Why throw soup and block airports?

Last week the School of Geography and Sustainable Development hosted Ludi Simpson who encouraged us to think about the possibilities of response to climate collapse, and ‘Why throw soup and block airports?’. 

Ludi Simpson is in his seventies with a professional career behind him, latterly as Professor of Population Studies at the University of Manchester.

He has been arrested multiple times after actions organised by Just Stop Oil, including for throwing soup at Van Gogh's Sunflowers in the National Gallery. He says that he has caused minor disruption in order to draw attention to the harm to every living thing caused daily by fossil fuel corporations and the politicians they have bought.

He is involved in local community and environmental organisations, and offers his experience to question how we can achieve lasting change to damaging government policy.

On Tuesday morning he spoke with Sustainable Development first year undergraduate students, fielding an enthusiastic array of questions. Tuesday evening saw the public event, chaired by Professor Nissa Finney and attended by around 70 people from the University and Community in thoughtful and engaged discussion. This continued over tea afterwards when there was also chance to engage with guests from Defend Our Juries, StACCS (the St Andrews Centre for Critical Sustainabilities), North Sea Knitters and Transition St Andrews. On Wednesday, Dr Charlotte Lee and Arden Griffin led a Zine-making workshop around questions of the nature and role of climate activism.