
- " .. educatting teachers on global climate change. Pupils undertook to find out how much energy their school consumes, investigated where energy is wasted and proposed practical action to save energy .. ",
- " .. at a series of simulated international conference on climate change, students played the delegates of individual member countries and attempted to agree on the best way towards minimizing future emissions .. " (https://sever.ekologickavychova.cz/sever-the-rychory-centre-of-environmental-education-and-ethics/).
In a nut shell, SEVER is a CACC-supporting education development organisation like CDEC.
TO BE UPDATED
A8.3.3 SOSNA, Slovakia
SOSNA was founded in 1992 by environmentalist Dr. Stefan Szabo, who says " .. I focus on issues of local sustainability and self-sufficiency, as well as environmental education and training of different age groups. Together with Silvia we also design natural gardens (festival.permakultura.sk/ucinkujuci/ing-stefan-szabo-phd/). " .. from the beginning focused on environmental education. SOSNA has built its Eco-Center with the Natural Garden, which is a unique and inspiring example of an independent education center in Slovakia .. " (http://www.sosna.sk/node/23).
Stefan's "natural gardening" partner Sylvia (Szabóová) is a specialist in wetland restoration.
Although the SOSNA web-site gives some very useful guidance on setting up and maintaining a school garden (http://sosna.sk/sites/default/files/art_of_gardens_en.pdf) little is said about its attitude towards the CACC hypothesis. When asked for a sample of the CACC educational material that SOSNA uses Stefan said " .. Concerning climate issues, our programmes are focused on design and development of school Climate gardens. We also have programs dealing with climate adaptation measures on school and private gardens .. ".
Stefan has been asked if he will clarify what are the basic premises for SOSNA's climate adaptation programs, considering that its Sankofa partners CDEC, HEC and SEVER are all committed supporters of the questionable CACC hypothesis.
TO BE UPDATED
Appendix A9 RELATED ECO-ACTIVIST ORGANISATIONS
TO BE UPDATED
A9.1 Deep Green Resistance
The radical environmental movement of eco-saboteurs known as Deep Green Resistance (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deep_Green_Resistance) originated in North America. It claims to have "chapters" elsewhere, although these appear to be one-person operations or simply web-sites set up by the USA headquarters. Its "bible" is the 2011 book "Deep Green Resistance: Strategy to Save the Planet" by rabble-rousers Derrick Jensen, Lierre Keith, and Aric McBay (see Footnote 1 of this sub-section) .
“ .. The book identifies civilization, patriarchy, and capitalism as the brutal arrangements of power that need to be dismantled if there is any chance of a liveable planet in the future. DGR argues for a concerted, focused, and serious resistance movement that can stop the murder of the planet before it‘s too late .. Those in DGR believe that the problems we face are systemic and reformist solutions will not work while industrial civilisation/capitalism still exists .. “(https://deepgreenresistance.uk/about-dgr-uk/).
A9.1.1 Deep Green Resistance Hawaii
Scaremongering American radical ecology/permaculture activist and CACC evangelist Norris Thomlinson appears to run the tiny Hawaii chapter of Deep Green Resistance (https://deepgreenresistancehawaii.org/) which he joined in April 2013 (see Footnotes 2 and 3 of this sub-section). For many years Norris has been dedicated to saving the planet from a fantasised climate and ecological catastrophe. He imagines that our economic and political systems are driving civilisation and ecology to near-term destruction. On that basis Norris, like the founding members of XR, advocates their collapse.
Tied as these systems are to our burgeoning use of fossil fuels, Norris runs the "StopFossilFuels" blog as part of his campaign for "crashing the system as soon as possible". On his blog Norris says " .. Our first assumption will be that dangerous climate change involving a temperature rise of at least 4°C by 2100 is now inevitable .. " (https://stopfossilfuels.org/climate-disruption/catastrophic-without-direct-action/). He provides not a scrap of scientific evidence to support that wild assumption and makes no mention of the evidence that there has been virtually no increase in mean global temperature during this century, despite a continuing steady increase in atmospheric CO2.
In 2014 Norris said of industrial civilisation (see Footnote 2) that " .. collapsing the system .. follows very logically if you agree that (it) :
1. is degrading our landbases every day it continues ..
