activism Audio

Reporting from Extinction Rebellion

Reporting on the launch of Extinction Rebellion, a call to peaceful direct action on climate change. Featuring George Monbiot, Johnathan Bartley, Molly Scott Cato, and Greta Thunberg.

My wife and I attended the launch of Extinction Rebellion (XR) yesterday in Parliament Square, London. I think the climate change movement needs to find a new sense of urgency, and XR believe the next step is a campaign of civil disobedience. We wanted to see who’s involved and get a sense of what XR were calling for.

Lou is a broadcast journalist, and with so many interesting and experienced campaigners all in one place, she took the opportunity to interview a bunch of them and put together a news package.

Among others, in this piece you’ll hear from George Monbiot, Johnathan Bartley, Molly Scott Cato, and Greta Thunberg, the Swedish 15 year old who went on climate strike from school recently.

We gathered a lot of content, so we’ll post more in the coming days. You can follow the podcast feed here or find Make Wealth History on Spotify and iTunes.


  1. I think you are almost too late.
    With the advent of AI and within 30 years, not a soul will be working. How do you expect to save this planet? It has been killed already and, unless our AI friends decide to retain “their” predecessor human history by cataloguing “us” – then the lot will just be history. Trust me. After 78 years watching what has happened I do not think you have a hope in hell. Sorry

  2. What kind of a father would I be if I did nothing to stop the breakdown of the climate my children will depend on? Saying there’s nothing that can be done makes it inevitable. Not good enough!

    1. Here, here Jeremy. Even if not to ‘stop’ the destruction of the world everyone depends on (who knows), then, at least, to ‘try’. Imagine facing some of the worst yet to arrive and knowing you made no attempt to try to avert it. Of course, many are facing it already. What’s that well known saying about when man does nothing – you’ll know it -worth stating anywhere eh?

      1. Hope someone helps you on your previous questions. As far as quotes go, not being in education, the important part for me is simply, do I believe it to be true and useful. 🙂

  3. I believe it’s part of our human heritage to struggle against overpowering odds. I think that was a factor in our spreading out of Africa and round the world, mastering agriculture and materials, etc. I’m currently trying to write some primary school lesson materials that bring this out (in the context of facing challenges with climate, other planetary boundaries etc). Is anyone able to suggest some good specific examples where we faced huge apparently hopeless situations, and fought through?

    1. Thinking further on this line, I’m often struck that this is one of the key themes from Tolkien’s ‘Lord of the Rings’, which was written in the context of dark totalitarian forces spreading across Europe and elsewhere. Is this portraying an archetypal struggle? What practical lessons can we take from literature like this?

  4. This could also be relevant to this topic: Germany just had its biggest civil disobedience protest against lignite-based power: 6500 people took part this year. Should UK be taking a leaf out of their book? I took part in one of these camps 2 or 3 years ago: while there was a spectrum of people involved, and some isolated actions that damaged power-station premises, overall I found it very peaceful, principled, positive and self-disciplined.

  5. How have poeple’s opinions and experiences with XR developed over the past few months? Are many MWH readers now involved? Is anyone else aiming to attend the major ‘Rebel for Life’ fortnight of action in London from 15th April?

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