This summer, climate records have been broken again-and-again. At the same time, a small but growing part of the climate movement has been participating in more confrontational activism.
I talk all about this growing “Radical Flank” (a social science term, not mine), how it fits in the movement and what we can expect as the world warms in Saving Ourselves. Since the book is not yet out though, I published this piece at Brookings (with Quinn Renaghan), which introduces this flank of the climate movement and provides data collected from activists affiliated with groups involved in the action at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in spring 2023 to understand what’s to come.
The figure documents how the radical flank is made up of numerous interconnected groups that are working together. Building on these findings, the piece concludes: “As the climate crisis worsens and more-and-more concerned activists lose confidence that institutional politics can address the problem, the radical flank will grow. These findings suggest that activists who choose to join the radical flank of the climate movement have many opportunities to participate through a range of organizations. Joining one organization that is connected through a dense network of engaged activists will lead to more coordinated actions across the entire movement. For those who believe they can stop this wave of confrontational activism by prosecuting one group or imprisoning one activist, think again.”
Check out the piece for more information!
Dana R Fisher 