Support for climate action is "imperative": Noam Chomsky Q&A with Just Stop Oil

The Professor will beam his message of support tomorrow night.

Tomorrow evening, on Saturday 23rd April at 8pm (BST), Noam Chomsky will join the resistance group Just Stop Oil for a free international Q&A about the climate crisis.

Climate activists around the world are enacting another season of direct actions from blockading oil terminals, to gluing themselves to the front of government buildings, to street parties.

Just Stop Oil activists have hit the headlines for interrupting Premier League football matches, which some sporting figures have publicly supported, and when activist Miranda Whehelan was asked to defend the actions on Good Morning Britain she was mocked by presenter Richard Madeley and guest Lowri Turner in a scene resembling the recent satire Don’t Look Up.

As ever, those engaged in climate action and those engaged in climate ‘hesitancy’—because denial is no longer feasible—are locking horns. Professor Chomsky is one of the world’s leading intellectuals and has never held back in endorsing progressive resistance and direct action. Just Stop Oil is the latest group to receive his support:

"I support the actions of the Just Stop Oil Coalition, and its partners across 10 countries - it's imperative for all of us to do so".​

- Noam Chomsky

Global scientists and climate, energy, and policy experts support Just Stop Oil’s position. Fatih Birol, Executive Director of the International Energy Agency says “If governments are serious about the climate crisis, there can be no new investments in oil, gas and coal, from now – from this year.”

The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres recently noted that “Climate activists are sometimes depicted as dangerous radicals. But the truly dangerous radicals are the countries that are increasing the production of fossil fuels.”

EVENT TRAILER: ​'Failure is Not an Option' ​| ​​Professor Noam Chomsky on why he supports Just Stop Oil

The world's top climate scientist James Hanson, former head of NASA, recently said the idea of staying under 1.5C is “unadulterated bullshit”. Britain’s former top government science advisor, Sir David King has said “We have to act quickly. What we do in the next three to four years will determine the future of humanity”.

"I don't know what word in the language—I can’t find one—that applies to people of that kind, who are willing to sacrifice the existence of organized human life, not in the distant future, so they can put a few more dollars in highly overstuffed pockets. The word “evil” doesn’t begin to approach it." 

- Noam Chomsky

The schedule for tomorrow’s talk is as follows:

• 8pm: Noam Chomsky speaks

• 8:30pm: audience Q&A

• 9pm: information on the Just Stop Oil Campaign ​and the chance to join breakouts rooms to discuss what we have heard on the call.

You can watch JSO’s previous ​international ​Q&A with Adam McKay, director of Don’t Look Up:

If you’re interested in finding out more about Just Stop Oil, you can see their demands, research, and events at juststopoil.org.

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