Sam Harris - Extinction Rebellion & Youth Strikes 4 Climate

Sam Harris will be speaking at the GLD 2019 Conference

To represent Extinction Rebellion and the Nottingham Youth Strikes at this conference is a real pleasure as it gives me the opportunity to share my experiences from the grassroots of environmental activism as a young person. I am also very much looking forward to sharing a platform with committed and vibrant fellow young activists from a wide range of political backgrounds.

As we have seen with the recent IPCC report we have little-to-no time to start acting on the emergency we are facing and so far the politicians in the EU, in Westminster and the other devolved governments have taken no real action. We need radical system change to manage and curtail the destruction of our climate and our environment.

The most common thing I hear on the youth strikes and from many younger XR members is that they have no trust in the current government and believe that politicians will always put profit, their own political interests and their career over the people and the planet - this has to stop! The companies, corporations and big business that run this country will continue to greenwash and pretend to care but their one goal is profit regardless of the cost to the environment.

We are building a movement bigger than any I have seen in my lifetime, built by young people, led by young people and supported by young people. No more can we rely on the outdated methods of lobbying and conversations, we must take action through whatever non-violent means that are necessary. The time for talking is over!
Sam Harris
(Extinction Rebellion & Youth Strikes 4 Climate, Nottingham)
Twitter: @Sam0Harris