For as long as activism has existed, environmentalists have rallied around demonstrations, protests, and “raising awareness.” In that tradition, since COP26 began, climate activists have been protesting, arguing that actions taken by world leaders at the summit are not enough.
Last week, Greta Thunberg gave a speech in which she said leadership is not going to come from inside COP26 because all world leaders do is “blah blah blah.” Instead, she said climate leadership would come from activists like her. While passionate, this display of vexation toward COP26 is misplaced, as, in comparison to past international climate summits, COP26 has been impressively action-oriented and fruitful. In light of this, protests and demands come off as petulant, out of touch, and alarmist.
From the very first Earth Day in 1970, young leaders such as Thunberg have been instrumental in making climate change a mainstream issue, but the time for yelling at politicians and calling for an all-or-nothing approach to climate change is over. The real work now should be pushing for solutions, and this work is held back by the naive tactics imposed by protesters.
Preventing participants from entering COP26 does not inspire action. At its best, it can raise awareness for a cause. At its worst, it turns would-be allies away and delays the progress protesters so desperately claim to desire. Assuming in good faith that such protests are for the purpose of awareness, it’s important to note that protesting for awareness of climate change in 2021 is nonsensical.
World leaders are well aware that the climate is changing. Instead of vaguely calling for transformative action, climate activists should have clear policy objections.
COP26 comes after a recent iteration of directionless environmental activism: Protesters near London blocked traffic during rush hour to “raise awareness” that climate change is happening. This brand of protesting, in which everyday people who may be sympathetic to the cause are inconvenienced, doesn’t win more support. Instead, the climate movement is seen as hysterical and impractical, rather than a solutions-oriented movement. These activists aren’t convincing anyone; they’re pissing people off.
What’s more is that the activists in question didn’t carry signs or share a cohesive message. If awareness was truly the goal, it would stand to reason that there would be clarity of message — whatever it is we should be aware of. The supposed shock factor of stopping traffic isn’t enough to convince irritated drivers that they should be scared of climate change.
The cherry on top is that this kind of protest is inherently bad for the environment. Stopping traffic means that cars are idling, which results in more carbon emissions than if commuters were able to get home normally. Protesting environmental degradation by increasing emissions or carelessly polluting our environment is truly the height of irony. This isn’t unusual for climate protests either. Protesters have been known to leave their signs behind, littering all in the name of climate change. When Extinction Rebellion dumped cow manure in front of the White House on Earth Day this year, city employees had to clean up the mess.
One group of protesters certainly cannot fix climate change, nor is anyone expecting them to, but there are more constructive directions in which they could direct their energy. Especially at an event such as COP26, activists should be demonstrating how everyday folks can help our environment in addition to the international talks that are occurring. Planting trees in a local park or cleaning up trash from the sidewalk not only has an immediate effect for the community but shows members of the community that they’re serious about improving the environment rather than just committed to causing a scene.
The goal of climate activists should be to convince the broader public that their solutions are not only the best to tackle the problem but also have secondary benefits for the economy and people’s everyday lives. At COP26, climate activists have a responsibility to be realistic and measured with their demands.
Danielle Butcher (@DaniSButcher) is the executive vice president of the American Conservation Coalition.
