Fear-based message ignores the reality of modern society

KEITH Woods article (GCB, 10/7) on the “Extinction Rebellion” movement touches on the merging of red and green philosophies. In the same paper opposition leader Deb Frecklington calls these rebels “dropkicks”.

On the previous evening The

Project’s commentator Ali Waleed took up their case and if the body language of his co-hosts was any indication, he stood alone in his conviction.

Many of us may dismiss these dropkicks as Deb puts them but they represent a warning of how we are influenced by emotive response while ignoring the hard realities that bind and underpin our society.

With regards to climate change, we are told to accept the science. Fine.

But science also demonstrates our species has survived and prospered under radical climate change events, an ice age when we were dominant in the northern hemisphere, the worst affected landmass.

Why? We, like many species adapted.

The difference today is we are essentially fixed, no longer nomads, restricted by artificial political, social and economic borders.

These restrictions play a pivotal role in how we can realistically deal with climate change.

The very freedom Extinction Rebellion uses to promote its cause would disappear should our economy collapse.

Their fear-based message ignores the realities of a modern society and has the taint of Marxism reform. This mix of green and red philosophy is nothing but bad medicine.

There are good reasons to use renewable energy sources as there are equally good reasons to do so without sacrificing our economic security.

There already exists a quiet but determined counter rebellion against the high costs of the energy that permeates all aspects of our lives.

Rushing headlong into economic chaos based on fear will deliver extinction of another kind but will prove just as deadly. Wiser heads will seek the right balance.