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'Extinction Rebellion' Dubbed Cult, But Supporters Say Radical Change Needed

Jamie Dettmer

   They are seen as the shock troops of a burgeoning direct-action
   environmental movement. Earlier this year, members of Extinction
   Rebellion brought the center of London and some other major British
   towns to a standstill by barricading bridges, standing on top of
   trains, and blocking major thoroughfares and crossroads.

   Extinction Rebellion (XR), a campaign of civil disobedience born in
   Britain and aiming to address a worldwide climate crisis, has been
   endorsed by Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, the teenage poster
   child of environmentalism. XR has pledged to cause more disruption,
   arguing that governments are not doing enough to stop the "climate
   emergency."

   The group, which is spawning similar campaigns in the United States and
   Australia, says climate activists have no choice but to take matters
   into their own hands. It demands that governments prevent further
   biodiversity loss and commit to producing net-zero greenhouse gases by
   2025. Otherwise, XR says, there will be a mass extinction of life forms
   on the planet within the lifetimes of the demonstrators themselves.

   The group's next target is next month's star-studded London Fashion
   Week. Activists have promised to shut down the five-day runway event in
   a bid to raise awareness of the environmental damage caused by the
   fashion industry.

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