Yes, it’s tiring! When you need to stop in the morning – maybe still tired, maybe already tense – on the way to work, to a meeting or to visit relatives, because the road is blocked by climate activists. This is exactly what happened this week in Bern and Zurich.
With their actions, the activists of the organization Renovate Switzerland want to draw attention to the climate catastrophe – and force the Federal Council to invest in thermal renovation of buildings.
Of course, it is doubtful that roadblocks will have the desired effect. They are annoying to many and may even be counterproductive, because they present the fight against global warming in the eyes of the general public as the concern of lone radical fighters.
On the other hand, one might also wonder why a handful of activists on a busy road is so much more exciting than the fact that politicians have so far failed to curb devastating global warming. It’s tragic!
Equally disappointing is that it took teenagers demonstrations to make climate an issue for the general public. Young people used to think about pop stars, acne, or their first big love, not about the survival of humanity. It is also incomprehensible that it is still so difficult for consumers to be more climate friendly. Or that the largest Swiss party continues to get in the way when it comes to climate protection – most recently when the SVP held a referendum against a counter-proposal to the parliamentary glacier initiative.
Yes, many of us resent activists’ roadblocks. Maybe we’re doing this because we don’t have to tackle the real problem: we’re already at the epicenter of the climate crisis, and not enough is being done to counter it.
There is no doubt that climate change activists have lost much of the public’s sympathy through their road blockades or cycling demonstrations. But with their alarmism, they are (unfortunately) not so wrong.
It is important that their protests be and remain non-violent.