VO 1: THE CIRCUMSTANCES, THE OBJECTS, AND THE CONDITIONS OF WHAT WE ARE SURROUNDED BY ARE HOW WE DEFINE THE WORD “ENVIRONMENT” WITHIN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE. THAT ENVIRONMENT, THE SETTING THAT SURROUNDS US AT ALL TIMES, IS SOMETHING WE TAKE FOR GRANTED, SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE DEFENDED. EXTINCTION REBELLION DOES JUST THAT.

VO 2: EXTINCTION REBELLION IS AN ORGANIZATION WITH A NON-VIOLENT MOVEMENT AND IS AN INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION WITH A REBELLION TO AID HUMANITY IN CREATING A BETTER LIFE HERE ON EARTH IN TERMS OF CLIMATE CHANGE’S IMPACTS AND ITS FUTURE EFFECTS. THEY ATTEMPT TO BUILD RESILIENCE WITHIN COMMUNITIES WHEN LOOKING DIRECTLY INTO THE FACE OF ECOLOGICAL AND SOCIETAL CRISES. A CHAPTER OF THIS ORGANIZATION RESIDES RIGHT HERE IN BOSTON.

VO 3: EXTINCTION REBELLION BOSTON, OR XR BOSTON, WELCOMES ALL INDIVIDUALS, REGARDLESS OF RACE, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, GENDER, IDENTITY, RELIGION, POLITICAL AFFILIATION, AGE, ETHNICITY, ECONOMIC BACKGROUND, AND MORE. THROUGH THEIR WEBSITE, THEY PROMPT THE IMAGE THAT THIS MOVEMENT IS MEANT FOR ALL OF US, ABOUT ALL OF US, AND FOR ANY ONE OF US.

VO 4: BOSTON’S CHAPTER OF XR, AS WELL AS THE INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION, CONTAINS SOME GENERAL, FUNDAMENTAL DEMANDS THAT UPHOLD THE ORGANIZATION. BOSTON XR’S MEDIA AND MESSAGING DIRECTOR JAMIE MCGONAGILL (JAY-MEE MCK-GONE-AH-GILL) SPOKE ON THOSE DEMANDS.

SOT 1: “BUT XR, IN GENERAL, HAS SOME BASIC DEMANDS. AND THEY ARE, TO TELL THE TRUTH, THAT THE GOVERNMENT NEEDS TO TELL THE TRUTH DECLARE CLIMATE AND ECOLOGICAL EMERGENCIES AND COMMUNICATE THE URGENCY FOR CHANGE IN THE CLIMATE JUSTICE COMMUNITY. THE SECOND DEMAND IS ACT NOW, WHICH IS THAT THE GOVERNMENT NEEDS TO TAKE IMMEDIATE ACTION TO HALT BIODIVERSITY LOSS AND MITIGATE THE CLIMATE CRISIS. THE THIRD DEMAND IS REFERRED TO AS BEYOND POLITICS AND IT ESSENTIALLY MEANS THAT WE DON’T ALIGN WITH ANY PARTICULAR POLITICAL PARTY. OUR THEORY IS THAT OUR GOVERNMENTAL SYSTEM IS BROKEN IRREPARABLY AND IT NEEDS TO BE COMPLETELY OVERHAULED AND BE LED BY THE DECISIONS OF A CITIZENS ASSEMBLY ON CLIMATE AND ECOLOGICAL JUSTICE. AND OTHER SOCIAL JUSTICE ISSUES. AND THE FOURTH DEMAND IS TO ADJUST TRANSITION, WHICH ESSENTIALLY MEANS WE NEED TO CHANGE OUR SOCIETY TO PRIORITIZE THE MOST VULNERABLE PEOPLE ESTABLISH INDIGENOUS SOVEREIGNTY, AND LEAD REMEDIATION EFFORTS OF THE PEOPLE IN OUR SOCIETY WHO HAVE BEEN DISADVANTAGED OVER THE YEARS.”

VO 5: HOWEVER, MCGONAGILL NOTED THAT THIS ORGANIZATION IS NOT AKIN TO WHAT MOST BELIEVE IS THE GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF CLIMATE CHANGE ACTION. XR HAS PROVIDED MORE THAN THAT.