2. will collapse sooner or later regardless of what we do
3. will not divert its resources into healing our landbases before it collapses
The facts back up .. our dire situation, including imminent climate catastrophe if we continue with anything like business as usual. .. The industrial economy consists of turning living ecosystems into dead commodities, and .. It’s headed for an endgame of total planetary destruction before itself collapsing.
So I fully agree with crashing the system as soon as possible .. " (https://dgrnewsservice.org/resistance/strategy/demand-crash-response-david-holmgren/).
Referring to the book "Deep Green Resistance", Norris said in 2013 that " .. They lay out a strategy of simultaneously dismantling industrial civilization (primarily through underground activists sabotaging and disrupting critical industrial infrastructure), while networking aboveground activists to rebuild local alternative systems to take over as the global systems collapse (which will occur, sooner or later, whether or not an underground accelerates that collapse.) .. " (https://www.opednews.com/articles/From-Subsistence-to-Resist-by-Norris-Thomlinson-Anti-civilization_Permaculture_Resistance-131121-359.html).
In 2005/6 Norris was expressing concerns about catastrophic climate change and "peak oil" (e.g. see http://farmerscrub.blogspot.com/2005/08/). 10 years later he was pontificating that " .. an elimination of agriculture is not only possible, but necessary for survival of the human species .. all humans lived just fine without it prior to 10,000 years ago .. what’s needed to address our various crises: abolish agriculture, take down industrial civilization, dismantle patriarchy, etc. " (https://dgrnewsservice.org/civilization/ecocide/agriculture/film-review-open-sesame-the-story-of-seeds/).
What Norris chooses to ignore is the fact that the human race has not only survived the global development of agriculture and industry but continues to flourish because of them and the superior human intellect, It is claimed that the global population has increased from about 4M in 10,000 BC to 7700M in 2019 (https://ourworldindata.org/world-population-growth).
A9.1.2 Deep Green Resistance UK
Unlike its parent organisation “ .. Deep Green Resistance UK is an above-ground group .. we will not have any involvement in violent direct action, or promotion of specific criminal actions, but we will engage in non-violent direct action, as well as advocating for an active underground .. “ (https://deepgreenresistance.uk/about-dgr-uk/). The DGRUK web-site says nothing about its structure or membership.
DGR UK appears to be another tiny chapter, like DGR Hawaii, with at best a handful of members. There may even be a single member, one of DGR’s European co-ordinators, Republic of Ireland resident Sue Breen (see main article, sub-section 3.1.53). Sue was recently invited to shed light on DGRUK's structure and membership but appears to be very reluctant so to do, preferring evasive responses. Getting information about XRUK's structure and membership is worse than dragging teeth, perhaps because there is no real substance to DGRUK.
She was also invited to comment on DGR's relationship with Extinction Rebellion, an UK-based organisation with similar objectives to (but different tactics from) DGR.
.
Sue's first response was little more than an invitation to join DGR as a “Guardian”. In her second response she simply made reference to a 30th November 2019 DGR gathering in Conway Hall, London. That was a " .. panel discussion followed by audience Q-and-A ..The panelists:
- Lierre Keith .. writer, small farmer, and radical feminist activist .. coauthor, with Derrick Jensen and Aric McBay, of Deep Green Resistance: Strategy to Save the Planet ..
- Simon Be (see Footnote 4 of this sub-section). .. a gravedigger, celebrant, pagan and a holy troublemaker .. co-founded both Rising Up! and Extinction Rebellion and has been active with Earth First and other organisations.
- Shahidah Janjua .. a feminist activist, writer and campaigner .. campaigning against pornography, prostitution, violence against women and trafficking in women and children .. a founding member of the Women Into Politics project in the North of Ireland and a Refuge for Asian Women (Ashiana) in Sheffield .. her latest book of poetry, ‘Dimensions’, was published in Ireland in 2015 ..
- Nikki Clarke .. anti-nuclear activist .. co-founder of South West Against Nuclear, a direct-action based campaign that has had a specific focus on Hinkley .. arrested for non-violent protests on numerous occasions and has had several court cases for her actions against nuclear weapons, nuclear power and fracking in the UK .. "
- with an unidentified chairwoman(https://dgrnewsservice.org/resistance-culture/movement-building/london-nov-30th-by-any-means-necessary/).
