We need to act now if we want to avoid overwhelming climate and ecological breakdown. So why does the government tell us we’ve got until 2050?

In this episode we’re exploring the government’s 2050 net zero emissions target and why that timeline endangers not only humans, but every other species on the planet.

We’ll talk about the science that shows us we need to act much sooner, and discuss some of the political and economic obstacles to achieving a more ambitious target - like Extinction Rebellion's second demand to halt biodiversity loss & achieve net zero emissions by 2025.

You’ll hear a conversation from the October 2019 Rebellion with Scientists for XR, including Kate Jeffrey, a Professor of Behavioural Neuroscience at University College London; Scott Archer-Nicholls, an Atmospheric Chemist at the University of Cambridge; Peter Spooner, a Paleoclimate Researcher at University College London; and Sven, a project director for climate change adaptation projects.

This episode also features a discussion with Professor Kevin Anderson, a Professor of Energy and Climate Change. He holds a joint chair in the School of Engineering at the University of Manchester and the Centre for Sustainability and the Environment at Uppsala University in Sweden.

Extinction Rebellion has three demands.

1) Tell the Truth - Government must tell the truth by declaring a climate and ecological emergency, working with other institutions to communicate the urgency for change.

2) Act Now - Government must act now to halt biodiversity loss and reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2025.

3) Beyond Politics - Government must create and be led by the decision of a Citizens' Assembly on climate and ecological justice.

Presenters / Producers – Marijn van de Geer, Jessica Townsend
Producer / Sound Editor & Mixing – Michaela Herrmann
Social Media – Barney Weston