George Monbiot: Survival Requires Disobedience

Survival Requires Disobedience: Radical political movements are crucial to the defence of life on Earth

For the first event of of the academic year 2021/22, Wolfson College’s Earth Emergency Cluster had the honour of hosting George Monbiot.

Filmed live in the Leonard Wolfson Auditorium at Wolfson College, Oxford.

PLEASE NOTE:
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[royloveday]

George, I don't think I'm lying when I say, I have read just about everything you have ever written in the Guardian and that I've soaked up most of your lectures on YouTube tube. I remember many years ago one of your first forays into the televised news and your being clearly tested by the experience. I have seen you rise to that challenge and am always keen to listen, hoping to find and adopt some new way to try to articulate and talk about this predicament, because it fills me with dread. You have at 35 minutes already surpassed yourself. Keep on keeping on because it helps me keep on harping on.

[brianrobinson]

Magnificent talk. Brilliant presentation. The BBC should be showing it on prime time -- the whole thing, not just 3 minutes with presenter interruptions and undermining questions which are more in the nature of hostile position statements. Wake up BBC! And thanks to Wolfson College.

[richardeljay]

Excellent, hard hitting presentation... really liked the Geminio curse (Harry Potter) analogy.

[matteomanni]

Marvellous talk from every points of view. The reading through the eyes of complex systems, the explanation of systemic forces at play, the behavioural science of human's attitude towards what I would call social conformity rather than obedience. Neuroscience seems to highlight that is really a fear of exclusion from society that drives our inability to challenge the status quo. Hence, the divide-et-impera tactics of those who are interested in the perpetration of the status quo. It makes that question from the audience even more important: it would be great if George could help with a follow-up on which movement he sees as more in need of joiners.

[LeanAndMean]

By now, George writes (in his latest column know to me): „I feel clearer about what effective political action looks like than I have ever done. But a major question remains. Given that we have left it so late, can we reach the social tipping point before we hit the environmental tipping point?“
…

[JuliaHartshorn]

It's a shame the volume is so poor on this recording, it's an interesting talk .

[lowercasehill]

he makes a great point about Debt and how getting into the debt black hole makes you 'Obey'. My advice to anyone - to sensitize yourself - by having a strong spiritual practice of some kind, and being, even if only online - supported by others of like mind. Be sensitive to the vibrations of people you meet. Even in a corporate environment, there are various layers. Find like minded people who also have a practice & support each other. Help others. Service to humanity in any situation you'll find yourself in. This way, when the environment no longer supports you, you will easily be lifted out of it (maybe fired at what seems the worst possible time!!!). Stay close to your inner guides.

[jemedwards]

low resolution sound does not change the quality of what is being said. Charlie Parker gigs was recorded often with a single mic, he was pretty groovy too

[constructioneerful]

Great talk. I totally get the point about the BBC only getting around to doing stuff now they should have been doing 20 years ago.

It needs BBC to openly ask itself the questions;

What made us fail to address these issues 20 years ago?
Are we still like that?
What must we change?

[benconover]

Chomsky said all that and more years ago, but it's still true.

[alhaah]

Who made this volume so small and nobody can hear it.

[ba_charles]

no peaceful movement ever caused meaningful change

[Abcdefqwerty]

“Harry Potter references are the sign of the highest level of intellect”
Sir Isaac Newton

[thepoint]

This was outstanding, I cannot understand why his voice is not louder.

[marcdefaoite]

I wanted to listen to this but I can barely hear it

[raginaldmars]

... as a German Biologist - it is the Amount, capacity, talent of Self Reliance - Emerson. Can you live with the Essentials all by yourself - ideally not even with any money. And create something to trade. This was the stability of Societies 200 Years ago until rapid engineering made us City Work Slaves in horrible Misery. Now the Ghettoes with unstoppable Crime, drugs and slow diseases. We breed our own destruction... and the Inuit and Touareg have nothing to share with us...

[Folkyoyeah]

You don't mention Citizens' Assemblies George, which are potentially the best way to educate a community. All the facts they get told are transparent and available, both about the problems and the possible solutions. As long as the question being posed is deep enough!! CAs are a loving gift to both citizens and politicians who are not in a majority but have been elected to represent a particular community. If one or two within the party which happens to be in power vote against the party, with their consciences, the CA can have a great effect.

[davidwilkie]

"Survival" requires self-correction.
Know your Self or you have already been eliminated.

[stevefitt]

The US had learned from WWI that because it took over a year to start major productions of arms in 1917, it knew that it needed tp plan ahead before the Japanese attacked. There was a plan to just what to do to change the factories from making car to making planes. My second point is that we need to ration things so that money no longer matters for lifestyles. We can have a 3 tier system the workers get X amount, the middle class gets 2X amount, and the rich get just 3X. In my opinion we can't change prices enough to stop the rich from over consuming without killing all the workers because they don't have enough income to eat 500 calories a day.

[moebees]

I got news for old George. We are already way beyond the carrying capacity of the earth.