Open letter says the Australian government’s inaction on the climate crisis requires civil disobedience in response

This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

More than 250 academics at Australian universities say the federal government’s inaction on the climate crisis requires civil disobedience in response and they feel a “moral duty” to rebel and “defend life itself”.

'We declare our support for Extinction Rebellion': an open letter from Australia's academics Read more

In an open letter, professors, researchers and lecturers from more than a dozen institutions have declared support for the Extinction Rebellion movement and its global week of non-violent civil disobedience in October.

The letter has been published the same day that tens of thousands are expected to take part in school climate strikes at more than 100 locations across Australia.

“Australia’s current climate policies and practices are dire,” it says.

“Rather than making the urgent structural changes necessary for a sustainable and just transition toward zero emissions, the Australian government is continuing to prop up and expand coal and other CO2-emitting industries.”

They say it is “unconscionable” that current and future generations will have to bear the “terrifying brunt of this unprecedented disaster”.

“When a government wilfully abrogates its responsibility to protect its citizens from harm and secure the future for generations to come, it has failed in its most essential duty of stewardship,” the letter says.

“The ‘social contract’ has been broken, and it is therefore not only our right, but our moral duty, to rebel to defend life itself.”

Their declaration is modelled on a similar letter signed by 100 academics last year in the UK, where the Extinction Rebellion (or XR) movement was established.

In Australia, the movement has grown since the May election and protests have shut down streets in cities including Brisbane and Melbourne.

'Going to the streets again': what you need to know about Friday's climate strike Read more

Peta Malins, a lecturer in criminology and justice studies at RMIT and one of the letter’s signatories, said as academics they were “suggesting this is an emergency because all the evidence points towards us having reached a crisis in terms of the climate”.

“The reason we are advocating for non-violent civil disobedience is because, so far, all attempts to reason with the government to take the urgent action on climate that’s necessary for our survival have not been successful,” she said.

On Friday, school strike marches will take place at 110 locations, including every capital city. Workers and companies have also pledged support, with 33 unions and 1800 businesses signed up.