Stonehenge spray-painted orange by protesters calling for climate action

[Emrys]

19. "Also, if disturbing a small portion of the lichen is a problem, don't wash off the corn flour. "

You maybe couldn't resist something you thought was some sort of punchline or zinger, but this is asinine, and your dismissiveness does no one any favours, not least Just Stop Oil.

Cornflour is a starch. Our outdoor environment has no shortage of water in any given period. Add water to corn starch and you have a substrate that's going to be fertile for any yeasts and other microorganisms in the environment, and quite likely smother the existing fauna if it's thick enough. You may not give a damn about that, but the "message" of the stunt falls at the first hurdle.

Then how the hell is Stonehenge a symbol that says anything about the impact of oil extraction and use and its ramifications? It doesn't. It's old, archaeologically and culturally important, and famous. That's it.

People are indeed bombarded by information - pro and anti, reliable and bogus - every day. That's not the problem. It's getting them to pay attention to it, digest it and relate it to where they are, and if they're swayed, what if anything they can do about it, otherwise it's just more noise among the deafening, bewildering hubbub.

You kicked off by saying this segment of the population who don't think about these things despite all the wash of information out there would somehow, magically, be spurred to some sort of crucial step on the road to environmental epiphany by this stunt and its reporting, now you seem to have backtracked from that to god knows what sort of incoherent stance where there's no message to this action and the best you can hope for is that people go out there and cause some damage.

Try Googling stonehenge just stop oil and take a look at the headline results on the page. It's all about the "yellow paint" stunt, with Keir Starmer - who might in a few weeks be in a position to do something about oil extraction - and the likes of J.K. Rowling either condemning or ridiculing the action. There's a result from Just Stop Oil itself among it all. Click through, and it's hardly coherent or revelatory (I'll quote it in full as presumably they won't want to invoke copyright rules on their statement):

It’s time for megalithic action!- Just Stop Oil decorate Stonehenge

Two Just Stop Oil supporters have decorated Stonehenge in orange powder paint. They are demanding that the incoming UK government commit to working with other governments to agree an equitable plan to end the extraction and burning of oil, gas and coal by 2030. [1]

At around 12pm, the two supporters began spraying the iconic rocks at the ancient site near Salisbury. Tomorrow thousands are expected to descend on the site to celebrate the Summer Solstice.

Today’s action has come days after the Labour party’s manifesto has recommitted them to stopping all future licences for new oil and gas, should they form the next government.

A Just Stop Oil spokesperson said:

“The UK’s government in waiting has committed to enacting Just Stop Oil’s original demand of ‘no new oil and gas’. However, we all know this is not enough. Continuing to burn coal, oil and gas will result in the death of millions. We have to come together to defend humanity or we risk everything. That’s why Just Stop Oil is demanding that our next government sign up to a legally binding treaty to phase out fossil fuels by 2030.

Failure to commit to defending our communities will mean Just Stop Oil supporters, along with citizens from Austria, Canada, Norway, the Netherlands and Switzerland will join in resistance this summer, if their own Governments do not take meaningful action. Stone circles can be found in every part of Europe showing how we’ve always cooperated across vast distances – we’re building on that legacy."

One of those taking action this morning is Niamh Lynch, 21, a Student from Oxford, who said:

“Stonehenge at solstice is all about celebrating the natural world – but look at the state it’s in! We all have a right to live a life free from suffering, but continued burning of oil, coal and gas is leading to death and suffering on an unparalleled scale.”

“It’s time for us to think about what our civilization will leave behind – what is our legacy?

Standing inert for generations works well for stones – not climate policy.”

Also taking action is Rajan Naidu, 73, from Birmingham, who said:

“Either we end the fossil fuel era, or the fossil fuel era will end us. Just as fifty years ago, when the world used international treaties to defuse the threats posed by nuclear weapons, today the world needs a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty to phase out fossil fuels and to support dependent economies, workers and communities to move away from oil, gas and coal.”

“The orange cornflour we used to create an eye-catching spectacle will soon wash away with the rain, but the urgent need for effective government action to mitigate the catastrophic consequences of the climate and ecological crisis will not. Sign the treaty!”

Until world leaders act to protect us, Just Stop Oil supporters, working with other groups internationally, will take the proportional action necessary to generate much needed political pressure. This summer, areas of key importance to the fossil fuel economy will be declared sites of civil resistance around the world. Sign up to take action at juststopoil.org.

ENDS

https://juststopoil.org/2024/06/19/its-time-for-megalithic-action-just-stop-oil-decorate-stonehenge/

I've just done more justice to what these people aimed to convey than a vast proportion of the media will.

And even so, that's pretty thin gruel. The cursory mentions in passing of the monument and its heritage and the environment sound like some half-assed would-be ad executive or spin doctor shoehorned them in because "We've got this neat stunt worked out, now how do we try to make it relevant to our campaign and explain why the hell we're doing it?" They could maybe have tried to strengthen the tenuous theme of the action by mentioning the massive road bypass that's slated to cut through the neighbourhood of the site, but they even missed that opportunity.

I've taken part in many pre-action campaign discussions in my time when no one had a sensible idea about what to do next, but in the end, in desperation, the idea ended up being, "We've got to do something, so we might as well do anything, as long as it causes a splash."

That's how this comes across.