Extinction Rebellion have got parking tickets and they're not afraid to use them. We find out about their new campaign tackling SUVs.
Georgina Wilson-Powell
Wed 4 Mar 2020
You can't say Extinction Rebellion aren't inventive. Their new campaign is taking the fight for carbon emissions to your car, and issuing 'fake' parking ticket notices in London for SUVs because of their massive carbon impact on the planet. They have even sent one to the Queen.
SUVs are responsible for a massive growth in global CO2 emissions over the last decade, thanks to a huge spike in their popularity. They are second only to the power sector in the amount of carbon emissions they cause.
Mind boggingly, if SUV drivers were a nation, they would rank seventh in the world for carbon emissions.
Exctinction Rebellion is tackling the issue in London, where concerns around the health impact of air pollution are growing year on year.
The leaflets look like parking tickets from a distance, but instead provide information about the impact of sports utility vehicles (SUVs) on our health, climate and the quality of our air.
A representative from the group explains, “The tickets are a way of getting information into people’s hands about how the emissions from some vehicles are much higher than others. Many people have been deceived by the marketing of vehicle manufacturers to think that an SUV is a safe option. We hope owners will read the leaflet and feel empowered and informed.”
Would your car get a parking ticket for the planet?
"Mind boggingly, if SUV drivers were a nation, they would rank seventh in the world for carbon emissions"
Children are also getting in on the ticket action by sending one to the Queen (who drives a Range Rover).
The Extinction Rebellion spokesperson adds, “Our key message for people who own SUVs is please just use them as little as possible. We’re fortunate to live in a city with good public transport, and we’re in a climate crisis, as well an air pollution crisis, so we’d ask Londoners to consider whether they really need to own or regularly drive a car?”
“And it would be very powerful if the Queen wanted to show how everyone can make positive changes and do their bit for the climate crisis.”
While no car is emission free (even electric vehicles because of their bigger manufacturing imprint), SUVs have to shoulder their share of the burden. The app, Vehicle Smart, has been helping activists avoid targeting low emission SUVs as it shares a car's emissions based on its numberplate.
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