SOT 2: “WHAT I LOVE ABOUT XR IS THAT IT DOESN’T PRETEND THAT THINGS THAT HAVE PROVEN NOT TO WORK WILL WORK. THE TRAGEDY IS THAT SIGNING PETITIONS IS A TACTIC THAT’S BEEN USED BY WELL-MEANING PEOPLE FOR A VERY LONG TIME. I THINK ANYONE WHO’S BEEN INVOLVED IN THE CLIMATE MOVEMENT FOR ANY AMOUNT OF TIME, HAS SIGNED 1000 PETITIONS AND WILL JUST KEEP SIGNING THEM. THE TROUBLE IS THAT THEY DON’T REALLY WORK AND THE TROUBLE IS THAT MOST OF THE METHODS THAT ARE CONSIDERED APPROPRIATE IN OUR SOCIETY ARE CONSIDERED APPROPRIATE BECAUSE THEY SIMPLY DON’T PUSH THE STATUS QUO. THEY ARE VERY EASY TO IGNORE. AND EXTINCTION REBELLION IS REALLY THE ONLY ORGANIZATION I KNOW THAT HAS STOPPED PRETENDING THAT THIS IS WHAT MATTERS. AND OUR ACTIVITIES ARE WILLING TO PUT THEMSELVES ON THE LINE IN A REALLY SERIOUS WAY AND RISK ARREST AND TAKE THE DEMONSTRATION THAT WE DO LEVELS THAT ARE ABLE TO GET A LOT OF NEWS, A LOT OF ATTENTION, A LOT OF FOCUS, AND REALLY PUT PRESSURE ON LAWMAKERS IN A WAY THAT OTHER TRADITIONAL METHODS JUST DON’T.”

VO 6: WITH THE IDEA OF PRESSURING LAWMAKERS FOR CHANGE IN MIND, THERE IS STILL A LOT OF ARTFUL DECEPTION FROM POLITICIANS AND THE MASSACHUSETTS GOVERNMENT IN GENERAL. MCGONAGILL NOTED THAT WE ARE IN A VERY PRECARIOUS AND THORN-FILLED SITUATION CURRENTLY.

SOT 3: “WE ARE IN A TRICKY SITUATION. BECAUSE WE HAVE GOVERNOR MAURA HEALY, WHO RAN ON A VERY CLIMATE-STRONG PLATFORM AND WHO IS VERY GOOD AT COMMUNICATING, MESSAGING THAT APPEALS TO PEOPLE WHO ON A SUPERFICIAL LEVEL WANT MITIGATION FOR CLIMATE CHANGE. SHE’S VERY GOOD AT PRESENTING THINGS AS THOUGH SHE IS MAKING A BIG DIFFERENCE. IT’S EASY TO GET DRAWN IN BY THAT AND SHE DOES LITTLE THINGS LIKE THE RECENT ACTIONS HE TOOK THAT WERE SO TINY AS BANNING SINGLE-USE PLASTIC BOTTLES IN GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS. THAT IS SOMETHING THAT IS A DROP IN THE BUCKET. AND PEOPLE WERE SO EXCITED BECAUSE SHE SOLD IT SO WELL. RIGHT AROUND THAT SAME TIME, SHE PUT OUT THIS ANNOUNCEMENT THAT SHE WAS DOING SOMETHING TO FIGHT BIODIVERSITY LOSS, WHICH IS SOMETHING WE’VE BEEN PUSHING HER FOR A LONG TIME. BIODIVERSITY LOSS IS RAPIDLY INCREASING. IT CAUSES DEVASTATING AFTERSHOCKS TO HUMAN LIFE. IT’S A BAD SIGN. BUT SHE JUST SAID I’M GOING TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT BIODIVERSITY LOSS. SHE HAD NOT PUT OUT SPECIFICS ON WHAT SHE’S GOING TO DO BUT PEOPLE WERE VERY HAPPY ABOUT IT. AND NOT LONG BEFORE I THINK IT WAS OVER THE SUMMER, SHE ANNOUNCED THAT SHE WAS GOING TO GIVE 1% OF THE BUDGET TO SOMETHING THAT WAS LIKE CLIMATE CHANGE AND INFRASTRUCTURE AND TRANSPORTATION WHICH LITERALLY COULD INCLUDE FOSSIL FUEL INFRASTRUCTURE. IT LITERALLY COULD INCLUDE THE THINGS THAT ARE PUT IN PLACE THAT MOST DAMAGE OUR POSSIBILITY FOR A LIVABLE FUTURE LUMPED IN WITH THE CONCEPT OF CLIMATE JUSTICE. SO IT WAS OFFENSIVE ON SO MANY LEVELS. IT WAS ONLY 1% OF THE BUDGET. WHEN THIS IS LITERALLY THE ISSUE THAT IS CAUSING AN EXISTENTIAL THREAT TO EVERY SINGLE PERSON IN OUR STATE. OUR HOUSING CRISIS IS REAL, OUR MEDICAL CRISIS IS REAL. BUT NONE OF THEM WILL MATTER IF OUR BRAINS FRY IN OUR HEADS SEVEN YEARS FROM NOW. IT SIMPLY WON’T MATTER. OUR HOUSES WILL NOT SAVE US, OUR HEALTHCARE WILL NOT SAVE US.”

