Bermuda Post

Sunday, Mar 26, 2023

Climate protests: fury, and optimism, in the Glasgow rain

Climate protests: fury, and optimism, in the Glasgow rain

As Cop26 reached its halfway stage, mass rallies were held across the UK and around the world

Tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets of Glasgow on Saturday to demand stronger climate action from world leaders as the climate crisis summit reached its halfway stage.

Protests were also held in London and other parts of Britain. There were rallies in South Korea, Indonesia, the Netherlands and France. Environmental groups, charities, climate activists, trade unionists and indigenous people all joined the Glasgow march in heavy rain. Extinction Rebellion activists dressed as Ghostbusters while another group, Scientist Rebellion – wearing white lab coats – blocked King George V bridge, one of the city’s busiest routes.

Organisers claimed more than 100,000 people turned up for the march, which began in Kelvingrove Park in the city’s west end and finished at Glasgow Green in the east.

Lucy Bell, who works for the Vegan Kind, an online vegan supermarket based in Rutherglen, said: “There are so many people here from different backgrounds. It’s easy to get discouraged by the negotiations going on behind closed doors, but I’m feeling optimistic.”Cop26 delegates were also scattered among the huge crowds. Tracy Sonny, 37, a negotiator from Botswana, said he was taking part to show solidarity and to call for more unity. “We need to see more political will and a change in mindset ... we’re already feeling the impact of climate change; we need to respond now, people are drowning,” he said.The mood was “celebratory, positive and punchy”, according to Mary Martin from Coatbridge. She was “walking the walk”, she said, shivering against the strong wind. As for the progress of the climate talks, “I’m holding my breath,” she said.

In London, thousands of protesters, including trade unionists, refugee rights groups, students and environmentalists, marched from the Bank of England to Trafalgar Square, banging steel drums, chanting “one solution” and waving Extinction Rebellion banners reading “tell the truth”.

Cop26 delegates focused on nature yesterday, with a slew of pledges being made by UK supermarkets, which promised to halve their impact on the natural world.

Partnerships between developed and developing countries to conserve biodiversity and initiatives to promote sustainable agriculture were announced, while the governments of 26 countries including India, Germany, Australia, Ghana and Vietnam set out new commitments to make their farming policies less polluting. They also agreed to invest in scientific research on how to protect food supplies against the effects of the climate crisis.

“We are going low-carbon and high-nature,” Tony Juniper, chair of Natural England, said. “Sometimes there has been a sense of a trade-off, trying to sacrifice nature while going low-carbon. They were seen as separate, but there is a growing body of evidence showing people how you can do both.”Juniper pointed to recent reviews that have shown how clean water, clean air, food and a healthy environment were not valued adequately under current economic systems. “Now we are having a different conversation about nature – we can see the economic necessity, the social necessity of protecting nature, as well as the ethical and moral drivers.”

Developing countries coming to Glasgow could draw a lesson from the scars of industrialisation all around the UK, in the pollution of upland areas, the despoliation of forests and other natural habitats, and the toxic legacy of old mines, Juniper added. “They can leapfrog these dirtiest stages of development we went through and go directly to sustainable development.”He also rejected the idea that moving to a low-carbon lifestyle would involve sacrifice. “The way I would look at it is not to think about sacrifice but about gain. We gain human health, wellbeing, social cohesion. We gain jobs and peace and security.”

The actor Idris Elba warned policymakers and the media that they risked ignoring a continent “that is central to the solution” of climate change if they did not include African voices in public debate. The star of The Wire and Luther, accompanied by his wife Sabrina, joined a panel on sustainable food production at the climate talks. The couple are both goodwill ambassadors for the UN’s International Fund for Agricultural Development. Also present was Ugandan climate activist Vanessa Nakate.

Idris Elba and his wife, Sabrina Dhowre, are goodwill ambassadors on agricultural development for the UN.


Asked why it was important that the voices of people of colour are heard as the world attempts to decarbonise food production, Elba replied: “I think Sabrina and I stand here as human beings first, but absolutely, yes, it is important for us as proud Africans to be a part of this debate.”

As the conference enters its final week, Boris Johnson urged delegates “to drive for the line”.

