Insulate Britain: Why a Warrington woman went to protest and got arrested

Those are the words of Zoe Cohen, a woman based in Warrington South who attended the Insulate Britain climate protest at the weekend at Lambeth Bridge in London.

She was one of 124 activists arrested after the sit-down protest and later released under investigation.

Zoe says she feels awful about disrupting people and their lives, but it is the only way for the government to take notice.

“I totally understand people’s concern – it’s awful,” she said. “Disrupting ordinary people going about their lives is awful and distressing. We shouldn’t have to do it to get our government to fulfil its duty.

“I wanted to be there because I’m frustrated, angry and extremely upset that our government would rather imprison peaceful people than do what is necessary to tackle both the climate crisis and fuel poverty in our country.“

The protest or civil resistance on Saturday was in solidarity with the 10 people who are currently in prison and sent to prison with no trial.

Supporters of the nine jailed Insulate Britain climate activists take part in a demonstration on Lambeth Bridge in central London. Picture date: Saturday November 20, 2021. PA Photo. The activists were jailed this week for breaching an injunction

Zoe, who is self-employed, wants to see ‘real action taken.

She continued: “I would support the demands of Insulate Britain which are to insulate and retrofit all social housing by 2025 and the rest of the housing in this country by 2030 because we have got some of the leakiest, most inefficient homes in Europe.

“Our 29 million properties that are on the fossil fuel gas grid are responsible for the best part of 20 per cent of our domestic carbon emissions.

“The Climate Change Committee have been clear for years and years that we can’t get to net zero and have any chance of achieving our desperately important climate goals without insulating our homes.

“Every winter thousands of people die because they can’t afford to heat their homes and they have to choose between eating and heating. I’m sure there are families in Warrington in that situation. There are families in every part of the country like that.

“Since 2015, nearly 1,000,000 properties have been built that don’t meet zero carbon standards and they are not equipped for the heatwaves that are coming. On every front, our government is totally failing us and failing young people. They are failing to take real action to reduce our emissions.“Instead of taking real action they are just locking up peaceful, ordinary people and it is a utter disgrace.”

The 51-year-old says she has tried everything to garner action.

Zoe added: “We’ve tried everything. Petitioning, marching,  I’ve voted in every election since I was 18 but it’s made no difference because there has never been a box you can tick to overt the climate crisis. I’ve written to Andy Carter at least 60 times in two years and it makes no difference.

“Insulate Britain have been asking for incredibly reasonable things. It’s just what people working in the zero carbon homes industry and energy efficiency world have been saying for decades."

Zoe prays that her work in demonstrating helps as otherwise, she feels we are heading for ‘climate hell’.

She added: “They are failing to keep people safe from dying in their homes in winter. We are heading for at least a 2.4c of warming and it’s as if this governments and governments of the world have strapped our children into a speeding car and driving it over a cliff, they are just talking about putting the brakes on and we need them to slam their foot down on the brakes. We are going for climate hell.

“At COP26, even Prince Charles called for a ‘war-like mobilisation’ to tackle the climate crisis.

“Things have to change otherwise we are going to a very, very dark place indeed and we risk losing everything we love.”