VO 7: AFTER LOOKING AT THE ISSUES SURROUNDING WHAT THE GOVERNMENT IS DOING TO SUPPORT EFFORTS TO HELP OUR PLANET, THERE IS ALSO THE QUESTION OF THE INDIVIDUAL CONSUMER, AND HOW YOU AND I AS PEOPLE CAN HELP OUR WORLD ON A SMALL SCALE, EVEN THOUGH THAT SCALE IS SO VERY SMALL. YET, WHAT HAS BEEN MARKETED TO THE PUBLIC FOR SO LONG AS HELPING TO SAVE THE PLANET THROUGH REDUCING OUR CARBON FOOTPRINT IS NOT ALWAYS THE ONLY TRIED AND TRUE SOLUTION.

SOT 4: “INDIVIDUAL CONSUMPTION IS HARD THING TO TALK ABOUT. AND THERE ARE THINGS THAT WE CAN DO AND WE WILL TALK ABOUT THEM BUT I DON’T THINK IT’S IMPORTANT FOR US TO ALWAYS ADDRESS THEM. THE TERM CARBON FOOTPRINT AND THE CONCEPT OF INDIVIDUALS BEING RESPONSIBLE FOR LIMITING THEIR CARBON USAGE WERE A PART OF A 2004 PR CAMPAIGN BY BP OIL. WHO'S THE SIXTH LARGEST POLLUTER ON OUR PLANET. THEY WERE FEELING REALLY STRESSED AND THEY WANTED TO TURN THE BLAME OF THE MOUNTING EVIDENCE OF CLIMATE COLLAPSE FROM THEM ONTO THE CONSUMERS. SP WHILE FOOTPRINT IS REAL, AND OUR IMPACT ON OUR PLANET IS REAL, AND WE NEED TO ADDRESS IT IN ORDER TO LIVE IN INTEGRITY WITH OUR STATED VALUES. WE SHOULD ALWAYS DO IT UNDER THE CONTEXT, UNDER THE INFORMATION THAT YOU AND I ARE GOING TO RECYCLE AND WE’RE GOING TO BUY OUR CLOTHES SECONDHAND AND WE’RE GOING TO TURN OFF OUR LIGHTS WHEN WE LEAVE THE ROOM. WE’RE GOING TO DO THE THINGS THAT WE’RE SUPPOSED TO DO. BUT WE ARE NOT GOING TO BE THE ONES THAT CHANGE THE TRAJECTORY OF OUR PLANETS DESTRUCTION WITH PERSONAL CHOICE.”

VO 8: YET, WITH THE IDEA OF INDIVIDUAL CHOICE IN BETTERING THE PLANET IN MIND, THERE ARE STILL STEPS THAT CAN BE TAKEN THIS HALLOWEEN SEASON TO HELP LESSEN THE EFFECTS WE HAVE ON THE PLANET.

