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What emergency? | Extinction Rebellion in Numbers

• 300 foot diameter Extinction Symbol crop circle appears at WOMAD festival on Friday morning
• Aerial photographs show the sheer size of the crop circle, which draws attention to food security issues, within the context of Climate and Ecological Collapse
• It marks a collaboration between Extinction Rebellion, WOMAD and art collective The Circlemakers

Extinction Rebellion has revealed a 300 foot diameter Extinction Symbol crop circle in a field adjacent to WOMAD festival. Striking aerial photographs show the sheer size of the crop circle, the largest representation of the Extinction Symbol ever made.

The WOMAD crop circle symbolises ecocide and climate chaos while drawing particular attention to food security issues. The flattened plants send the message that climate chaos ravages our crops, leaving people hungry and desperate, a tragedy only set to worsen. 

Extinction Rebellion Festivals Coordinator Julian Thompson says: “The Extinction Symbol crop circle draws our attention to ecocide, the loss of 75% of insects and catastrophic loss of biodiversity; the overuse of herbicide and pesticide and the havoc climate chaos wreaks on our capacity to grow food. People are already going hungry around the world, even here in the UK, and yet the amount of perfectly good food thrown away every day by our supermarkets is astounding. In the Midwest of the USA, 16 million acres won’t grow wheat this year, due to flooding. This is the reality of our current systems and the Climate and Ecological Crisis we are in. The coming years will see truly cataclysmic changes to our capacity to grow food and that is when we are genuinely looking at societal collapse.”

The WOMAD crop circle follows the creation of the largest ever human Extinction Symbol at Glastonbury festival earlier this Summer. It was the work of art collective The Circlemakers, who released the following statement:

“Much of our work is inspired by the ancient sacred sites of Britain and the world – we come together, we work as a team – as they did in the past. No one of us could create what we do entirely on our own. Extinction Rebellion is about making positive change by working together. The Extinction Symbol lends itself perfectly to land art. It is the peace sign of our times. The symbol which is free to use by all (in a non commercial way) signifies the threat of extinction. The circle represents planet Earth and the hourglass within is a warning to us, that time is running out. We are in a Climate and Ecological Emergency. In the making of this crop circle – the largest Extinction Symbol ever made – we were conscious of the huge risk to our fragile planet. The time to act is now.”  

Notes to editors:

About Extinction Rebellion:

Time has almost entirely run out to address the ecological crisis which is upon us, including the 6th mass species extinction, global pollution, and abrupt, runaway climate change. Societal collapse and mass death are seen as inevitable by scientists and other credible voices, with human extinction also a possibility, if rapid action is not taken.

Extinction Rebellion believes it is a citizen’s duty to rebel, using peaceful civil disobedience, when faced with criminal inactivity by their Government.

Extinction Rebellion’s key demands are:

1. Government must tell the truth by declaring a climate and ecological emergency, working with other institutions to communicate the urgency for change.
2. Government must act now to halt biodiversity loss and reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2025.
3. Government must create and be led by the decisions of a Citizens’ Assembly on climate and ecological justice.

What emergency? | Extinction Rebellion in Numbers

What is ecocide?

Ecocide is the extensive damage to ecosystems. Extinction Rebellion demand that the legal system make ecocide law in order to protect the planet. This global law that would make corporate executives and government ministers criminally liable for the damage they do to ecosystems. More info here https://www.stopecocide.earth/

Get involved

• In the UK, come to one of our events, join the Rebellion Network and let us know how you can help out.
• Start a group where you are: in the UK or around the world.
• Find your local group.
• Check out the International XR website, with links to the French, German, Italian and UK websites.
• And while your time and energy are of most importance, if you are financially able to donate money, see our crowdfunder.

About Rising Up!

Extinction Rebellion is an initiative of the Rising Up! network, which promotes a fundamental change of our political and economic system to one which maximises well-being and minimises harm. Change needs to be nurtured in a culture of reverence, gratitude and inclusion while the tools of civil disobedience and direct action are used to express our collective power.

About WOMAD and Peter Gabriel

WOMAD have been working for over 30 years to give a voice to the voiceless and to build internationalist solidarity through music and songs. Peter Gabriel co-founder of WOMAD has been involved in numerous humanitarian efforts, releasing the anti-apartheid single “Biko” and participating in several human rights benefit concerts for organisations like Amnesty International. In recognition of his many years of human rights activism, he’s received the Man of Peace award from the Nobel Peace Prize laureates in 2006, AllMusic has described Gabriel as “one of rock’s most ambitious, innovative musicians, as well as one of its most political”