We’re F*cked’: Extinction Rebellion and the Mobilisation of Despair

The language of ‘Extinction’ and ‘Climate Emergency’ increasingly epitomise the rhetorical landscape of the anthropocene. 2019 was notable as a year of climate action and disobedience, and Extinction Rebellion (XR) is a prime example of these increasingly nihilistic projections. Over four months last year we conducted a Participatory Action Research (PAR) project with Extinction Rebellion in Manchester (UK), to explore the nature of this movement. Our focus was on the value and practice of Regenerative Culture within the movement, and how this shaped its strategy and organisation. We reflect in this presentation on our research experience and the themes of extinction, despair and hope as we experienced them within XR. Dystopian expressions are obvious in the aesthetics of XR, however, this is more than just a framing strategy, we have found it to be integral to movement mobilisation and developing activist consciousness. This is not to suggest that XR is devoid of hope, but rather they see the negotiation of despair and grief as a process of radical change. However, tensions exist between the oscillation of despair and hope, which this presentation will explore, whilst pointing to the effect of these different imaginaries on the movements culture. With this in mind we ask to what extent is hope performed within XR rather than constructed? This question is necessary as it has implications for how XR imagines its own future as well as the future of the planet. Our research with XR Manchester showed that many participants expressed pessimistic views of the future, influenced by the work of Jem Bendell (ref), and struggled to articulate an alternative vision for a sustainable society. In this sense there seems to be a juxtaposition within XR between embracing negative emotion to inspire conscious action, and what that action might lead to in terms of an alternative and sustainable society. Key Words: Extinction Rebellion, Climate Activism, Despair, Hope