SOT 5: “PUMPKINS ARE INCREDIBLY WASTEFUL, WHICH IS REALLY SAD AND 900,000 TONS OF PUMPKINS ARE GOING TO BE TOSSED IN THE GARBAGE IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS. THE WASTE IS SOMETHING LIKE 1.3 BILLION POUNDS PER YEAR, JUST TRAGIC. AND SO IF YOU ARE BUYING PUMPKINS FOR THE HOLIDAYS, PLEASE DO USE THE PUMPKIN FLESH AND YOU CAN MAKE FALL-THEMED DISHES LIKE PUMPKIN PASTA OR PUMPKIN BREAD. AND IF YOU DO BUY THEM FOR DECORATION, PLEASE PURCHASE THEM FROM LOCAL FARMS AND FARMERS' MARKETS WHICH LOWERS THE CARBON FOOTPRINT. PUMPKINS, IN GENERAL, ARE INCREDIBLY WASTEFUL. THEY REQUIRE AN EXORBITANT AMOUNT OF WATER TO GROW. THEY TAKE UP A LOT OF LAND IN THE STATE OF ILLINOIS ALONE. THERE’S 16,000 ACRES THAT ARE USED FOR PUMPKINS AND TAKES UP TO 127,000 MEGALITRES OF WATER.”

SOT 6: “CANDY ON HALLOWEEN ALSO GENERATES AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF TRASH. A SINGLE TRICK-OR-TREATER GENERATES A SINGLE POUND OF TRASH AT HALLOWEEN AND WE HAVE 40 MILLION TRICK-OR-TREATERS IN GENERAL IN OUR COUNTRY. SO THAT’S A LOT OF CANDY THAT ALSO HAS PALM OIL IN THEIR INGREDIENTS ALONG WITH SUGAR AND COCOA. ALL OF THESE ARE GROWN ON LAND THAT IS DEVASTATED. NOT IT’S EVERLY DEFORESTED BECAUSE OF PALM OIL PLANTATIONS. THERE’S BEEN A 50% DECREASE IN THE ORANGUTAN POPULATION OVER THE PAST DECADE. SO THE BEST THING TO DO FOR TRICK-OR-TREATER CANDY IS TO GET FOIL-COVERED CHOCOLATES, AND CANDY IN CARDBOARD CONTAINERS. TRY TO FIND CANDY WITHOUT PALM OIL. TRY TO FIND CANDY LABELED FAIR TRADE. IF YOU HAVE TRICK-OR-TREATERS AND YOU’RE GUIDING THEM AROUND, TRY TO WALK INSTEAD OF DRIVING. PLEASE USE CANVAS BAGS OR PILLOWCASES INSTEAD OF PLASTIC BUCKETS. THERE ARE ALL LITTLE THINGS THAT WE CAN DO TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THIS ONE VERY SPECIFIC MICROCOSM OF THIS HOLIDAY THAT WE ARE ABOUT TO ENTER.”

VO 9: BOSTON’S CHAPTER OF EXTINCTION REBELLION KNOWS THE BOUNDS OF WHAT CAN BE DONE WITH THE RESOURCES YOU ARE PROVIDED IN TERMS OF CLIMATE ACTIVISM. THEY UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S SCARY, TRAGIC, AND SOMETHING THAT CAUSES EXISTENTIAL DREAD THROUGH THE DESTRUCTION OF OUR LIVABILITY. YET, THERE ALSO HAS NEVER BEEN A BETTER TIME THAN NOW TO DO SOMETHING THAT REQUIRES COURAGEOUS SELFLESS ACTION ON BEHALF OF THE GREATER GOOD. WE ARE LIVING IN A WORLD THAT BEING A SUPPOSED HERO CANNOT RESULT IN ANYTHING OTHER THAN BETTERING THE DISADVANTAGES WE ARE MET WITH.

SOT 7: “AND I HOPE THAT THIS IS A MESSAGE THAT XR BOSTON IS ABLE TO GET ACROSS TO PEOPLE IS THAT NOBODY INVOLVED IN ACTIVISM IS AN EXTRAORDINARY HUMAN BEING IN THE SENSE THAT NONE OF US HAVE SKILLS OR ABILITIES OR TIME OR MONEY THAT OTHER PEOPLE DON’T HAVE. WE ALL HAVE THE SAME AMOUNT OF TIME, WE ALL HAVE NOT ENOUGH MONEY. WE ALL HAVE THE SAME HOUSING TROUBLES AND WE SIMPLY WERE JUST TIRED OF BEING SCARED ALL THE TIME UNTIL WE STARTED DOING THINGS. AND SO I THINK IT IS SOMETHING TO START TO THINK ABOUT IT AS AN EMPOWERING OPPORTUNITY. TO BE ALIVE IN A TIME THAT REALLY IS SOMETHING OUT OF A LIKE SCI-FI BOOK.”

VO 10: FOR YOU ARE HERE, I’M BIRDI DIEHL.