Humans cannot continue to violate the fundamental laws of nature or science with impunity, say 94 signatories including Dr Alison Green and Molly Scott Cato MEP. Professor of Sustainability Leadership at the University of Cumbria Jem Bendell joined others in calling for a wider debate about sustainability, featured in The Guardian.



We the undersigned represent diverse academic disciplines, and the views expressed here are those of the signatories and not their organisations. While our academic perspectives and expertise may differ, we are united on one point: we will not tolerate the failure of this or any other government to take robust and emergency action in respect of the worsening ecological crisis. The science is clear, the facts are incontrovertible, and it is unconscionable to us that our children and grandchildren should have to bear the terrifying brunt of an unprecedented disaster of our own making

Ali, Shahrar

Bendell, Jem

Carter, Joy

Dorling, Danny

Drew, David

et al.

Gibson, Ian

Green, Alison

Orbach, Susie

Scott Cato, Molly

Williams, Rowan

Insight - University of Cumbria 

Green,  Alison,  Carter,  Joy,  Williams,  Rowan,  Dorling,  Danny,  Bendell,  Jem, Gibson, Ian, Orbach, Susie, Drew, David, Scott Cato, Molly, Ali, Shahrar and et al.,  (2018) Facts about our ecological crisis  are incontrovertible:  we must take action. The Guardian [website] . Downloaded from: http://insight.cumbria.ac.uk/id/eprint/4164/Usage of any items from the University of  Cumbria’s  institutional repository ‘Insight’  must conform to the  following fair usage guidelines.Any item and its associated metadata held in the University of Cumbria’s institutional  repository Insight (unless stated otherwise on the metadata record) may be copied, displayed or performed, and stored in line with the JISC fair dealing guidelines (available here) for educational and not-for-profit activitiesprovided that• the authors, title and full bibliographic details of the item are cited clearly when any partof the work is referred to verbally or in the written form • a hyperlink/URL to the original Insight record of that item is included in any citations of the work• the content is not changed in any way• all files required for usage of the item are kept together with the main item file.You may not• sell any part of an item• refer to any part of an item without citation• amend any item or contextualise it in a way that will impugn the creator’s reputation• remove or alter the copyright statement on an item.The full policy can be found here. Alternatively contact the University of Cumbria Repository Editor by emailing insight@cumbria.ac.uk.LettersFacts about our ecological crisis areincontrovertible. We must take actionHumans cannot continue to violate the fundamental laws of nature or science with impunity,say 94 signatories including Dr Alison Green and Molly Scott Cato MEPFri 26 Oct 2018 15.56 BSTWe the undersigned represent diverse academic disciplines, and the views expressed here arethose of the signatories and not their organisations. While our academic perspectives andexpertise may diﬀer, we are united on one point: we will not tolerate the failure of this or anyother government to take robust and emergency action in respect of the worsening ecologicalcrisis. The science is clear, the facts are incontrovertible, and it is unconscionable to us that ourchildren and grandchildren should have to bear the terrifying brunt of an unprecedenteddisaster of our own making.We are in the midst of the sixth mass extinction, with about 200 species becoming extinct eachday. Humans cannot continue to violate the fundamental laws of nature or of science withimpunity. If we continue on our current path, the future for our species is bleak.Our government is complicit in ignoring the precautionary principle, and in failing toacknowledge that inﬁnite economic growth on a planet with ﬁnite resources is non-viable.Instead, the government irresponsibly promotes rampant consumerism and free-marketfundamentalism, and allows greenhouse gas emissions to rise. Earth Overshoot Day (the datewhen humans have used up more resources from nature than the planet can renew in theentire year) falls ever earlier each year (1 August in 2018).When a government wilfully abrogates its responsibility to protect its citizens from harm andto secure the future for generations to come, it has failed in its most essential duty ofstewardship. The “social contract” has been broken, and