EXTINCTION REBELLION DEMANDS SHEFFIELD CITY COUNCIL DECLARES A CLIMATE EMERGENCY

Extinction Rebellion Sheffield, Press Release for Action 6/2/19

For IMMEDIATE RELEASE 04/02/2019

Extinction Rebellion Demands Sheffield City Council Declares a Climate Emergency

• At 1PM on Wednesday 6th February Sheffield’s Extinction Rebellion will peacefully demonstrate at Sheffield’s Council Meeting.

• Sheffield’s Labour group has declared a climate emergency but with no specific goals. The declaration is welcome but talk is not enough, it’s time for action!

• Extinction Rebellion will support an amendment calling for a meaningful climate emergency declaration. This amendment will set an ambitious target to be carbon neutral by 2030.

• The council should also commit to buying council electricity from renewable sources and full divestment from all fossil fuels.

Banners will be waved outside the town hall from 13:00. Questions will be asked inside the council meeting at 14:00. Sheffield must hold its council to account. Everyone concerned about the environment is welcome and more information can be found on the Extinction Rebellion Sheffield Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/events/1188085694677545/

This protest will call on the council to act to protect Sheffield’s citizens and to raise awareness of the inevitable risks of climate and ecological collapse. Temperatures are rising, we have already lost 60% of our wildlife and government are doing next to nothing about it. Labour’s plan to declare an “emergency” is a major step forward but without specific targets looks like paying lip-service without commitment. It’s no longer enough to talk, it is time for action. Dr Aaron Thierry of Extinction Rebellion said “Declaring a climate emergency goes some way towards conveying the urgency of the situation we are in, but actions speak much louder than words”.

Fortunately, many are beginning to take action. Extinction Rebellion Sheffield now has hundreds of volunteers ready to rebel and demonstrate. Ordinary people are fed up with the lack of reporting in the media and endless government promises without progress. Dr Bing Jones, retired doctor, said “I am so frustrated at the lack of action on climate change that I have been arrested while protesting. Our ongoing daily consumption is ruining our children’s birthright”.

The UN’s IPCC Special Report tells us we have only 12 years to avoid terrible consequences for ourselves, our children and our grandchildren. The report also stresses the importance of local and regional government in catalysing the changes required.

Climate emergencies have been declared in councils of all political hues including London, Bristol, Manchester, Scarborough, Brighton. Extinction Rebellion is calling for Sheffield City Council to take the lead in our region.

As Sir David Attenborough has said: “We are now so numerous, so powerful, so all pervasive, the mechanisms we have for destruction are so wholesale and so frightening that we can exterminate whole ecosystems without even noticing it.”

Extinction Rebellion is an international non-violent direct action group that is asking for the government to take the science of climate change seriously, to decarbonise the economy immediately, and to establish a national assembly to oversee the transition.

ENDS

Contact: Nathan Strathdee 07741490906 njstrathdee1@sheffield.ac.uk

Dr Bing Jones 07711447306 bingportraits@gmail.com xrsheffield@gmail.com

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/events/1188085694677545/

Twitter: @XRShef

Notes to editors

Climate Factsheet for Rebels https://rebellion.earth/the-climate-factsheet-for-rebels/

About Extinction Rebellion

Time has almost entirely run out to address the ecological crisis which is upon us, including the 6th mass species extinction and abrupt, runaway climate change. Societal collapse and mass death are seen as inevitable by scientists and other credible voices, with human extinction also a possibility, if rapid action is not taken.

Extinction Rebellion believes it is a citizen’s duty to rebel, using peaceful civil disobedience, when faced with criminal inactivity by its Government.

Extinction Rebellion’s key demands are:

The Government must tell the truth about the ecological emergency, reverse inconsistent policies and work alongside the media to communicate with citizens The Government must enact legally binding policy measures to reduce carbon emissions to net zero by 2025 and to reduce consumption levels

A national Citizens’ Assembly to oversee the changes, as part of creating a democracy fit for purpose.

Get involved in Extinction Rebellion’s other events.

In the UK, come to one of our events, join the Rebellion Network and let us know how you can help out.

Start a group where you are – locally in the UK or in your country around the world

Find your local group:

https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=11jUqqjTHMThksd4KbvGGzb3I3Cr3PkBl&usp=sha

ring

Check out the International XR website, with links to the French, German, Italian and UK websites We are holding Collaborative Leadership Calls to help coach people to improve their leadership skills and capacities And while your time and energy are the most important things, if you are financially able to donate money, see our Fundrazr crowdfunder.

UK website: https://rebellion.earth/

International website: https://xrebellion.org/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ExtinctionRebellion/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ExtinctionR hashtag #ExtinctionRebellion

Declaration of Rebellion: https://rebellion.earth/declaration/

About Rising Up!

Extinction Rebellion is an initiative of the Rising Up! network, which promotes a fundamental change of our political and economic system to one which maximises well-being and minimises harm. Change needs to be nurtured in a culture of reverence, gratitude and inclusion; whilst the tools of civil disobedience and direct action are used to express our collective power.

Website http://www.risingup.org.uk/

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/RisingUpUK/

Twitter https://twitter.com/RisingUpUK