DGR co-founder Lierre Keith was asked recently for contact details for the chairwoman but has remained silent on that.
Sue Breen's reaction to the suggestion that DGRUK had expired by simply referring to that Conway Hall gathering does nothing to show that DGRUK survives as more that a web-site and a revival aspiration. The gathering could just as well have been set up by Sue or the USA centre in an effort to attract interest from potential members. DGR appears most reluctant to disclose anything meaningful about its UK operation. Perhaps that is because it is operating as a secret "underground" cell, prepared to use physical sabotage of the manifestations of our thriving industrial civilisation. .
Sue also claimed that DGR had a good relationship with central XR members, referring to Simon Bramwell's presence as a panel member at Conway Hall. She also claimed that " .. Gail Bradbrook has publicly endorsed us .. " but has not yet substantiated that claim.
Julian Langer, a Barnstable, North Devon folk musician and writer, was once DGRUK’s leading (if not sole) member, posting several articles on the DGRUK web-site (see Footnote 5 of this appendix). He sees himself as an anti-civilization eco-radical/anarchist, guerrilla ontologist and philosopher " .. a lover of woods, deer, badgers and other wild beings .. and a grassroots activist .. julianlanger1@yahoo.co.uk .. " (https://ecorevoltblog.wordpress.com/about/).
Julian left DGR several years ago for various reasons, " .. most of which can be reduced to my general disagreements with the Left, but mostly because of the organisations stifling rigidity, because of its apparent anti-pluralism (which is very much an unconscious aspect of the group), the coinciding dogma that comes from that, and because I have little desire to be tied in any way to Jensen and Keith’s words regarding trans and queer folk and on anarchists .. " (https://ecorevoltblog.wordpress.com/2018/03/12/jensen-vs-the-anarchists/comment-page-1/).
Those appear to be similar to the reasons why DGR co-author/founder Aric McBay withdrew his involvement with the organisation (see Footnote 1, Para. 4 of this sub=section).
Julian advised recently (23rd December 2019) that " .. the organisation has done a lot to damage relationships between environmentalists, feminists, anti-patriarchs, anti-colonialists and other tendencies - damaged more than they’ve healed! .. " (see also Footnote 1 of this sub-section).
On the 6th January 2020 Julian repeated his earlier request (ignored by DGR) that all of his writings be removed from its web pages (https://dgrnewsservice.org/activists/deep-green-resistance/julian-langer/). DGR founding member Lierre Keith has assured him that this will be attended to, however, copies remain available on the WayBackMachine Internet archive.
Julian appears to be equally unimpressed by Extinction Rebellion, but for totally different reasons (https://ecorevoltblog.wordpress.com/2019/04/30/who-is-extinction-rebellion-an-open-question/comment-page-1/#comment-474). Where DGR is fully supportive of physically sabotaging the tools and acts of our industrial civilisation, XR espouses and incites only passive unlawful disruption in order to destroy our economic and political systems.
CACC evangelist Max Wilbert, of the DGR chapter in Eugene, Seattle, USA, is a long-serving DGR member (https://dgrnewsservice.org/activists/deep-green-resistance/max-wilbert/). He appears to function as a global coordinator for DGR, advising recently that the DGRUK contact is Sue Breen (see sub-section 3.1.53). It is very puzzling why someone from the IRISH REPUBLIC should represent DGR in the UNITED KINGDOM. This cannot be because there is no appetite in the UK for DGR’s anti-civilisation shenanigans. After all, Extinction Rebellion, which originated in the UK, appears to have very similar destructive objectives to those of DGR and enjoys a ridiculous degree of support from the “sheeople” in the UK and several other countries. Maybe it has something to do with UK citizens being rather more averse to violent rebellion than some, therefore the non-violent action promoted by XR is more appealing.
FOOTNOTES
1) Regarding the book "Deep Green Resistance: .. " QUOTE: .. The book describes itself as a "manual on how to build a resistance movement that will bring down industrial civilization and save the planet," and "evaluates strategic options for resistance, from nonviolence to guerrilla warfare, and the conditions required for those options to be successful."
After the publication of this book, the authors co-founded an organization by the same name .. UNQUOTE (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lierre_Keith).
