Instead of throwing soup at artwork, do something actually constructive and become a climate Yimby, suggests Chis Hocknell Many modern climate activists think they are following in the suffragette’s footsteps. I would argue the opposite. Just Stop Oil’s ill-conceived attacks on sport, art and even Stonehenge are irreversibly toxic to the climate conversation.
As a result, many moderate, climate-conscious citizens choose to simply stay silent. This needn’t be the case. The Labour Party has set out one of the loftiest climate agendas in British political history.
To achieve their ambitions, the chorus of “Yes In My Back Yard” must be loud enough to drown out the noises made by the vocal minority. Climate is creeping up the agenda in the minds of voters. A 2023 survey found that 80 per cent of UK residents had some level of concern about climate change, while 75 per cent of Brits expect renewables to provide a boost to the British economy.
Despite this public sentiment, climate activism remains alienating to many. Groups like Just Stop Oil are haemorrhaging support for the wider climate change agenda. A University of Bristol Survey found that 68 per cent of respondents disapprove of Just Stop Oil and its tactics.
Adjacent environmental groups have been infected by optical overspill; the electorate has placed groups like Greenpeace and Extinction Rebellion in the same mental bucket as Just Stop Oil. This disillusion is understandable. Beyond the nuisance of stopping fli.