Extinction Rebellion’s call for urgent climate action is a critical juncture for the future of humanity

Please send your letters to letters@independent.co.uk

Extinction Rebellion protesters outside the Treasury Office in London (PA)

As a group of citizens, academics, educators and professional staff working in countries being profoundly damaged by climate breakdown we applaud the peaceful, creative and inclusive displays of determined protest and civil disobedience by Extinction Rebellion activists worldwide, in calling governments and big business to take urgent and radical action.

Without action, we will fail to control devastating temperature rises. Without action, we will continue to witness flooding, crop failure and the collapse of biodiversity. It is always the poorest and most marginalised that suffer the worst consequences, exacerbated by poor governance, social conflict and displacement. Without action, our work to eradicate poverty and achieve inclusive and genuinely sustainable development that leaves no one behind will be in vain.

This is a critical juncture in the future of humanity. We have a moral responsibility to stand up and be counted, hold businesses and governments to account and demand and inspire transformative change.

We support Extinction Rebellion’s three demands: that governments must tell the truth about the climate emergency; that governments must act now to halt biodiversity loss and achieve zero carbon emissions by 2025; and that the necessary transformation of economies across the world must be stewarded through processes of direct and inclusive democracy.

Signed:

Professor Danny Burns, Institute of Development Studies Research Fellow

Dr Becky Faith, IDS Research Fellow

Professor Mick Moore, IDS Researcher

Martin Gardner, IDS Project Support Officer

Sarah King, IDS Communications Coordinator

Professor Lyla Mehta, IDS Research Fellow

Terry Cannon, IDS Research Fellow

Jo Howard, IDS Research Fellow

Dr Marina Apgar, Research Fellow

Dr Neil Howard, IDS Research Associate

Jamie Myers, IDS Research Officer

Dr Juliet Millican, IDS Research Associate

Dr Jackie Shaw, Research Fellow

Professor Robert Chambers, IDS Researcher

Dr Patrick Schroeder, Research Fellow

Dr John Thompson, Research Fellow

Dr Mary Wickenden, Research Fellow

Dr Pedro Prieto Martin, IDS Senior Research Officer

Dr Dominic Glover, IDS Research Fellow

Tabitha Hrynick, IDS Research Officer

Tessa Lewin, IDS Research Fellow

Dr Tony Roberts, IDS Research Fellow

Dr Miguel Loureiro, IDS Research Fellow

Rhiannon McCluskey, IDS Research Uptake and Communications Manager

Rhea Millward Thompson, IDS Project Support Officer

Dr Jo Rowlands, IDS Research Associate

Professor Richard Jolly, IDS Research Associate

Sophie Valeix, IDS Doctoral Research Fellow

Dr Wei Shen, IDS Research Fellow

Juan Pane Solis, IDS Doctoral Researcher

Dr Alison Ashlin, IDS Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Specialist

