
I am 40 years old. I have four young children. I work full-time as a clinical neuropsychologist. And I fully support Extinction Rebellion protesters shutting down streets and blockading bridges across the country. Why? Let me explain.
For the past 10 years or so I have become increasingly concerned about climate change. I’ve been recycling. I started composting. I use a keep cup. I sign online petitions and go to rallies. I thought I was doing everything I could. I was wrong.
The lightbulb moment for me came earlier this year just after the election. I had been hearing about the ‘climate crisis’ as it was now being called, and so I started reading more about it. I discovered the experts are united in telling us that we are facing a world where billions could die over the next 80 years if we do not act decisively within the next eight years. This is their best-case estimate. The worst case is human extinction.
Watch news coverage of the Extinction Rebellion protest in Australia. Post continues after video.
I despaired. When well-meaning friends and family asked my children ‘what do you want to do when you grow up?’, I would leave the room in tears.