So what have we achieved so far? Greenhouse pollution is still rising, despite a century and a quarter of knowledge and concern. The first scientific papers outlining the warming effect of burning fossil fuels were published in the 1890s. The Model T Ford was still a decade away. In 1994 – a full century later – the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) came into effect as governments around the world finally agreed to deal with the problem. Loading Since, instead of slowing, global emissions have accelerated. About half of all the carbon pollution we have emitted throughout history has been in the 25 years since the UNFCCC became international law. So when Extinction Rebellion says that politics as usual has failed us, it’s hard to argue. Whether you believe economies are best steered by elected representatives, an invisible hand or a combination of both, greenhouse pollution is a catastrophic market failure that 25 years of intergovernmental action has failed to fix. That’s led thousands around the world to the next question. Is it time to rebel? Politely petitioning hasn’t worked yet. Arguably, when challenging entrenched power, it rarely does. Ask Rosa Parks or Mahatma Ghandi. Ask the Gurindji who went on strike for a decade to get their land back in the 1960s. Or the 1217 people arrested on the Franklin River blockade. Sure, there have been reforms without peaceful civil disobedience, but name one that succeeded against an industry as powerful and entrenched as the fossil fuel industry.

Of course, the Gurindji didn’t win through protest alone. Saving the Franklin took lobbying, electoral organising and just about every means available. But without confrontation and disruption, those campaigns would most likely have failed. And one thing is certain: politics as usual – protesting as usual – has not yet stopped greenhouse pollution rising at a dangerous pace. So if peaceful disobedience is warranted, then the next question becomes, what form? Why disrupt traffic, annoying people who are trying to get home from work? Burning fossil fuels is the biggest cause of emissions; surely protesters should be blockading big energy corporations like Energy Australia, the owner of Yallourn, Australia’s dirtiest power station? Loading We should all be holding the big polluters to account and pushing them to change. Indeed, thousands of everyday people are involved with my own organisation, Environment Victoria, in order to do just that. But I think Extinction Rebellion is playing a different role, and I hope they succeed. They are raising the alarm, alerting more people to a disaster that is presently out of control. They are calling for all hands on deck, and asking everyone: what more can you do, how can you best help? Yes, it’s annoying. Yes, it’s inconvenient. Premier Daniel Andrews has already said Extinction Rebellion isn’t “winning any friends”. But just as the shriek of a fire alarm is designed to shock you out of whatever you’re doing, Extinction Rebellion is disrupting the city to warn of a much greater climate disruption to come.