this post was submitted on 19 Jun 2024

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Environment

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Climate activists arrested after spray painting UK’s Stonehenge monument (www.aljazeera.com)

submitted 5 months ago by Five@slrpnk.net to c/environment@beehaw.org

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[–] seathru@lemmy.sdf.org 15 points 5 months ago (2 children)

Well. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes. Now your org gets to pay for cleanup if they don't just tell the 2 that got arrested "Good luck, you're on your own now"

What's the correlation with Stonehenge and the fossil fuel industry? No one visiting is going to see the vandalism and think "Maybe I should lessen my personal dependence on fossil fuels.", they're just going to hear how it was this asshole group that happens to be named 'Just Stop Oil'. I highly doubt that's changing anyone's mind (for the better).

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for activism. Hell, I'm all for destructive activism; Block access to oil wells, sabotage infrastructure (preferably in a way that doesn't cause more environmental damage in the process), burn down some private jets. But don't go around being an asshole unrelated to your cause just to get your name out. That's not helping anything.

[–] xilliah@beehaw.org 10 points 5 months ago (2 children)

I think it's based on the idea that all attention is good attention, and you pick the lesser of two evils.

What you are suggesting is already the case, but it tends be be less visible. For example did you know about this?

[–] Jake_Farm@sopuli.xyz 2 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (1 children)

Are they protesting the specific location of the factory or the concept of factories?

[–] xilliah@beehaw.org 2 points 5 months ago

I'm not deep into that specific topic, I just brought it up as a large environmental action to show that these things do happen and are not as visible as you might imagine.

That being said I think there are different perspectives. As far as I understand it the factory was built without good justification, and it has a negative impact on the environment.

[–] intensely_human@lemm.ee 2 points 5 months ago (1 children)

“Picking” the lesser of two evils implies there is some kind of exclusive relationship between climate change and vandalism. As if this action had some kind of effect that counters climate change.

But it doesn’t.

[–] xilliah@beehaw.org 3 points 5 months ago (1 children)

I didn't imply it, I explicitly started with that.

You might not believe that all attention is good attention, but can you imagine that some people do see it that way? In fact I've seen a docu about a photographer who believes disruption is the only way to get people's attention.

[–] intensely_human@lemm.ee 2 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Then what are the two evils you’re referring to, and which action are you referring to with picking the lesser evil?

[–] xilliah@beehaw.org 1 points 5 months ago (1 children)

They are climate activists so I imagine climate change is one of the two evils. The other one is potentially upsetting the lichens and people's feelings.

You might not agree with their decision, but I don't find it irrational.

[–] intensely_human@lemm.ee 2 points 4 months ago (2 children)

Right, that’s what I thought you were referring to, and responded to. Ruining stonehenge versus the climate. Or vandalism generally versus the climate.

We’re not picking between these things. They’re independent variables.

[–] xilliah@beehaw.org 1 points 4 months ago

Disturbing the lichens on stonehenge vs generating awareness is clearly connected, since it grabbed our attention without millions of euros of advertising.

[–] Laconic@beehaw.org 10 points 5 months ago

If you're willing and able to get arrested for the cause then go assault an oil executive. Maybe light his car on fire. Shut down a pipeline. Block a coal train. Etc. I hate to cricize anymore more committed than I am, but I really think this is counter productive. Attack the actual source of the problem. This is like punching your grandma to stop your dad from hitting your mom.

[–] Jake_Farm@sopuli.xyz 5 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Preserve the world by destroying history? Fuck you guys.

[–] sleepybisexual@beehaw.org 3 points 5 months ago (1 children)

These types of "protestors" are definetly hired by oil execs

[–] Five@slrpnk.net 4 points 5 months ago (1 children)

There were very similar conspiracies popular during the suffragette struggle, the civil rights era, and the gay rights movement. They were all just as embarrassing as this one is now.

This kind of spectacle activism has a long history of creating political change while minimizing violence. Pigeon-holing these brave people as pawns in some MAGA-style conspiracy de-humanizes them and makes it easier to ignore their serious message.

[–] sleepybisexual@beehaw.org 1 points 5 months ago

Yea, if you're going to spectacle protest target the right people, wtf did some English brick do?

[–] godzilla_lives@beehaw.org 3 points 5 months ago

And yet the oil execs leaking oil into our water systems get off scot-free.