A POWYS-based Greenpeace activist who has published a book says its purpose is to “sound the alarm” as the climate change crisis worsens.
Pete Barker hopes ‘20 Riot Cops to Nick 2 Chickens’ inspires people to want to stand up and take action in the face of impending doom – especially as the climate crisis is happening much quicker than experts first feared.
The Llangammarch Wells resident’s debut offering is a collection of quirky and eye-opening inside stories, featuring bravery, ingenuity and humour from fellow activists who are taking direct action.
From Anthony Perrett being imprisoned in Russia, to the six women who scaled the UK’s tallest building to raise awareness of the Save the Arctic campaign. There is even a chapter dedicated to the author’s wife, Janet, who in June 2019 was manhandled and thrown out of a Mansion House banquet by MP Mark Field – who was suspended and later resigned – while trying to deliver a speech to then chancellor Philip Hammond.
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While Just Stop Oil and Extinction Rebellion protesters have engulfed headlines in recent months, Pete said writing a book was what he could offer.
“We’re trying to sound the alarm in every way we possibly can,” said Pete, 58.
“Just Stop Oil is doing it on the streets, Greenpeace is doing it on the sea. What I can do is write a book.
“For the past 15 years, I have taken part in direct action for the environment and have now written a book to share some of the stories that myself and friends have been involved in.
“This is one way of opening up the world of direct action activism to people who wouldn’t necessarily see it.
“Primarily, my purpose is to share these stories but also to inspire people. I want people to get a better understanding of what we’re doing and join in. Even if it’s just to sign a petition or join a march.
“The aim of the book is to show how ordinary people can do extraordinary things and to inspire more people to join in the fight to save life on Earth.”
Rising temperatures are fuelling environmental degradation, natural disasters, weather extremes, food and water insecurity, economic disruption, conflict and terrorism. Sea levels are rising, the Arctic is melting, coral reefs are dying, oceans are acidifying and forests are burning.
The plight of the environment was heightened by the Paris Agreement, signed in 2016.
Global governments agreed to try and achieve net zero emissions by 2050, with the UK becoming the first major economy to set a goal of being net zero by 2050.
“Climate change is the most important thing of our time and people are sort of carrying on as normal,” added Pete.
“It’s happening so much faster than what people perhaps first realised.
“When I got involved with Greenpeace I thought we were looking at the end of this century. Then 2050 was looking ominous and now we have this super El Niño building in the Pacific. I hope it brings the message home that this is what the potential is.”
Pete, who has an engineering background, was inspired to join Greenpeace 15 years ago, after meeting his wife. “I’d always been aware of global warming,” he said.
“I grew up in the countryside, in Dorset. I was worried and Janet said I should join my local group, which I did. She’d been involved since she was 13.
“It was only then my eyes were opened to just how far down this road to ecological collapse we were and how much we needed to do.”
The couple moved to the outskirts of Llangammarch a decade ago because they both love Wales and figured it would be one of the best places to live as sustainably as possible. Ever since, they have been living “as off grid as we can”.
Pete said: “We try to burn as few fossil fuels as possible. We cook on gas, we have a wood burner, which uses sustainable wood from own woodland.
“We have 12 acres, produce hay in the summer and coppice wood in the winter. Our water is filtered rainwater. Our power is from solar panels and batteries and our electric car is one of the very early ones, from 2012, with a 14kilowatt battery.”
Pete attended a book signing at this year’s HowTheLightGetsIn festival, held in Hay-on-Wye – where a Greenpeace group was actually previously established, but quickly fizzled out – at the end of May, alongside Perrett, a member of the Greenpeace Arctic 30 and who spent two months in a Russian prison in 2013.
20 Riot Cops to Nick 2 Chickens is available at Verzon Books in Llandrindod Wells and 18Rabbit in Hay, as well as online. Meanwhile, if you’d like to join your local Greenpeace group, visit https://www.greenpeace.org.uk/volunteering/join-a-local-volunteer-group/.
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