George Monbiot is a British journalist and public intellectual, who is also known for his environmental activism. He co-founded the group This Land Is Ours, whose purpose was to try to revitalise public engagement in decisions about how the land is used. The group waged a peaceful campaign for the right of access to the countryside and its resources in the United Kingdom. His latest book, Out of the Wreckage: A new politics for an age of crisis (August 2017) followed on the heels of How Did We Get into This Mess? (February 2017). His other best selling books are The Age of Consent: a manifesto for a new world order (2003) and Captive State: the corporate takeover of Britain (2000). Monbiot has written a weekly column for The Guardian newspaper since 1996. Visit his website at www.monbiot.com.
George Monbiot on U.K. Climate Emergency & the Need for Rebellion to Prevent Ecological Apocalypse
By Amy Goodman, Nermeen Shaikh, George Monbiot, Democracy Now!
On Wednesday, the House of Commons became the first parliament in the world to declare a climate emergency. The resolution came on the heels of the recent Extinction Rebellion mass uprising that shut down Central London last month in a series of direct actions.
Dare to Declare Capitalism Dead – Before it Takes us all Down with it
By George Monbiot, The Guardian blog
Like coal, capitalism has brought many benefits. But, like coal, it now causes more harm than good. Just as we have found means of generating useful energy that are better and less damaging than coal, so we need to find means of generating human wellbeing that are better and less damaging than capitalism.
Neoliberalism Promised Freedom – Instead it Delivers Stifling Control
By George Monbiot, The Guardian blog
By rolling back the state, neoliberalism was supposed to have allowed autonomy and creativity to flourish. Instead, it has delivered a semi-privatised authoritarianism.
The Natural World can Help Save us from Climate Catastrophe
By George Monbiot, The Guardian blog
We don’t want natural climate solutions to be used as a substitute for the rapid and comprehensive decarbonisation of our economies. The science tells us both are needed: the age of carbon offsets is over.
The Destruction of the Earth is a Crime. It Should be Prosecuted
By George Monbiot, The Guardian blog
Why do we wait until someone has passed away before we honour them? I believe we should overcome our embarrassment, and say it while they are with us. In this spirit, I want to tell you about the world-changing work of Polly Higgins.
Young Climate Strikers Can Win their Fight. We Must All Help
By George Monbiot, The Guardian blog
This one has to succeed. It is not just that the youth climate strike, now building worldwide with tremendous speed, is our best (and possibly our last) hope of avoiding catastrophe.
Could this Local Experiment be the Start of a National Transformation?
By George Monbiot, The Guardian blog
They launched Every One, Every Day in November 2017, opening two shops (the first of five) on high streets in Barking and Dagenham. The shops don’t sell anything but are places where people meet, discuss ideas and launch projects.
As the Fracking Protesters Show, a People’s Rebellion is the Only Way to Fight Climate Breakdown
By George Monbiot, The Guardian blog
Today, the notion of public service seems as quaint as a local post office. We expect those who govern us to grab what they can, permitting predatory banks and corporations to fleece the public realm, then collect their reward in the form of lucrative directorships.