it is therefore not only our right, butour moral duty to bypass the government’s inaction and ﬂagrant dereliction of duty, and torebel to defend life itself.We therefore declare our support for Extinction Rebellion, launching on 31 October 2018. Wefully stand behind the demands for the government to tell the hard truth to its citizens. We callfor a Citizens’ Assembly to work with scientists on the basis of the extant evidence and inaccordance with the precautionary principle, to urgently develop a credible plan for rapid totaldecarbonisation of the economy. Dr Alison Green Pro vice-chancellor (academic), Arden University, National Director (UK)Scientists Warning Professor Joy Carter Vice-chancellor, University of Winchester Dr Rowan Williams Danny Dorling Halford Mackinder professor of geography, University of Oxford Jem Bendell Professor of sustainability leadership, University of Cumbria Dr Ian Gibson Former Chair, House of Commons Science and Technology Select Committee Dr Susie Orbach Consultant psychoanalyst, The Balint Consultancy David Drew MP, Shadow minister (environment, food and rural aﬀairs) Professor Molly Scott Cato MEP Shahrar Ali PhD, Green Party home aﬀairs spokesperson Peter Belton Professor emeritus of chemistry, University of East Anglia Dr Simon Boxley Centre for Climate Change Education & Communication, University ofWinchester Erik Buitenhuis Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, University of East Anglia Dave Humphreys Professor of environmental policy, Open University Andrew Simms Centre for Global Political Economy, University of Sussex; NEF Arran Stibbe Professor of ecological linguistics, University of Gloucestershire Dr Rupert Read Reader in philosophy, University of East Anglia Richard House PhD (Env sci) Chartered psychologist, StroudRonald Barnett Emeritus professor of higher education, University College London Institute ofEducation Emeritus Professor Michael Bassey Nottingham Trent University Professor Woody Caan Editor, Journal of Public Mental Health Claire Callender, Professor of higher education, Birkbeck and UCL Institute of Education  Simon Capewell MD DSc, Professor of clinical epidemiology, University of Liverpool Professor Andrew Cooper Tavistock & Portman NHS Foundation Trust; University of East London Emeritus Professor Tricia David Windy Dryden Emeritus professor of psychotherapeutic studies, Goldsmiths University of LondonSuman Fernando Honorary professor, London Metropolitan University Professor Mark Ford, University College London Professor Gary Francione Harvey Goldstein Professor of social statistics, University of Bristol Jonathan Gosling Emeritus professor of leadership studies, University of Exeter Paul HoƢett Emeritus professor of social policy, UWE, Bristol Wendy Hollway Emeritus professor of psychology, Open University Professor John Hughes University of Gloucestershire Professor Simon Kelley University of Edinburgh Adrian Kendry Visiting Chair in economics and security, University of Winchester Karin Lesnik-Oberstein Professor of critical theory, University of Reading Del Loewenthal Emeritus professor in psychotherapy, University of Roehampton Professor Mark Maslin FRGS, FRSA University College London Martin Milton Professor of counselling psychology, Regents University London Professor Dany Nobus Brunel University London Professor Jayne Osgood Middlesex University, mother, feminist, activist Professor Ann Phoenix University of London Richard Pring Emeritus professor, University of Oxford Peter Reason Professor emeritus, University of Bath Professor Diane Reay University of Cambridge Lynne Segal Anniversary Professor of psychosocial studies, Birkbeck, University of London Farzana Shain Professor of sociology of Education, Keele University Prem Sikka Professor of accounting and ﬁnance, University of Sheﬃeld Professor Ernesto Spinelli ES Associates, London Dr Guy Standing Professorial research associate, SOAS, University of London Brian Thorne Emeritus professor (counselling), University of East Anglia Frederick Toates Emeritus professor of biological psychology, Open University  Dr Steve Tombs Professor of criminology, Open University  Tony Watts OBE Emeritus professor of career development, University of Derby Michael J. Wright Ph.D., Emeritus professor in cognitive neuroscience, LondonDr Ruth Adams Senior lecturer in cultural & creative industries Dr Meg-John Barker senior lecturer in psychology, Open University Robert Basto Ph.D., software