Humans love labels. We like groups and feeling like we belong. But sometimes it makes sense to be clever and notice that labelling oneself as something – labels others as something else. You may have heard of ‘othering’ - and this is what some in XR do, perhaps unconsciously. It’s so easy (and totally justified) to be passionate about the climate cause that we fail to appreciate the fear, the anxiety and discomfort that people feel – and unless they’ve been on that environmental path for some time, these feelings of shame and guilt and impeding doom are too overwhelming. XR is seen as the movement that raises those uncomfortable issues and makes them feel bad about themselves (as they sort of should) but in a way that does not help them engage. People switch off. They associate XR as negative hippy left crusty thing and anyone with XR stickers and flags and whatnot gets labelled as slightly off putting, someone who is going to challenge them in a way they just refuse to engage with.
The clever thing may well be to leave the XR stuff home. Be the mum of two in the butchers or grocers who asks perfectly justified questions of where the meat/veg comes from and starts a conversation about wildlife, climate, way we farm. I live in a small, relatively 'blue' (conservative) rural town in Wales. This may come as a surprise to you but people, even conservative voting people can be friendly and caring and most are fiercely loyal to their local area and country. First impressions are hugely important and if people see me as one of ‘them’ they will listen to me, and because they know me from the school run or choir or rugby pitch (this is rural Wales!) they WILL give me five minutes and think about it. So, for me, it works NOT to be associated with XR – although I don’t deny XR, and will openly support them if asked, and anyone can google me and find out that I was indeed involved in the past.
I have been working and campaigning for environmental issues for as long as I can remember. When I first heard about XR I was elated. Finally, something that might just work. I had been thoroughly depressed since the birth of my first baby which coincided with one of the major IPCC reports few years ago. I did the training course for NVDA but couldn’t make the Five Bridges event due to morning sickness (it’s 6 hrs bus ride to London!). I never meant to get involved in getting arrested (I am an evil EU immigrant), but I joined XR April Rebellion in London with my daughter and mum as a bystander and supporter. I loved it. I took my daughter home and came back on Easter weekend and got myself arrested in the aftermath of the Pink Boat. I was seven months pregnant. I milked it for what it was worth. I did the autumn rebellion with a 4-month baby in a carrier and burned out. Badly. I got disheartened by the inaction of government and sunk into the winter balancing my depression with the delight of our new baby.
It took me a long time to start engaging with environmental issues in my town again. When I did, I always felt like people were too indifferent to face it. I was too fragile to take the negativity and I simply couldn’t bring myself to confront people’s discomfort. I was fed up with negativity and doom. I needed way to engage my community without the fear of unpleasantness – when you’re mentally fragile you need to find what you CAN do. Ditching the XR label worked for me. It works for my community. They don’t understand blocking roads and getting police involved. There is only one road through most villages and the police is your best friend’s cousin’s auntie. But surprisingly many people are realising what climate change is doing. It’s flooding our villages and fields. It’s changing weather and the veg and grain are rotting in the fields. It means unhappy anxious youth, increasing mental health issues in rural areas. It means we do need to rethink the way we live and work.
But it also means realising that rural issues are different to those in cities. Rural people don’t like being dictated how they ought to live by city folk. But they can figure it out for themselves. There is lot we can do by engaging our communities – but one size does not fit all. XR is great where there are young and green and left leaning people already. But you don’t need a label for climate activism. Find what works where you live and stick to it.
Blocking a roundbaout at Cardiff Rebellion Sept 2020 or thereabouts. Photo credit: Eve Uncles