‘Just Stop Oil’ … Stops

By Robert Bradley Jr.

“Little doubt that civil disobedience makes the perpetrator feel virtuous. But the anti-CO2, anti-industrialization movement is at war with society, reality, and itself. This fringe is urged to question a false cause with study and reflection … Real environmentalism please!”

The Guardian reported yesterday:

Just Stop Oil to ‘hang up the hi-vis’ after three years of climate action …. Final gathering in April will mark end of street protests although campaign to continue ‘in courts and prisons’ ….

Dozens of protesters have been jailed. Last summer, five supporters of Just Stop Oil were given multi-year sentences for planning road-block protests on the M25. Even after their terms were reduced on appeal this month, they remain the longest ever handed down for non-violent civil disobedience.

Meanwhile, new groups have emerged that have eschewed the previous commitments of some climate activists to be accountable for their actions, instead acting clandestinely to target organisations they regard as responsible for contributing to climate breakdown.

The major course correction was due to ineffectiveness, idiocy, and jail time. But not to the guilty. Climate activist Verel Rodrigues [1] reported yesterday on social media:

After three years of disruption, defiance and deep courage, Just Stop Oil are ending their protests. And honestly… it feels kinda emotional.

Just Stop Oil didn’t just shake things up – they changed the political conversation in the UK and around the world. What began in 2022 with bold, disruptive action, slow marches, and orange paint quickly became one of the most recognisable and influential climate campaigns in modern history….

Of course, it hasn’t been easy. The repression has been brutal. Laws were weaponised. Protesters jailed for years. But JSO held the line. And that defiance – that courage – shifted the Overton window. Three years ago, talking about a full stop to new fossil fuel projects was fringe. Now it’s policy.

And the UK economy is in decline and the commoners are burdened with high energy bills–for no effect on global climate (the country is responsible for 1 percent of global CO2 emissions)…..

Continuing:

…. yes, Just Stop Oil hanging up the hi-vis feels emotional. But it also feels like a baton being passed. As they’ve said: the campaign doesn’t die – it evolves. Into the courts, into the prisons, and maybe even into something new, bolder, and even more global. Disruption works. Resistance matters. And movements can win

Or lose. Just Stop Oil would not stop if it was winning. Just the opposite.

Little doubt that civil disobedience makes the perpetrator feel virtuous. But the anti-CO2, anti-industrialization movement is at war with society, reality, and itself. This fringe is urged to question a false cause with study and reflection and turn their ire (without violating property rights or inconveniencing the general public) to wind and solar industrialization on land and in the waters. Real environmentalism please!

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[1] He describes himself as follows:

I’m Verel – a climate activist, environmental campaigner, and engineer driven by a simple truth: we cannot solve the climate crisis with business as usual. My mission is to challenge the status quo, inspire action, and empower individuals to leverage their skills and knowledge in the fight for a livable planet….

Since joining the climate movement in 2019, I’ve worked with groups like Extinction Rebellion and Just Stop Oil, spearheading local initiatives, crafting high-impact campaigns, and refining media strategies to amplify the urgency of climate action….