XR Wandsworth's alternative climate change festival

Extinction Rebellion Wandsworth will be holding an alternative to the council's climate change festival tomorrow.

XR have accused Wandsworth Council of greenwashing, the act of falsely branding something as eco-friendly, green or sustainable.

XR Wandsworth claim they applied to hold an event as a part of the Council's Together on Climate Change Festival and to have a stall at the main event on Saturday but that they were turned down for both.

However, they feel it is important to get their message across and so will be holding their own event outside.

Members and representatives from XR will be in attendance outside the door to the Grand Hall, on the side road to the right of Battersea Arts Centre.

There will be activities for all the family at their pink table including art blocking (print XR designs on T-shirts and bags), postcards for children to draw on and send to the council, a climate quiz, pavement chalking, leafleting and a march with a coffin from Clapham Junction to Battersea Arts Centre at 1pm plus many more to be announced on the day.

Caroline Hartnell, press officer for XR Wandsworth said: "Wandsworth Council's Together on Climate Change Festival, like its Climate Summit last November, places all the emphasis on what residents and local businesses can do to address the climate emergency.

"While it's important for individuals and small businesses to do their bit, in the end it's government, local and national, and corporations that need to act.

"Individual action can achieve only a very limited amount.

"If you take the issue of carbon emissions and air pollution from cars, it would be great if more people cycled instead of using their cars, but this won't happen until cycling is made safer.

"Yet Wandsworth Council has actively campaigned for the removal of cycle wands on the CS7 (Cycling Superhighway) between Colliers Wood and Balham.

"Basically, the Council want to talk about what we as individuals can do, but XR wants to talk about what the Council can and must do.

"In our view, the Council's approach is all about greenwashing: trying to appear greener than they are."

XR Wandsworth will be outside Battersea Arts Centre from 11:00-17:00 on Saturday November, 13 and happy to answer any questions you may have.

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