Just Stop Oil climate activists have defaced Charles Darwin’s grave with the message “1.5 is dead” after it was confirmed that the past year saw global temperatures exceed a critical warming threshold. At around 9:30 am on Monday, two individuals applied chalk paint to the resting place of the renowned 19th-century biologist at Westminster Abbey, as reported by Just Stop Oil.
Alyson Lee, a 66-year-old retired teaching assistant from Derby, and Di Bligh, 77, a former chief executive of Reading Council hailing from Rode, were named by JSO as participants in the demonstration. Following the incident, police escorted two women from the scene at Westminster Abbey.
M.S. Lee expressed her motivations to PA news agency: “We are trying to get the Government to act on climate change. They are not doing enough.” Her fellow protester, M.S. Bligh, added to PA, “We’ve done this because there’s no hope for the world, really.”
The protesters were escorted from the scene
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She further explained their choice of location: “We’ve done it on Darwin’s grave specifically because he would be turning in that grave because of the sixth mass extinction taking place now. I believe he would approve because he was a good scientist and he would be following the science, and he would be as upset as us with the Government for ignoring the science.”
The activists were also heard stating, according to JSO, “2024 was the hottest year on record. We have passed the 1.5 degree threshold that was supposed to keep us safe. Millions are being displaced, California is on fire and we have lost three quarters of all wildlife since the 1970s.”
The activists continued: “Darwin would be turning in his grave to know we are in the midst of the sixth mass extinction.The Government’s plans will take us to over three degrees of warming. This will destroy everything we love. World leaders must stop burning oil, gas and coal by 2030.”
The EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) confirmed on Friday that last year was the warmest on record globally, marking it as the first calendar year where the average temperature exceeded 1.5C above pre-industrial levels. The commitment to keeping global warming below a 1.5C increase is a cornerstone of the landmark Paris Treaty, which nations came together to endorse in 2015 with the goal of warding off severe climate change consequences.
The earth passed the 1.5 degrees Celsius warming threshold in 2024
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Scientists have attributed the chief cause for the unprecedented temperatures to human-induced climate change, although natural variations like the Pacific Ocean’s “El Nino”, known to boost global temperatures, also played a role. Further studies by the Met Office together with the University of East Anglia and the National Centre for Atmospheric Science underscore that 2024 was the hottest year ever recorded, and “likely” the first to surpass the critical 1.5C threshold.
Just Stop Oil reported that Ms Lee said: “Ten years on from the Paris Agreement, we have already exceeded the so-called safe temperature rise of 1.5 degrees, and are heading for over three degrees of warming. This rapidly accelerating crisis means huge parts of the world will become unable to support life, resulting in millions of refugees, social collapse and extinction for countless species.”
She continued: “Despite lots of fine words from international leaders, emissions are still rising. Without real action, words are useless – you cannot negotiate with the laws of physics. We need mass civil disobedience now. Join us on the streets and help us reclaim Parliament this April.”
Just Stop Oil said in a statement: “Today’s action comes as the death toll rises to 24 in California, as fires continue to rip across the state. The fires have been driven by climate breakdown after decades of drought, followed by rapid swings between extreme wet and dry conditions in the past two years. This has created large areas of ‘tinder dry’ vegetation, creating the perfect conditions for uncontrollable wildfires.”
A Westminster Abbey spokesperson said: “Westminster Abbey can confirm that orange chalk was sprayed by climate activists on Charles Darwin’s gravestone today. The Abbey’s conservators are taking immediate action to clean the memorial and do not anticipate that there will be any permanent damage. The police were called to the scene and dealt with the incident. The Abbey remains open for visiting and worshipping.”
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