Rallies in the UK, Blockades in the Arctic Bring Pope's Encyclical to Life

Many people look at those who put their bodies on the line to protect the environment as a bit whacky – a symptom of our culture’s disconnect from nature.

When you see something precious being harmed you have to act, and that’s the central message of Pope Francis’s encyclical, released today.

That’s why 30 Greenpeace volunteers are currently battling frigid Arctic waters – because Shell is on the way to drill for oil.  

"If they are going to push past us, if they’re going to continue on to the Arctic, they are not going to do it without opposition," says Greenpeace. It’s People vs. Oil, their banner says.

Yesterday, Shell’s Polar Pioneer blocked people actually swimming in those waters and forced them out of the way, leaving two small boats of activists to confront the face of human plundering.

Follow the action on Twitter: #PeopleVsOil and #ShellNo.

Shell Greenpeace smaller
Greenpeace

Climate Protests in the UK

Meanwhile, 9000 people directly confronted about 250 members of Parliament (MP), calling for much more serious action on climate change. They grilled them on a variety of topics, from food to energy, reports The Guardian.

The Climate Coalition, a coalition of environmental, union and faith groups, rallied in support of Pope Francis’s encyclical. They hope upon hope that it will provide the pressure needed for a strong outcome at December’s all-important climate summit in Paris.

The rally is called, Speak Up For the Love Of, encouraging participants to speak out about something they love that’s threatened by climate change.

MP Jeremy Corbyn, answered questions about bees, global inequality and biodiversity, and said, "We’ve made a lot of progress on environmental policy in the Labour party. I now want us to look at the whole question of sustainability and to set that into a policy change."

"All around the world we are seeing an unprecedented movement of people in its breadth and diversity: it spans the communities in the Amazon fighting to stop deforestation and Bangladeshi fisher folk protecting their mangroves. It includes men, women and children in Nigeria protesting against Shell and the oil spills."

Yes, Shells has been to Nigeria too.

Read our article, Major Media, Grassroots Get Ready to Flood the System On Climate Change.

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