Eco-warrior Dale Vince joined forces with a bunch of Stroud Just Stop Oil activists, taking part in a slow march through Hammersmith, west London on Thursday.
Vince, a Labour Party and Just Stop Oil donor, pledged to match all donations to Just Stop Oil for 48 hours, after the Daily Mail splashed him across their front page. Pledges poured in, totalling £170,000. Adam McKay, producer of climate change parody film Don’t Look Up, then pledged to triple donations for the next 48 hours. In all, Just Stop Oil gained £900,000 in just four days.
Vince, who was joined by therapeutic care worker Steph Smith: “Since last summer’s heatwaves I can’t not do anything any more, my anxiety won’t allow me to. We’ve tried petitions, we’ve tried talking to MP’s – the government is in the pockets of the oil companies. Listen to your gut: I have to be part of the solution. This isn’t a bunch of crazy hippies with mad ideas, this is science, this is survival.”
Former teacher Gill Tavner added: ‘Blocking London’s roads is way outside my comfort zone, but I was helped by the support of passers-by. You don’t see that in the news.’
“Our demand is simple, achievable and backed by science and the UN: no new licences for oil and gas extraction. We need more people to join us to make their voices heard,” said gardener Adam Beard.
Mike Exley, a retired handyman said: “Being with Just Stop Oil is seen as a near criminal act by this government but our politicians, whose short term, avaricious greed and disregard for my children’s lives, are the true criminals.”
Nailsworth music teacher Bill Roberts said: “Emissions from new oil and gas fields would mean more people being killed by rising global temperatures. Already 10s of millions in the global south are seeing their soils turn to dust, and last summer’s heat caused 40,000 additional deaths across Europe.”
To join the local group email JSOStroud@protonmail.com, or visit www.juststopoiil.org