“We have seen nations bring ambition and action to help limit rising temperatures, with new pledges to cut carbon and methane emissions, end deforestation, phase out coal and provide more finance to countries most vulnerable to climate change,” he said. “But we cannot underestimate the task at hand to keep 1.5C alive. Countries must come back to the table this week ready to make the bold compromises and ambitious commitments.”

Newsletter

Related Articles

Bermuda Post
Close
0:00
0:00
In a dramatic U-turn against His Government: Judicial Overhaul Legislation Must Be Halted, Says Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant
Powell: Silicon Valley Bank was an 'outlier'
Donald Trump arrested – Twitter goes wild with doctored pictures
NYPD is setting up barricades outside Manhattan Criminal Court ahead of Trump arrest.
Credit Suisse's Scandalous History Resulted in an Obvious Collapse - It's time for regulators who fail to do their job to be held accountable and serve as an example by being behind bars.
Home Secretary Suella Braverman tours potential migrant housing in Rwanda as asylum deal remains mired in legal challenges
Paris Rioting vs Macron anti democratic law
'Sexual Fantasy' Assignment At US School Outrages Parents
Credit Suisse to borrow $54 billion from Swiss central bank
Russian Hackers Preparing New Cyber Assault Against Ukraine
Jeremy Hunt insists his Budget will get young parents and over-50s back into work
If this was in Tehran, Moscow or Hong Kong
Nashville police officer, and a female driver shooting one another
TRUMP: "Standing before you today, I am the only candidate who can make this promise: I will prevent World War III."
Mexican President Claims Mexico is Safer than the U.S.
A brief banking situation report
Lady bites police officer and gets instantly reaction
We are witnessing widespread bank fails and the president just gave a 5 min speech then walked off camera.
Donald Trump's asked by Tucker Carlson question on if the U.S. should support regime change in Russia?.
'No relation to the American SVB': India's SVC Bank acts to calm depositors amid brand name confusion.
Good news: The U.S. government is now guaranteeing all deposits, held by, Silicon Valley Bank, and the funds are available as of today
Silicon Valley Bank exec was Lehman Brothers CFO
In a potential last-ditch effort, HSBC is considering a rescue deal to save Silicon Valley Bank UK from insolvency
BBC Director General, Tim Davie, has apologized, but not resigned, yet, following the disruption of sports programmes over the weekend
Elon Musk Is Planning To Build A Town In Texas For His Employees
The Silicon Valley Bank’s collapse effect is spreading around the world, affecting startup companies across the globe
City officials in Berlin announced on Thursday that all swimmers at public pools will soon be allowed to swim topless
Fitness scam
Market Chaos as USDC Loses Peg to USD after $3.3 Billion Reserves Held by Silicon Valley Bank Closed.
A primitive judge in Australia sparked outrage when he told a breastfeeding woman to leave his courtroom for being “a distraction"
Barcelona is feeling the heat as they face corruption charges over payments to former vice-president of Spain's referees' committee, Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira
Senator Tom Cotton: If the Mexican Government Won’t Stop Cartels from Killing Americans, Then U.S. Government Should
Banking regulators close SVB, the largest bank failure since the financial crisis
The unelected UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, an immigrant himself, defends new controversial crackdown on illegal migration
Old clip of Bill Gates saying Ukraine is a big, fat, corrupt sinkhole is going viral
Man’s penis amputated by mistake after he’s wrongly diagnosed with a tumour
In a major snub to Downing Street's Silicon Valley dreams, UK chip giant Arm has dealt a serious blow to the government's economic strategy by opting for a US listing
How do stolen goods end up on Amazon, eBay and Facebook Marketplace?
It's the question on everyone's lips: could a four-day workweek be the future of employment?
Is Gold the Ultimate Safe Haven Asset in Times of Uncertainty?
Spain officials quit over trains that were too wide for tunnels...
Don Lemon, a CNN anchor, has provided a list of five areas that he believes the black community needs to address.
Hello. Here is our news digest from London.
Corruption and Influence Buying Uncovered in International Mainstream Media: Investigation Reveals Growing Disinformation Mercenaries
Givenchy Store in New York Robbed of $50,000 in Merchandise
European MP Clare Daly condemns US attack on Nord Stream
Former U.S. President Carter will spend his remaining time at home and receive hospice care instead of medication
Tucker Carlson called Trump a 'demonic force'
US Joins 15 NATO Nations in Largest Space Data Collection Initiative in History
White House: No ETs over the United States
×