On January 6th, I published “Why climate activists are becoming more radicalized (and why that’s not a bad thing)” (co-authored with Hajar Yazdiha) in The Hill. The piece discusses the ways that climate activism has become increasingly confrontational over the past few years and compares these tactics and the political repression climate activists has faced to the Civil Rights Movement.
We conclude: ” Leveraging moments of violence and state repression are opportunities rather than threats to the movement. Mass social change requires persistence in a long game. It requires risks. It requires being willing to give something up. When Tim Martin is sentenced for his climate activism, it should remind us of the messy realities, internal conflicts and ever-present dangers of movements to individuals and communities that are working to achieve deep systemic changes.
As the civil rights and other social movements that have been successful in achieving their goals will remind us: saving the world is not for the faint of heart. “
While we brace for a second Trump Administration to take office in 8 days and all the activism that will break out around the transition, I encourage folks to give the piece a read.
Dana R Fisher 