‘I will not be a bystander’ Two years on from Parliament’s declaration of climate emergency local person takes action in Frome with 100s of others around the UK

A local person stopped traffic on the corner of Portway and Locks Hill for over an hour by peacefully sitting in the road as part of a national protest about climate change.

Alex Hart was one of over 200 people across the UK speaking out about what they say is the government’s “inaction on climate”, two years on from Parliament’s declaration of an environment and climate emergency. 

As lockdown rules began to lift in the UK, people blocked roads from Aberdeen to Birmingham to Yarmouth and beyond, to say they will no longer stand by while the UK Government lies to the public about its tepid plans to tackle the climate crisis.

The action was part of an approach developed during the Covid-19 pandemic by members of Extinction Rebellion, in which people can engage in civil disobedience alone, yet united.

Alex sat in the road on Saturday 1st May wearing a sign that said, “I’m terrified that clean air and bees will too soon be a thing of the past because of the climate crisis.”

Alex, 48, a forest school leader from Frome, said, “I’m furious to see people sleep walking (and driving) into a horrific scenario wherein humans are the last species left on earth and we can’t even breathe. 

“I want to wake up the good people with whom I share this beautiful part of the world to be proactive and not wait for our self-absorbed government to make the changes necessary to prevent climate disaster.

“Two years ago today the UK Parliament declared an environment and climate emergency. And yet in February this year chief executive of the Environment Agency Sir James Bevan said that the UK is hitting worst case environmental scenarios that if left unchecked would collapse ecosystems, slash crop yields, take out the infrastructure that our civilisation depends on, and destroy the basis of the modern economy and modern society. 

“The Committee on Climate Change and the National Audit Office who are tasked with monitoring the Government are warning the public that their climate plans are failing to materialise. Our leaders are still not taking this seriously. It’s time for ordinary people to step up and demand action.”

Alex sat in the road for an hour while a mix of enraged and supportive drivers tried to get round the cones the sympathetic police officer put in the road. Eventually it was felt that the point had been made and Alex chose to unblock the road again. 

Alex continues, “The action comes amid growing unrest around the Police, Crimes, Sentencing and Courts Bill which has seen movements, organisations, unions and individuals standing together to defy a government and police force with too much undemocratic power. 

“Rebellion of One is just one part of a huge day of action on International Workers’ Day across the UK, with Kill the Bill protests taking place in cities across the country, defending the right to speak truth to power and standing up for the right to protest.

“As we emerge from the devastation of Covid-19, the UK Government is telling the public it has the climate and ecological crisis in hand. With the eyes of the world on the UK – the hosts of the COP26 climate summit – the Prime Minister claims the government is committed to ‘building back greener’ from the pandemic. 

“However, in the past 6 months, £27bn has been invested in new roads and the Heathrow expansion ruling was overturned. 

“A report by Positive Money found that by June last year 56% of Covid funding distributed by the Bank of England went to carbon intensive industries, including airlines, car manufacturers and oil and gas companies.

“The Committee on Climate Change – the body tasked with monitoring government progress on reducing admissions – said in its progress report last June that the UK has failed on 17 out of 21 progress indicators, falling further behind in many areas and that just two of 31 key policy milestones have been met over the year since parliament declared emergency.

“In December last year, the National Audit Office found that the UK Government is predicted to fail to meet its existing climate targets and said that a radical reassessment of priorities was needed.”