Extinction Rebellion protest ‘carbon bombs’ and warm of irreversible damage of new fossil fuel projects

At 12pm in Falcon Square, Inverness on 23rd July members of Extinction Rebellion Highlands & Islands and Extinction Rebellion Moray will perform a ‘die in’ to highlight the dangers of new fossil fuel projects and Investment. An investigation by The Guardian recently reported that the world’s biggest fossil fuel firms have 195 “carbon bomb” projects either in planning stages or in operation that would each emit at least 1bn tonnes of CO2. If these projects, as well as UK based, projects such as Jackdaw oil field and Cambo oil field, go ahead the Paris Agreement target of keeping warming well below 1.5 degrees of warming will become out of reach. This means drought, wildfires, food shortages, mass displacement, increased extreme weather events, flooding, and countless avoidable deaths around the world.

The ’Die In’ will include a large make shift oil platform, paper mache carbon “bombs” and people acting out death in the wake of continued oil and gas projects. Extinction Rebellion group stress this is not science fiction, but the scientific reality we are facing. This is what the leading climate scientists (IPCC) are predicting. If we do not halt and reverve our dependency on oil and gas millions will be displaced or die.

The consequences of the climate crisis and emissions of fossil fuels projects is becoming increasingly close to home with UK experiencing record temperatures this week, wildfires across England, home burning, Spain experiencing unpresidented wildfires and the horn of africa facing mass stravation and displacement as a result of climate enduced drought.

Extinction Rebellion are using this stunt to raise the alarm that we are now living through a global climate emergency and calling for the UK government to reject any new oil and gas projects. Global gas prices are driving up our bills; the UK energy secretary recently admitted that new Uk based oil and gas projects will not affect global gas prices (and therefore not reduce household energy bills).

Extinction Rebellion spokesperson Allan Gray said “Energy companies are making record profits whilst your bills rise. They will only pocket the profits of new gas projects whilst you and I pay the price. We will pay the price on our energy bills and we will pay the price as we hurtle towards irreversible climate breakdown. If we want to reduce household bills we should be moving towards the cheapest energy, not lining pockets of the biggest polluters.

The UN sectrary general, Antonio Gueteres, was recently quotes as sayinng “Investing in new fossil fuel infrastrcuture is moral and economic madness”. Extinction Rebellion are calling on UK government to listen to advice of climate scientists and UN secretary general and stop investing in the biggest polluters that continue to profit whilst you pay the price in the form of rising bills and rising temperatures.”