Just Stop Oil targets Charles Darwin’s grave over climate change inaction

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Karah Rucker Anchor

By Karah Rucker (Anchor), Kalé Carey (Reporter), Jake Larsen (Video Editor)

Climate activists took their message to a historic landmark on Monday, Jan. 13, vandalizing the grave of famed British naturalist Charles Darwin. Just Stop Oil protested at Westminster Abbey to demand urgent government action on climate change.

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Two members of the group Just Stop Oil used chalk paint to write the words “1.5 is dead” on part of Darwin’s white gravestone, turning it orange. The protesters said the action was a direct response to the U.K. government’s failure to address the climate crisis.

“We’ve done it on Darwin’s grave specifically because he would be turning in that grave because of the sixth mass extinction taking place now,” one of the activists said as they were being led away by police.

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The group is calling on world leaders to honor their climate commitments, particularly the 2015 Paris Agreement. World leaders agreed to keep the world’s temperature increase well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels and to push for limiting it to 1.5 degrees.

According to a recent report from European scientists, 2024 has been the hottest year on record, surpassing the 1.5-degree threshold. The Copernicus Climate Change Service, which monitors global temperatures, says human activity is one of the drivers behind the rising temperatures.

“We’ve already passed through the 1.5 degrees that was supposed to keep us safe,” the activist said during the protest. “Millions are being displaced. California is on fire, and three-quarters of wildlife has disappeared since the 1970s.”

The protest comes amid a wave of similar actions across the U.K. by Just Stop Oil activists. The group has previously staged high-profile demonstrations, including throwing soup on famous artworks and vandalizing historical monuments with orange paint.

The group’s message is clear, they want world leaders to take decisive action by phasing out the extraction of fossil fuels by 2030.

Westminster Abbey officials confirmed the damage to Darwin’s grave is not permanent. A spokesperson said a restoration team is working to clean the memorial.

Authorities with the London Police arrested the two activists who carried out the protest.

Tags: Climate Change, Fossil Fuels, London, Paris, United Kingdom

[Karah Rucker]

CLIMATE ACTIVISTS ARE TAKING A BOLD STAND AT THE GRAVE OF FAMED BRITISH NATURALIST CHARLES DARWIN, CALLING ON THE UK GOVERNMENT TO ACT.

THE CAMPAIGNERS SAY IF DARWIN WERE ALIVE TODAY, HE’D BE “TURNING IN HIS GRAVE” OVER THE RAPID EXTINCTION RATES SWEEPING THE PLANET.

TWO MEMBERS OF ‘JUST STOP OIL’ USED CHALK PAINT TO WRITE ‘ONE POINT FIVE IS DEAD’ TURNING PART OF THE WHITE GRAVESTONE ORANGE, INSIDE LONDON’S WESTMINSTER ABBEY.

ACTIVISTS SAY DARWIN’S MEMORIAL WAS TARGETED BECAUSE HE WOULD BE UPSET WITH THE GOVERNMENT’S INACTION.

(“We’ve already passed through the 1.5 degree that was supposed to keep us safe.”)

THE CAMPAIGN GROUP POINTS TO THE WORLD LEADERS PROMISE THEY MADE 10 YEARS AGO THROUGH A GLOBAL TREATY.

COUNTRIES AGREED TO CUT GLOBAL GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS SIGNIFICANTLY, AIMING TO KEEP THE WORLD’S TEMPERATURE INCREASE WELL BELOW 2 DEGREES CELSIUS ABOVE PRE-INDUSTRIAL LEVELS, AND TO PUSH FOR LIMITING IT TO 1.5 DEGREES.

IN A NEW REPORT RELEASED FRIDAY, EUROPEAN SCIENTISTS CONFIRM THAT 2024 WAS THE HOTTEST YEAR ON RECORD, PUSHING PAST THAT CRITICAL 1.5 DEGREE MARK.

THE COPERNICUS CLIMATE CHANGE SERVICE SAYS HUMAN ACTIVITY IS DRIVING CLIMATE CHANGE LEADING TO RECORD-HIGH TEMPERATURES.

(“Millions are being displaced. California is on fire and three quarters of wildlife has disappeared since the 1970s.”)

JUST STOP OIL MADE RECENT HEADLINES FOR SIMILAR PROTESTS ACROSS BRITAIN. ACTIVISTS THROWING SOUP ON VAN GOGH PAINTINGS OR VANDALIZING ANCIENT MONUMENTS WITH ORANGE PAINT.

THE GROUP SAYS THEY WANT ONE THING FROM WORLD LEADERS: STOP BURNING FOSSIL FUELS BY 2030.

A SPOKESPERSON FOR THE CHURCH SAYS THE DAMAGE IS NOT PERMANENT AND A TEAM IS WORKING TO CLEAN THE MEMORIAL.

WESTMINSTER ABBEY REMAINED OPEN TO GUESTS AND WORSHIPPERS.

THE TWO ACTIVISTS WERE ARRESTED IN RELATION TO DEFACING THE GRAVE.

FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS, I’M KARAH RUCKER