In reply to Louise Perry’s column (Out of the Ordinary, 23 April) I would like to point out that there is a climate emergency. Extinction Rebellion (XR) does not aim to win a popularity contest, it aims to be effective. Many of its activists have spent years signing petitions, writing to politicians, engaging in wildlife projects and going on authorised marches. This has laid the groundwork for our protests. Since the actions of XR and Fridays For Future there is far more public awareness of climate change. It’s still not nearly enough but I count it as a success. She states that “few people are willing to make the kind of sacrifice demanded to reduce their carbon footprint to almost zero”. This is not borne out by the conclusions of citizens’ assemblies held last year by six government departments. We need governments to enable us to make changes, and I would not consider it a sacrifice if I could breathe clean air and ride my bike safely instead of vying for space with cars.
Marilyn Spurr
Exeter
[see also: I’m a middle-class millennial and intermittent vegan, yet I find Extinction Rebellion insufferable]
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