consultant, scientist, activist Dr Teresa Belton author of Happier People, Healthier Planet Dr Gail Bradbrook mother, NGO consultant  Dr Onel Brooks Senior lecturer in psychotherapy, counselling and counselling psychology Dr Dominique Chadwick independent researcher and ﬁlm-maker, Cambridge Dr Anne Chapman Dr Red Chidgey Lecturer in gender and media, King’s College London John Christensen Director and Chair of the Board Tax Justice Network Dr Christopher D. Coath University of Bristol Dr Mick Cooper Chartered psychologist, Brighton Dr Virginia Crisp Lecturer in culture, media & creative industries, King’s College, London Jonathan Dawson Coordinator of economics, Schumacher College Richard Eke Ph.D., Associate lecturer, UWE, Bristol Dr Peter Elfer Principal lecturer, Early Childhood Research Centre Dr Jonathan Gross King’s College London Andy Halewood CPsychol., Senior lecturer in counselling psychology, UWE, Bristol Dr Wiebina Heesterman Ph.D. Law (human rights), activist Dr Jason Hickel Department of Anthropology, Goldsmiths, University of London Dr Abby Innes London School of Economics Dr Nicholas James FASS, Open University Peter Lipman Fellow, Cabot Institute for the Environment, Bristol University Ed Lord Ph.D., RMN, RCBC Wales, Fellow, Swansea University Rachel Lunnon PhD (mathematical logic), software engineer Dr Michael McEachrane University College London; visiting researcher, Raoul WallenbergInstitute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law (Lund) Dr Kate McMillan King’s College, London Dr Gerry Mooney Open University in Scotland Dr Calum Neill Associate professor of psychoanalysis & cultural theory, Edinburgh NapierUniversity Dr Eva Novotny retired, University of Cambridge Dr Christine Parkinson Retired biologist, Scientists for Global Responsibility Dr Volker Patent CPsychol, lecturer and coach Dr Gerald Power PhD, management consultant Dr Gillian Proctor CPsychol., Programme leader, MA in counselling and psychotherapy,University of Leeds Dr Jay Watts Consultant clinical psychologist Dr David Whitebread Retired senior member, Homerton College, Cambridge• Join the debate – email guardian.letters@theguardian.com• Read more Guardian letters – click here to visit gu.com/letters• Do you have a photo you’d like to share with Guardian readers? Click here to upload it andwe’ll publish the best submissions in the letters spread of our print editionSince you’re here …... we have a small favour to ask. Three years ago, we set out to make The Guardian sustainableby deepening our relationship with our readers. The revenues provided by our printnewspaper had diminished. The same technologies that connected us with a global audiencealso shifted advertising revenues away from news publishers. We decided to seek an approachthat would allow us to keep our journalism open and accessible to everyone, regardless ofwhere they live or what they can aﬀord.And now for the good news. Thanks to all the readers who have supported our independent,investigative journalism through contributions, membership or subscriptions, we areovercoming the perilous ﬁnancial situation we faced. Three years ago we had 200,000supporters; today we have been supported by over 900,000 individuals from around theworld. We stand a ﬁghting chance and our future is starting to look brighter. But we have tomaintain and build on that level of support for every year to come.Sustained support from our readers enables us to continue pursuing diﬃcult stories inchallenging times of political upheaval, when factual reporting has never been more critical.The Guardian is editorially independent – our journalism is free from commercial bias and notinﬂuenced by billionaire owners, politicians or shareholders. No one edits our editor. No onesteers our opinion. This is important because it enables us to give a voice to the voiceless,challenge the powerful and hold them to account. Readers’ support means we can continuebringing The Guardian’s independent journalism to the world.If everyone who reads our reporting, who likes it, helps to support it, our future would bemuch more secure. For as little as £1, you can support the Guardian – and it only takes aminute. Thank you.Support The GuardianTopicsEnvironmentAnimals

Facts about our ecological crisis are incontrovertible: we must take action

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Facts about our ecological crisis are incontrovertible: we must take action

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