Ask an Extinction Rebellion activist anything about the London environmental protests

Amid two weeks of civil disobedience to demand action to tackle the worsening climate crisis, XR’s aims and tactics are in the spotlight. Our Environment Correspondent Harry Cockburn, and XR’s Clare Farrell will answer your questions

XR protesters block the junction of Long Acre and Upper St Martin’s Lane on 23 August (PA)

Following a summer defined by extreme weather events around the world, the tragic impacts of the climate crisis have never been felt more acutely.

Against this backdrop, Extinction Rebellion is leading street protests and mounting demonstrations across London to demand greater action to tackle the worsening climate crisis.

The wave of civil disobedience has seen hundreds of activists arrested, but has also garnered widespread media coverage, helping to keep the spotlight on the climate and ecological breakdown around the world, and maintain pressure on governments, polluting industries, and the institutions and organisations which support and finance them.

The two-week long “Impossible Rebellion”, has focused on London’s financial district as a key target – with XR saying the City of London finances 15 per cent of all global fossil fuel emissions.

The protests come just after the latest IPCC report from the UN, which warned that inaction up until this point means it is now “code red for humanity”, and ahead of the Cop26 climate summit hosted by the UK in Glasgow.

Boris Johnson’s government has sought to portray the UK as an international “climate leader”, but his administration has also pursued major new coal mining and oil drilling opportunities, and is spending tens of billions of pounds on road building.

While Extinction Rebellion’s civil disobedience tactics have been met with criticism in some quarters, they have also won widespread endorsement, and like it or not, the movement has had a global impact.

With the world on course to surpass 1.5C of warming since the pre-industrial era within the next 20 years unless the emission of greenhouse gases are halted, the clock is ticking, and concern is growing.

That is why we’re giving Independent readers the opportunity to ask questions about what XR is doing, and what it hopes to achieve.

XR’s Clare Farrell will be joining us at 1pm on Tuesday 31 August to answer any questions that you have about the movement.

All you have to do is register to submit your question in the comments below. If you’re not already a member, click “sign up” in the comments box to leave your question.

Don’t worry if you can’t see your question – they will be hidden until Clare and I join the conversation to answer them. We look forward to speaking with you on Tuesday.