Derrick Jensen (59) " .. is an American author, ecophilosopher, radical environmentalist and anti-civilization advocate .. Jensen's writing critiques the effects and concept of civilization, exploring what he describes as its inherent values, hidden premises, and modern links to supremacism, oppression and genocide, as well as to corporate, domestic, and worldwide ecological abuse.[4] He has consistently called for the guerrilla destruction of civilization and of Western culture, which he views as inherently unsustainable and as an inevitable cause of ecocide .. " (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derrick_Jensen).
Lierre Keith (55) " .. is an American writer, radical feminist, food activist, and environmentalist .. arrested six times .. lives in northern California .. " (http://www.lierrekeith.com/about/). " .. She began her public involvement in the feminist movement as the founding editor of Vanessa and Iris: A Journal for Young Feminists (1983–85) .. she also volunteered with a group called Women Against Violence Against Women in Cambridge, where she participated in educational events and protest campaigns .. In 1986 she was a founding member of Feminists Against Pornography .. She is a founding editor of Rain and Thunder, a radical feminist journal .. " (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lierre_Keith).
Aric McBay (??), a social and environmental justice activist " .... is an organizer, a farmer, and author .. He writes and speaks about effective social movements, and has organized campaigns around prison justice, Indigenous solidarity, pipelines, unionization, and other causes .. He lives near Kingston, Ontario .. " (https://www.aricmcbay.org/). Aric McBay left the organization at the beginning of 2012, however, attributing his departure to the alleged cancellation of a transgender-inclusive policy by Derrick Jensen and Lierre Keith. Deep Green Resistance has disputed this account, saying that the women's safe space policy was one issue among many and that the decision to restrict women's spaces was made by the women of DGR, and not by Jensen or Keith .. " (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lierre_Keith).
2) Norris Thomlinson previously lived in Portland, Oregon with his partner Theressa (aka Tulsey) Latoski " .. Theressa and I moved into the Portland Permaculture Institute at the end of October .. " (see https://farmerscrub.blogspot.com/2006/03/ and https://www.wweek.com/portland/article-24135-the-big-apple.html).
They provided details of their permaculture experiment in Portland (https://www.portlandoregon.gov/bes/article/428406).
He and Tulsey split up in February 2012 and in August he moved to Hawaii with new girlfriend Jasmine Vandenheuvel??? (see https://farmerscrub.blogspot.com/2012/08/ and https://farmerscrub.blogspot.com/2012/09/).
3) Norris feigns disdain for our industrial civilisation " .. I engaged with the larger community, trying to .. inspire others to disconnect, in part or whole, from the destructive systems of industrial civilization .. " (https://guymcpherson.com/2013/07/from-subsistence-to-resistance/). Despite that, Norris still appears to enjoy many of the benefits that it has brought, such as telephones, fridges, solar panels, chargers, computers, the Internet, movies, books, etc. (e.g. see his blog http://farmerscrub.blogspot.com/ and comments at https://guymcpherson.com/2013/07/from-subsistence-to-resistance/).
A quick look at his You-tube presentations shows him enjoying the use of a laptop (I-mac), a fine pair of spectacles and other benefits of modern civilisation,
In 2013 he tried to justify his dependence on the products of our industrial civilization with " .. , the use of compromising technologies and conveniences in the present would allow me to move ahead with my higher priority goals .. " (https://guymcpherson.com/2013/07/from-subsistence-to-resistance/).
The word "hypocrisy" springs to mind!
4) "Simon Be" is identified as being RisingUp/CompassionateRevolution/XR founding member Simon Bramwell. This was confirmed by the panel chairwomen when introducing him at the Conway Hall gathering (see https://dgrnewsservice.org/resistance/by-any-means-necessary/ at 1min. 9secs see also Page 14 of The Policy Exchange report (see Main Article Section 1.0, Footnote 1).
5) In one of his articles for DGR UK Julian Langer bemoaned the loss of " .. Devon’s dominant natural features .. grasses, broken up by hedges to mark differing areas of farmland .. " (https://deepgreenresistance.uk/civilization/ecocide/habitat-loss/situation-british-countryside/). Those particular "dominant natural features" that Julian Langer expresses concerned about arose because of the development of civilization through agriculture, followed by industrialisation, things that DGR wants to destroy.
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