This is really a type of activism that's about taking people who are already sympathetic to the cause. Those people think they need to do something but haven't yet mobilized to do anything. That's really the point for these activists. They use what we call the radical flank effect to push the activism to a more extreme place.
From the Boston Tea Party to the Civil Rights Movement to Black Lives Matter, activists have long sought to bring pressing issues into the public consciousness. Climate activism is no different. This past Earth Day spawned a new ripple of climate activism. Activists protested at the headquarters of BlackRock in New York City, smeared paint on the casing around an Edgar Degas statue and even tried to block the entrance of the White House Correspondents dinner in DC. But that’s not the only style of activism that’s happening. Some are working from within big institutions to effect change. So what actions really move the needle?
Guests:
Dana Fisher, Professor of Sociology, University of Maryland
Rose Abramoff, Earth Scientist and Climate Activist
Ilana Cohen, Lead Organizer, Fossil Fuel Divest Harvard
For show notes and related links, visit ClimateOne.org.
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