Dr Imogen Bellwood-Howard, IDS Post-Doctoral Researcher

Dr Nick Nisbett, IDS Research Fellow

Dr Dolf te Lintelo, IDS Research Fellow

Dr Alistair Scott, IDS Knowledge Manager

Dr Naomi Hosain, IDS Research Fellow

Mar Maestre Morales, IDS Research Officer

Dr Ana Pueyo, IDS Research Fellow

Dr Anuradha Joshi, IDS Research Fellow

Dr Giel Ton, IDS Research Fellow

Dr Majoke Oosterom, IDS Research Fellow

Peter O’Flynn, IDS Research Officer

Dr Santiago Ripoll, IDS Post-Doctoral Researcher

Louise Oakley, IDS Project Manager

Dr Rosemary McGee, IDS Research Fellow

Richard Longhurst, IDS Research Associate

James Andrews, IDS Communications Assistant

Carolina Szyp, IDS Research Officer

Anna Raw, IDS Project Manager

Tim Catherall, IDS Finance Director

Stacey Townsend, IDS Programme Officer

Dr Deepta Chopra, IDS Research Fellow

Louise Korda, IDS Finance Officer

Ru-yu Lin, IDS Doctoral Research Fellow

Jas Vahadia, Senior Project Support Officer

Simon Rees, IDS Project Manager

Carol Smithyes, Communications Officer

Mustafa Roberts, Contracts and Compliance Manager

Kelly Shephard, Head of Knowledge Impact and Policy Team

Dr Erica Nelson, Post-Doctoral Researcher

Katy Oswald, Research Officer

Evert Jan-Quak, Research Officer

Dr Jaideep Gupte, IDS Research Fellow

Simon Jeavons, Senior Project Officer

Dr Gauthier Marchais, IDS Research Fellow

Dr Ayako Ebata, IDS Research Fellow

Erika Lopez Franco, IDS Research Officer

Elaine Mercer, Communications and Networking Officer

Jessica Meeker, Knowledge Officer

Jae Hyun Park, IDS Doctoral Researcher

Dr Dirk Willenbockel, IDS Research Fellow

Emilie Wilson, IDS Communications Officer

Mariah Cannon, IDS Research Assistant

Professor Ian Scoones, IDS Research Fellow

Amy Cowlard, IDS Project Support Officer

Dr Annie Wilkinson, IDS Research Fellow

Stephanie Lenz, ICTD Communications Assistant

Professor Melissa Leach, IDS Director

Ms Violet Barasa, IDS Doctoral Researcher

Professor Stephany Griffith-Jones, IDS Associate Research Fellow

Dr Pauline Oosterhoff, IDS Research Fellow

Dr Stephen Devereux, IDS Research Fellow

Dr Gerald Bloom, IDS Research Fellow

Kathryn Cheeseman, Project Support Officer

Jodie Thorpe, IDS Research Fellow

Poppy Bardwell, Project Support Officer

Dr Gordon McGranahan, IDS Research Fellow

Professor Rachel Sabates-Wheeler, Research Fellow

Tina Nelis, Knowledge and Learning Officer

Dr Robin Luckham, IDS Emeritus Research Fellow

Roz Price, IDS Research Officer

Dr Patta Scott-Villiers, IDS Research Fellow

Ms Eunice Wangari, IDS Doctoral Researcher

Naomi Vernon, IDS Project Manager

Dr Jody Harris, IDS Research Fellow

Georgina-Powell Stephens, IDS Engagement Hub Manager

Vivienne Benson, IDS Communications Officer

Emma Greengrass, IDS Editorial Coordinator

Alice Webb, IDS Knowledge Coordinator

Tina Gotts, IDS Health, Safety and Wellbeing Coordinator

Alan Stanley, IDS Knowledge Manager

Professor Mariz Tadros, IDS Research Fellow

Jennifer Castaneda Navarrete, IDS Doctoral Researcher

Dr Marinella Leone, IDS Research Fellow

Amy Riley-Powell, IDS Doctoral Researcher

Beatriz Aguirre Martínez, IDS Doctoral Researcher

Professor John Gaventa, IDS Director of Research

Dr. Martin Greeley, IDS Research Fellow

Dr Jean-Pierre Tranchant, IDS Research Fellow

Dr Shilpi Srivastava, IDS Research Fellow

Harriet Hamilton, Project Support Officer

Professor Hilary Standing, Emeritus Research Fellow

Kevin Hernandez, IDS Research Officer

Simon Mitchell, IDS Facilities

Gabriel Gutierrez IDS Catering Officer

Richard Leggatt, IDS Head of Fundraising

Julia Brown, IDS Teaching Manger

Dr Lars Otto Naess, IDS Research Fellow

Paula Karalus, IDS Director of Human Resources

Dr Jeremy Allouche, IDS Research Fellow

Dr Tom Harrison, IDS Research Fellow

Caroline Martin, IDS Project Manager

Leah Murphy, IDS Health Convenor

Isobel Pearce, IDS Director of Human Resources

Dr Rajith Lakshman, IDS Research Officer

Dr Jody Aked, IDS Doctoral Researcher

Dr Lara Montesinos Coleman, University of Sussex, Global Studies

Professor Peter Newell, University of Sussex, Global Studies

Professor Vinita Damodaran, University of Sussex, Global Studies

Professor Dominic Kniveton, University of Sussex, Global Studies

Professor David Ockwell, University of Sussex, Global Studies

Professor Priya Deshingkar, University of Sussex, Global Studies

Professor James Fairhead, University of Sussex, Global Studies

Dr Anke Schwittay, University of Sussex, Global Studies

Lídia Cabral, IDS Research Fellow

Polling cards are a silly waste of paper

I picked up my polling card from the mantelpiece today and found my details all individually listed, showing my address. At the bottom, a line reads: “You do not need to take this card with you in order to vote.”

I’m not surprised we’ve got eco-warriors stomping all over London – good for them! What a costly, silly, utterly pointless waste of card, time and postage – recycled or otherwise!

Michael Cunliffe
Ilkley, West Yorkshire

Prince William’s visit to Christchurch brings light to the darkest of tragedies

Prince William’s visit to Al Noor mosque in Christchurch is inspirational. At a time when right wing populism has never been more flourishing, this visit will leave an indelible mark on communities still reeling from seemingly relentless grief, loss and pain.

The British royal family has always provided a sense of stability and continuity that spreads far beyond British shores. The reaction of Jacinda Ardern and New Zealanders in general have been extraordinary in their overwhelming outpouring of sympathy, solidarity, empathy, understanding, respect, bereavement towards Muslims. Ardern wore Hijab, visited mosques, consoled and pledged to offer succour to grieving families reeling from the impacts of bereavement and agony for years to come and reformed her country’s gun laws.

The Quran was recited in the parliament and Azan was read loudly and women wore Hijab as a sign of solidarity with Muslims. These examples should not only be taught in schools to our youngsters but emulated in our daily lives in the battle against the dark forces of evil and terror.

Dr Munjed Farid Al Qutob
London NW2

Why all the sudden fuss about housing discrimination?

Shelter are campaigning about discrimination by estate agents, against benefit claimants. Quite rightly, but this has been going on for many years. Remember the no, dogs, among others? I have been highlighting this for over 30 years. Why no action until now?

It is against the Equality Act in 2010, albeit indirectly, as it predominantly discriminates again women, and disabled people. Estate agents also have other ways of doing it, such as by saying the property has been let.

Financial penalties seem the only way to force agents/landlords to behave.

Do renters agree? Answers on a postcard please!

Gary Martin
London E17

It’s time for Downing Street to play hardball with Nicola Sturgeon

So David Lidington, Theresa May’s deputy, has reconfirmed the Scottish parliament will not be given the power to hold an independence referendum by 2021.

Looking ahead, Nicola Sturgeon will aim for a nationalist majority in the 2021, to attempt to legitimise staging #indyref2 in perhaps 2021/2022. But if Downing Street really wants to play hard ball, it will insist pro-independence parties achieve at least 50 per cent of the vote – we have a nationalist majority now in Holyrood measured in MSPs but with only 47.1 per cent of votes. If the 2016 election had been an independence referendum, quite evidently Sturgeon would again have lost.

But if both a nationalist majority and 50 per cent plus vote for pro-independence parties materialises, Downing Street could reasonably determine #indyref2 isn’t held until early 2025 – within the next Holyrood term but also far enough off for some possible Brexit wins to emerge.

The SNP began renewed independence campaigning on Wednesday – this could mean Sturgeon will be focused on the constitution for the next six years, while continuing to neglect managing of our public services.

Martin Redfern
Edinburgh