What It Really Takes To Save the Planet

In this Our Changing Climate climate change video essay, I look at what it really takes to save the planet. Specifically, I look at the role of fossil fuel infrastructure sabotage in the climate movement. I weigh whether property destruction and sabotage are useful strategies for the broader climate action movement. The video lends some historical context to a possible climate sabotage wing and examines the radical flank effect.

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Some visuals courtesy of Getty Images
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Timestamps:
0:00 - Intro
1:55 - What Is Violence?
8:21 - The Radical Flank
11:38 - The Backlash
16:22 - What's the Role of a Radical Climate Wing?
18:43 - Sign up for Ground News
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Check out other Climate YouTubers:

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#climatechange #protest #globalwarming

[OurChangingClimate]

💡Do you think sabotage has a role to play in the climate movement?

[SecondThought]

Excellent video. It brings to mind the words of a certain Cuban revolutionary: "Revolutionaries didn't choose armed struggle as the best path, it's the path the oppressors imposed on the people. And so the people only have two choices: to suffer, or to fight."

[debbiehenri]

Yesterday, the BBC declared that it will not screen a particular episode of Sir David Attenborough's new series that looks into the situation confronted by our environment. The BBC says it made this decision because they 'fear' a right wing backlash against Sir David's deep concerns regarding climate change.

When an institution that doesn't mind rocking the boat from time to time is perfectly willing to 'gag' one of the world's most respected, well-informed, experienced and beloved supporters of the environment for a belief in something that may or may not upset an uneducated minority - you know that lesser-known people in society are not going to get much further.

[thedudegrowsfood]

“Growth for the sake of growth is the ideology of the cancer cell.”
― Edward Abbey

[ZagTheRaccoon]

Radical Flank Effect is an extremely useful vocab word. It's amazing how much legitimacy an idea gets just by having a term attached to it.

[beebo]

Extremely brave topic to cover. I appreciate your candidness and coverage of a variety of different viewpoints that mainstream sources refuse to cover

[Baraborn]

Finally a serious video. - A protest is only useful if it's able to frustrate the aims of groups in power.

[matthewboyd]

Violence against someone that is trying to destroy you

Yes it's called self-defense.

[terran]

You just perfectly described the difference between stubborn reformism, blind adventurism, and the construction of a tactically diverse mass movement, unified in its goal. Really appreciate this one!

[darongw]

I just finished reading the Ministry for the Future. Interesting story and one thing that stood out to me was the description of the "war for planet Earth". Where people used violence against the people who were committing violence against the Earth. Drone attacks crashing planes, sinking shipping boats, assassinations, hacking and more. But many of the characters focus on legal and policy actions. But they do so with the backdrop of distributed war and climate disasters happening. Which over time push people in power to make real changes. Without that backdrop the changes probably wouldn't have happened. It's an interesting novel and relates to this video.

[evilstormgnat]

Oh yes! I am delighted someone is with a platform is taking this up!

[pentaborane]

I think the bit at the end about trying to create a positive image of the goals is the most important and overlooked part of the video.

[aechmaydostuff]

This is a very fair and balanced view of using violence in protest/resistance in general, I think. I knew very little about the history of the environmental movement that was gone over in this video, and I really appreciate knowing it now.

[purpleblah]

Also you forgot to mention the most horrifying form of violence: soup on painting glass

[Ahhghghh]

When the choice is property and profits for the few, or our planet, it’s people, its animals, its life, and its future, there is a clear decision. The United States is spiraling into fascism, and we have to take action. Thank you for making this video. It’s courageous people like you that will start the necessary change.

[Kakaze]

I plug this book whenever I can. One of the most important readings for all environmentalists in my opinion.

[ix.of.swords]

Where I live, activists do their best to work hand-in-hand with the local indigenous communities when engaging in resistance against fossil infrastructure projects. We've been explicitly asked by members of these communities to refrain from any "vandalist" actions. Out of respect for the stewards of the land we live on, we have to oblige. This is a difficult topic, even within activist communities.

From a long time tree sitter, thank you for making something that addresses the political reality of the situation.

[theproblemmustbeinyourpant]

It was an honour to comment on this video while it was still up.

[rhondawest]

My husband and I went to a Chinese restaurant on my last birthday and this was my fortune: for a good cause, wrongdoing may be virtuous. Who am I to argue with the wisdom of a cookie?

[XBret]

This video states something we've all inevitably thought about at some point. Crazy times we live in.