The science is clear - why are we ignoring it?
Over the past 2-3 years Scientist Rebellion members have blindfolded or gagged statues in many countries, e.g. Germany, The Netherlands, the US, France etc.
Statues erected in the public space express recognition of a political, economical, artistic influence on our society. They represent people who symbolise a form of power.
By targeting statues we highlight issues within society that are not in line with the crisis we are in. This can be either public figures who do not live up to their responsibility, or the silencing of scientific facts through populist politicians or police violence directed at non-violent protesters.
Ignored IPCC reports
The text on the blindfold reads “IPCC” and refers to reports on climate change put together by hundreds of scientists around the world in order for political actors to make informed decisions and act according to scientific facts pertaining to climate change and its consequences.
You can consult the IPCC reports at: https://www.ipcc.ch/reports/
The IPCC reports have been released regularly over the past decade, but policy-makers have never seriously followed-up on the scientific reality and on the transformative scenarios proposed in the reports. Neither the media nor the civil society have reacted strongly enough to trigger the change that is needed. While we as Europeans view ourselves as reasonable, grounded problem solvers, we are in fact ignoring the extent of the problem, and not acting on it the way we should – and it is becoming bigger, and growing more unmanageable, if we keep ignoring it!
By blindfolding statues, we want to denounce how influential personae keep ignoring the reality of the climate and biodiversity crises as well as the transformative solutions proposed in the IPCC reports.
Silenced Science
We are lucky enough not to be in this situation. Scientific results are published, recognized, as it is the case with the IPCC reports. Nonetheless, policy-makers have never seriously followed up on the scientific reality and on the transformative scenarios proposed in the reports. Neither the media nor the civil society have reacted strongly enough to trigger the change that is needed. While we as Europeans view ourselves as reasonable, grounded problem solvers, we are in fact ignoring the severity of the crisis, and not acting on it the way we should – and it is growing more destructive as we keep ignoring it!
The gagged scientist statues show how those raising the alarm have been silenced and dismissed for decades. These voices were as diverse as those of economists warning for the consequences of capitalism and industrialization, educators insisting on the necessity of education being dispensed to all social classes, philosophers warning about the risks of not exerting critical thinking. Einstein addressed the control of the sources of information by corporate interests as a threat to welfare in 1949, and Alexander von Humboldt pointed as early as 1844 that coal mining and deforestation would modify the climate. The knowledge of climate evolution and its impact on human societies has been available for a long time!
Some statues of scientists are gagged, as symbol of their scientific alarm raising being ignored for decades.
Criminalisation of peaceful protesters
Since 2004, the Buddy Bears are ambassadors of an open-minded Berlin. They promote peaceful and respectful coexistence among all people and advocate for a sustainable future.
Why do you read “police violence” on the blindfold?
Trust in the police is a cornerstone of our democracies. We learn at school: if we are non-violent, they will not hurt us. Today, this trust is being damaged. Anyone can experience how ominous the everyday life of People of Color can be. Non-violent citizens, some even underage, are increasingly facing pain grip while peacefully protesting for a livable future. Often, the police have milder means available, such as carrying away blockaders. The effects of pain grips are difficult for observers to see. However, they often lead to physical and psychological injuries.
Blindfolded Buddy Bears symbolize how the general public, although agreeing with the values promoted by the Buddy Bears, is currently lacking awareness of police violence. The raised arms point to the fact that our societies are unable to act. The Buddy Bears also can stand for climate activists themselves hiding their tears about the pain they experience and their sadness about the consequences of global warming. Here the raised hands mean: “We are peaceful”.
Yet climate activists do not stand alone. UN Special Rapporteur Michel Forst considers state repression of the climate movement as a major threat to our democracies and human rights.
„The repression that environmental activists who use peaceful civil disobedience are currently facing in Europe is a major threat to democracy and human rights. […] it is for us all to listen to what environmental defenders have to say.“ — Michael Forst, see [1]
Please note that the following sources are mainly in German language.
A video showing extreme physical police violence against a peaceful activist can be found here. Contrary to the claims of the Verwaltungsgericht Berlin, such pain-inducing holds are common police practice.
This is documented by numerous video and photo recordings at protests. An example is the open letter by Prof. Dr. Stefan Müller to Berlin’s Minister of the Interior. It was written in response to severe police violence during a protest of climate activists earlier this year. Additional legal information can be found on the VerfBlog, whose authors also recently published the study “Violence in Office: Excessive Police Violence and Its Investigation“.
Background on non-violent Civil Disobedience
According to the latest IPCC Synthesis Report 2023, achieving the below 1.5°C target of the Paris Climate Agreement has become virtually impossible. To reach this goal with about a coin toss chance, greenhouse gas emissions would need to fall to 57% of 2019 levels by 2030. Additionally, we must remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere on a large scale. A document that summarizes this information in an easily understandable way can be found here.
We already experience the effects of climate change today. Scientists are observing an increase in heatwaves, droughts, and floods not only in the much more severely affected Global South, but also in Europe.
Yet police violence, state repression and media hostility towards climate activists are on the rise in Germany. This attitude conflicts with the urgency of political action. Only swift and decisive action can mitigate the humanitarian, social and economic consequences of the climate catastrophe.
Currently we are playing Russian roulette with our future!
In Europe, pro-environment organizations who demand that politicians acknowledge and act upon scientific knowledge are increasingly oppressed and criminalized by the State.
In the past years, they have experienced rising levels of police violence during acts of non-violent civil disobedience. In Germany, attempts at a systematic criminalization of climate justice groups are becoming more and more frequent. Four members of “Letzte Generation” are officially accused to have formed a criminal union subject to German law (§129 StGB). A short compendium by Prof. Dr. Roland Hefendehl why §129 is problematic in such cases can be found here (in German). Another recent case is the classification of “Ende Gelände” as a suspected case of extreme left by the Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz. In the UK, Just Stop Oil activists were arrested upon suspicion of planning actions.
Our Request: Talk About It!
Share the information: A vibrant democracy needs informed citizens. Otherwise, our democracy will be systematically undermined by violence, by the climate catastrophe itself, and will lead to the erosion of our freedoms and those of our children.
Sources
[1] Green Legal Spaces Report 2023, pdf, Green Legal Impact Germany e.V.
