A environmental activist group which is rapidly gaining momentum around the UK has set up a new branch in St Albans.
Extinction Rebellion, or referred to as XR, aim to drive radical Governmental change through nonviolent resistance and protests, in order to slow or halt climate change.
The group has made national headlines by blocking traffic through the centre of London at rush hour, causing long queues and angering commuters.
Nine Extinction Rebellion members were recently arrested after gluing themselves to the front of a central London hotel.
There are now about 150 Extinction Rebellion groups all over the country. The St Albans branch are kicking off their campaign by hosting a talk called Heading For Extinction (And What To Do About It).
Members also gathered outside St Albans Cathedral to make the Extinction Rebellion logo [pictured].
Flamstead resident Dr Emily Spry, who has two young daughters, joined the St Albans group.
She said: “The science is clear but the politicians aren’t doing enough and we need to let them know how worried people are about what is happening to our planet.”
Dr Spry said a tipping point is fast approaching, where lack of ice in the sea leads to further warming that cannot be stopped by reducing the use of fossil fuel.
The UK just enjoyed an uncharacteristically warm February, with Rothamsted Research reporting that winter sunshine over St Albans district totalled 137.7 hours and the average maximum temperature was the highest in that month since records began.
Scientists at the famous lab say it was the second sunniest February overall since 1891.
In December last year, the BBC reported that well-known nature documentary maker Sir David Attenborough described global warming as humanity’s greatest threat in thousands of years.
He said it could lead to civilisation collapse and the extinction of “much of the natural world”.
St Albans’ Extinction Rebellion talk will be held from 7.30pm to 9.30pm on March 12 at Trinity United Reformed Church on Beaconsfield Road.
Find out more about Extinction Rebellion at www.xr-stalbans.org.uk
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