It’s amazing, if we reflect, that our governments continue to allow the fossil fuel companies to squeeze a few more years of profit by exploiting the earth's resources, even though this will most likely result in death for millions of humans and extinction for countless species. 

It’s because continued investment in and insurance of, for example, gas in the North Sea or crude oil in Africa, exacerbates the climate catastrophe we are experiencing, which leads to drought, fire and flood, which in turn leads to famine and war.

Look at the example of the Sudan: The United Nations tried to no avail to resolve the Darfur crisis and decades later the conflict between farmers and nomads is used by power seekers for war between ethnic groups. 

And today we see the deprivation and atrocities impacting women and children without respite. Many more countries are vulnerable to the appalling outcomes we see all too clearly. 

Another glaring example is of course the Niger Delta, where decades of pollution from fossil fuel extraction has taken the livelihood and health of tens of thousands in the local Ogoni communities. 

Ham & High: Dorothea Hackman says that continued investment in fossil fuel leads to famine and warDorothea Hackman says that continued investment in fossil fuel leads to famine and war (Image: Archant)

Shell has deep pockets to fend off legal redress for compensation, but there have been case management discussions at the Royal Courts of Justice on June 11 and 12 that may result in the beginning of justice for indigenous communities at the trial in 2025.

An immediate no-brainer would be to reduce and ultimately ban private jets. 

Apparently, they are mostly flying empty - sometimes even just to collect someone’s dog or just returning to their hangar. Yet they contribute as much as half of aviation pollution.

Instead of curtailing this unfair share of emissions taken by the rich, which undermines the efforts to slow down the climate crisis, and impact local communities, airports like Farnborough are seeking a 40% expansion, supported by central government.

A coalition of organisations with Chris Packham, such as Friends of the Earth, Extinction Rebellion and the Woodland Trust will be marching at noon on Saturday, June 22 from Park Lane to Parliament Square to demand that governments “Restore Nature Now”. 

It is critically important now to save as much as we can of what we have left on earth, for future generations if not ourselves.

Here in Camden, we may be seeing a change in government if our local councillors are successful in standing for national parliament. But when it comes to High Speed 2, it is just more of the same: unnegotiated continued destruction and tree felling as if no pause in construction had been called. 

There are no private financiers lining up to pay for it anyway and Lendlease is pulling out of the oversite development, and Europe altogether, let alone Euston.

  • Dorothea Hackman is chair of the Camden Civic Society.