Tomorrow: ‘This Is Not A Drill: An Extinction Rebellion Handbook’ published by Penguin Random House - Extinction Rebellion UK

Tomorrow: ‘This Is Not A Drill: An Extinction Rebellion Handbook’ published by Penguin Random House

Email: press@risingup.org.uk

Phone: +44(0)7561098449 / +44(0)7479234522

Website:https://rebellion.earth/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ExtinctionRebellion/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ExtinctionR; #TellTheTruth #ThisIsNotADrill

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Photos/videos: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1m1v7Cs8JFkDM1gHp45OF-NwwhLzPZJO

Climate Factsheet for Rebels https://rebellion.earth/the-climate-factsheet-for-rebels/

  • Thursday 13 June: ‘This Is Not A Drill: An Extinction Rebellion Handbook’ is released by Penguin Random House after publication date brought forward for rush release
  • The book is a practical guide for rebels which talks about the grave truth about the Climate and Ecological Crisis and how we can all take action to combat it
  • Includes contributions from people on the front lines of the climate crisis, as well as activists, academics and politicians such as Vandana Shiva, Clive Lewis MP, Caroline Lucas MP and former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams
  • The book will be printed on 100% recycled paper

Tomorrow 13 June, Extinction Rebellion will publish its first book ‘This Is Not A Drill: An Extinction Rebellion Handbook’ which is intended to be a practical guide to a new, flourishing movement: the tactics, the politics, the things they have done and the things they hope to do.

The book was rushed for early release following Extinction Rebellion’s hugely successful April protests where the non-violent civil disobedience group managed to shut down 5 of London’s busiest locations across 11 days [1]. The book will be printed on 100% recycled paper.

The book includes contributions from people on the front lines of the Climate and Ecological Crisis and Extinction Rebellion activists all across the world, representing the collective voice of this rapidly emerging movement. Academic and activist Vandana Shiva has written the foreword and the former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams has written the afterword. Other contributors include: Kate Raworth, Caroline Lucas MP, Clive Lewis MP, Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, Farhana Yamin, and President Mohamed Nasheed of the Maldives. The book is edited by activists Clare Farrell, Alison Green, Sam Knights, and William Skeaping.

Split into two halves – ‘Tell the Truth’ and ‘Act Now’ – the book is filled with helpful information for emerging rebels who seek the truth about the Climate and Ecological Emergency we are in, while giving guidance on how they can take action to combat it. Following the success of Extinction Rebellion’s International Rebellion in April, the book features stories and images from the protests, with sections titled ‘Movement Building,’ ‘Going to jail’ and ‘The time is now.’

The book will launch today at Foyles Bookshop to a sold out audience. Similar events are planned up and down the country and, at the time of writing, the book has already sold all 15k pre-order copies and is into its second print run. This also puts it in Amazon’s list of top 100 bestselling books.

Penguin have also agreed for members of Extinction Rebellion to come in and give their staff members a talk on the Climate and Ecological Emergency. Board directors are to meet with activists later in the month to discuss how Penguin can lead the industry in tackling climate change. Extinction Rebellion is urging publishers to declare a state of Climate and Ecological Emergency and to start printing all books in a sustainable way.

Quotes:

Clare Farrell, Extinction Rebellion: This is our last chance to do anything about the global Climate and Ecological Emergency. Our last chance to save the world as we know it. Now or never, we need to be radical. We need to rise up. And we need to rebel. This is a book of truth and action.”

Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, activist and geographer: “Climate change is often something abstract for the inhabitants of rich countries, for all of us who live in cities and who have forgotten what they owe to nature. But not for us. For us, it’s a reality. A reality that comes from elsewhere. We are witnesses of the consequences without being able to act on the causes. Yet we do not want to resign ourselves to seeing nature die before our eyes. Because nature is our life. Because nature is our identity.”

Rowan Williams, 104th Archbishop of Canterbury: “The climate crisis is not some unfortunate accident but a reality that has been at the very least accelerated and measurably worsened by a set race. We may or may not escape a breakdown. But we can escape the toxicity of the mindset that has brought us here. And in doing so we can recover a humanity that is capable of real resilience.”

Sam Knights, Extinction Rebellion: “We wrote this book in order to help people. We want people to pick up this book, read about what is happening, and join the rebellion. We want to share what we have learnt over the last year and start a conversation that should have started decades ago.

We have to now start talking about our vision for the future. That vision is focused on democracy, equality, and justice. This book outlines that vision, articulated differently by a diverse group of contributors. These authors include indigenous activists in Chad, farmers in the Himalayas, and a former Archbishop of Canterbury. It has been an honour to edit this book. I hope it will be read for years and years to come.”

Social Media:

#ThisIsNotADrill

@ExtinctionR

@PenguinUKBooks

Full list of contributors:

Vandana Shiva, Sam Knights, Farhana Yamin, Professor William J. Ripple and Nicholas R. Houtman, Mohamed Nasheed, Kamla Joshi and Bhuvan Chand Joshi, Neil Woods, Californian Firefighter, Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, Douglas Rushkoff, Susie Orbach, Matthew Todd, Jem Bendell, Dougald Hine, Jay Griffiths, Roger Hallam, Professor Danny Burns and Cordula Reimann, Tiana Jacout and Robin Boardman, Momo Haque, James and Ruby, Miles Glyn and Clare Farrell, Ronan McNern, Cathy Eastburn, Legal Support Team, William Skeaping, Caroline Lucas MP, Kate Raworth, Clive Lewis MP, Paul Chatterton, Hazel Healy, Carne Ross, Rowan Williams, Gail Bradbrook and Adam Wagner.

Blurb of book:

“Extinction Rebellion are inspiring a whole generation to take action on climate breakdown.

Now you can become part of the movement – and together, we can make history.

It’s time. This is our last chance to do anything about the global Climate and Ecological Emergency. Our last chance to save the world as we know it.

Now or never, we need to be radical. We need to rise up. And we need to rebel.

Extinction Rebellion is a global activist movement of ordinary people, demanding action from Governments. This is a book of truth and action. It has facts to arm you, stories to empower you, pages to fill in and pages to rip out, alongside instructions on how to rebel – from organising a roadblock to facing arrest.

By the time you finish this book you will have become an Extinction Rebellion activist. Act now before it’s too late.”

Notes to editors:

  1. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/jun/10/extinction-rebellion-bubble-denial-climate-crisis

About Extinction Rebellion:

Time has almost entirely run out to address the ecological crisis which is upon us, including the 6th mass species extinction, global pollution, and abrupt, runaway climate change. Societal collapse and mass death are seen as inevitable by scientists and other credible voices, with human extinction also a possibility, if rapid action is not taken.

Extinction Rebellion believes it is a citizen’s duty to rebel, using peaceful civil disobedience, when faced with criminal inactivity by their Government.

Extinction Rebellion’s key demands are:

  1. Government must tell the truth by declaring a climate and ecological emergency, working with other institutions to communicate the urgency for change.
  2. Government must act now to halt biodiversity loss and reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2025.
  3. Government must create and be led by the decisions of a Citizens’ Assembly on climate and ecological justice.

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