The historical account of the abolition of slavery dispels the idea that such big important social change came simply from good human governing and in fact, it was a necessary tool for stabilising an increasingly volatile anti-slavery movement. Does this mean by nature, the powerful only make these kinds of changes when the status quo is no longer an option? - and when avoidance of possible “anti-X futures” becomes more critical for their own livelihood? And so if we understand from history, that activism and radical resistance is critical in making alternate futures possible (even if only in the imaginations of the powerful) . . then activism and resistance is a critical part of social change.

The Radical Flank Effect is really interesting . . it makes me think about groups like Extinction Rebellion. who were notorious for mass civil disobedience and disruption. These sorts of groups seem to follow an arc - where they start a movement, gain traction and support . . but eventually run out of steam. Is the temporary nature of their civil disobedience a help or a hindrance when faced with a longterm cause like climate? Do they act as a radical flank for climate issues? and how does their potential for impact compare to those groups like Greenpeace. who have campaigned over many years, combining both activist activity with attempts to influence policy? I also wonder - what it tells you about a country when we consider how we treat our activists. If we disallow activism that acts as a kind of radical flank (knowing what we know about the role of radical flanks), does the right to protest mean anything at all?

Krznaric’s description of the Shell CEO advocating for gradualism reminded me of the discourse that started to emerge in the news a few years back around “Delay is the new Denial”. Linking this with the video I watched below around language framing our thinking,  highlights how much easier it is for the average person to accept that we will act on climate, and that the issue is no longer one of belief versus denial . . but simply one of finding the right pace.