A new group of young environmental activists have – peacefully – declared war on sport utility vehicles (SUVs). During the night, armed with a bag of legumes, they carefully deflate the tires of these energy-guzzling vehicles to protest inaction in the face of the climate crisis.
• Also read: What’s up with the SUVs?
“If you’re worried about damaging your tires, why not buy a conventional car?” asked The Telegraph daily last April, as more and more SUV owners woke up with a flat tire in the early hours of the morning.
Hundreds, if not thousands, of light trucks have been victims of tire blowouts in recent months.
The civil disobedience movement originated in Britain; it now extends to Canada, the United States, several European countries and New Zealand.
OH CANADA! 60 SUVS DUMPED IN WATERLOO, ONTARIO IN THE FIRST CANADIAN TIRE DUCTION 🇨🇦
60 SUVs were disarmed in the Waterloo region of Ontario, an area that includes the cities of Cambridge, Kitchener and Waterloo.
TX has taken action so far in: 🇬🇧🇺🇸🇩🇪🇨🇭🇦🇹🇸🇪🇳🇱🇳🇿
Where next? pic.twitter.com/LQydxoUQvn
— The Tire Extinguishers (@T_Extinguishers) July 17, 2022
After dark, this group of Gen Z activists roam the streets of major cities with the goal of deflating as many tires as possible. Their only weapons: a bag of contact lenses and a leaflet that they tape to the windshields of target vehicles.
Pulses are introduced into the tire’s valve to slowly deflate it overnight. The wheel is not damaged, but the vehicle remains stationary.
Photo Twitter / Tire Extinguisher
Tire extinguishers primarily target luxury SUVs parked in upscale or middle-class neighborhoods. They avoid service trucks and those used to transport people with disabilities.
Their goal: to make it impossible to own an SUV in an urban environment. “We want to change mentalities,” explains 24 hours a representative of the group, who prefers to remain anonymous.
“When The Telegraph suggests that motorists choose smaller cars to avoid being attacked by tire extinguishers, we already consider our actions a success,” he continues. “If a person doesn’t buy an SUV because of our work, we win.”
According to the International Energy Agency, light commercial vehicles are the second most important cause of the global increase in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions over the past decade, after the electricity sector.
They use 20% more fuel than a comparable car, are twice as likely to be involved in accidents involving pedestrians, cost more and take up more space on already crowded streets.
Photo Twitter / Tire Extinguisher
Turn to civil disobedience
Generation Z will experience the direct consequences of the climate crisis as they have contributed little to greenhouse gas emissions.
“We’re frustrated,” says the Tire Extinguishers representative.
“Governments and politicians have failed to protect us from these huge vehicles. Everyone hates them except those who drive them. We want to live in cities where the air is clean and the streets are safe,” he said. “Politely asking and protesting failed. It’s time to act.”
Photo Twitter / Tire Extinguisher
But can this kind of action really “change mindsets”?
“It is unclear whether acts of civil disobedience actually have an impact on climate change decisions. What we do know, however, is that they can polarize the debate,” says Simon Bouthillier, attorney and author of publications on the legal treatment of civil disobedience in environmental activism.
“People who believe that governments should do more to tackle climate change will recognize even more the urgency of the cause and demand more action,” Me Bouthillier continues. “And those who oppose it will be even more so.”
In his opinion, this data would benefit environmental organizations.
“The majority of people agree that governments should take more environmental action. And even if they oppose the actions of Extinction Rebellion, for example, they still agree with the cause the group is defending,” he illustrates.
According to the latest Climate Action Barometer, released last December, only 7% and 11% of Quebecers respectively believe the federal and provincial governments are doing enough to tackle the climate crisis.
• Also read: 5 reasons Quebec will miss its GHG reduction target
No more rebellion without decisions
A few weeks ago, the Supreme Court declined to hear the case of the environmental organization Environnement JEUnesse (ENJEU), which since 2018 had been filing a class action lawsuit against the federal government over “the inadequacy of its action in the face of the climate emergency”.
• Also read: The Supreme Court dismisses ENvironnement JEUnesse’s application
The class action lawsuit was filed on behalf of “all young people age 35 and under in Quebec.”
“When citizens are using democratic authority and that’s not working, it’s a bit normal that they turn to louder, more disturbing outbursts,” suggests former civil disobedience coach for Extinction Rebellion Francois Léger-Boyer.
“The more inaction policymakers show to address climate change, the more rebellion there will be. And taking action is a powerful antidote to environmental fears,” he adds.
Pascale Dufour, a full professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Montreal, agrees.
“The probability of an exacerbation of climate change is very high. And this also increases the likelihood that social actors will react more strongly to government inaction,” explains the expert, recalling that civil disobedience actions have proven to be “very effective” in bringing an issue into the public debate.
“Whether radical or not, it remains a powerful tool for raising awareness and visibility of an issue.”