Extinction Rebellion’s co-founder Clare Farrell and conservation scientist Dr Charlie Gardner team up once more to discuss issues and stories they feel are not getting enough airtime. They want to make sure that the latest news in science and important reports that are relevant to the climate and ecological crisis are flagged and explained in ways that are easy to understand.
EPISODE 34: The psychological effects of repression and what's next for the climate movement?
In this episode Clare and Charlie explore how escalating state repression is reshaping climate activism, from the rise of underground tactics and sabotage, to why crackdowns may be radicalising some campaigners while deterring others. They also discuss the future of climate organising, including: mutual aid, community resilience, local assemblies, land-based resistance in France, and the growing attempts to unite climate action with anti-war, anti-poverty and justice movements. They raise the question of what a coherent political vision and philosophy for the climate movement might actually look like in an age of collapse, inequality and authoritarianism.
REFERENCES
Research on climate protest repression in the UK (University of St Andrews / Nature Climate Change)
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-026-02570-8
Guardian article on how climate protest crackdowns may radicalise activists
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/apr/25/criminalisation-of-climate-protesters-in-uk-is-counterproductive-research-finds
Understanding and Accelerating Collective Climate Action (Report from Leiden Conference)
https://zenodo.org/records/17583133
The Difficulty Ecologism Has Not Yet Faced
https://thefurrowedmind.substack.com/p/the-difficulty-ecologism-has-not
Humanity Project
https://humanityproject.uk/
The Climate Mobilization (US climate survival organising project)
https://www.theclimatemobilization.org/
Water Sovereignty Toolkit (The Climate Mobilization)
https://www.theclimatemobilization.org/water-sovereignty-toolkit
A Paradise Built in Hell by Rebecca Solnit
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/301070/a-paradise-built-in-hell-by-rebecca-solnit/
Soulèvements de la Terre (“Earth Uprisings” movement in France)
https://lessoulevementsdelaterre.org/
Climáximo (Portuguese climate justice movement)
https://www.instagram.com/climaximopt/
Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty initiative - https://fossilfueltreaty.org/
Citizens’ Convention for Climate (France)
https://www.conventioncitoyennepourleclimat.fr/en/
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