Questions & answers

No, it doesn't.

To be honest, there is no hope for the climate. Perhaps the question should be whether there is hope for humanity, for life on Earth. All life, not just human life. We are heading towards climate collapse and several climate systems are reaching their tipping points, some are already lost.

There is no hope in politics. Politicians will never do what is required. Instead, both large organisations and our parliamentary system passivate people by fooling us into thinking that small changes will help.

Hope lies with those who act. We know we need radical change to give our children and the world's youth a chance at a future. Hope comes when people realise what it means to be human, to be human at a time when fellow human beings on our planet are already dying in climate-related disasters.

Where there is resistance, there is always hope.

Drained and drained peatlands emit more CO2 the deeper the peat layer. Soils with thin peat layers (mostly found in northern Sweden) are at risk of a net increase in greenhouse gases during rewetting (of mostly methane gas.) Peatlands with deep peat layers are mostly found in southern Sweden, and rewetting can sometimes prevent as much as 30 tonnes of CO₂ per hectare from leaking out per year.

Initially, there is always an increased methane release during rewetting. To minimise this, it is important to minimise the risk of a water mirror forming (i.e. looking like a small lake)

Ideally, the water should not be visible but should be about 10 cm below the top vegetation, and it should feel like walking on a sponge.
In addition to reducing emissions, rewetting can have other positive aspects, such as reducing the risk of drought, fire and flooding. Biodiversity may increase, and initially a browning of the water may take place and a change in the flow of mercury can be expected.

The bottom line is that there is knowledge and research on which (drained) wetlands should be restored or not. Our goal is not to restore for the sake of restoration, but where the impact on the environment and climate is positive.

Source: Swedish Forest Agency Report from 2021 "Climate impact from drained peat-covered forest land - effects of ditch maintenance and rewetting"

Glad you asked! In 2023 and 2024, almost 100 brave and energetic people went out and took shovels in their own hands. We dug hundreds of ditches that Sweden's politicians should have plugged long ago. This had several purposes: to do what needs to be done, i.e. restore wetlands and stop peat mining, and to draw attention to the climate-damaging peat industry.

It also highlights political injustices; that peaceful activists face legal repression while the climate criminals are protected by the Swedish state (whose failed responsibility is to protect its people).

Read more about our campaign to save Grimsås bog.

It is said that rules are made to be broken, but superstition and fear of repression prevent many from standing up to unjust laws. "We have a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws" said Martin Luther King. Fear is often based on the fear of the unknown; for example, what it is like to be arrested, detained or fined.
The more of us who stand up to fear, the more we can help others overcome it.

But repression is not only negative. Repression is, and always has been, a tool used by civil society organisations to gain popular support for their cause and encourage more people to become active. The contrast and injustice of peaceful activists being punished for fighting for justice, while criminal rulers go free, is a universal symbol that has fuelled revolutions throughout history.

The emergency law as determined by Chapter 24. Criminal Code can be summarised as follows:

"Anyone who acts in distress to avert danger to life, health, property or other important interest protected by the legal system may, under certain conditions, be exempt from liability."

We usually agree with the district courts, which today write in their judgements that a climate emergency actually exists. This is more than what the politicians have said, who instead consistently refuse to recognise that we have a climate emergency.

If the authorities do not take their responsibility, we as citizens have the right to act. We believe that it is beyond reasonable doubt that politicians and authorities are unable or unwilling to act on the threat we all face. Therefore, we have every right to act in proportion to the climate hell we are facing.

On 29 October 2024, a historic verdict was handed down by the district court, which you can read about in the magazine Syre:
Scientist acquitted after roadblock in climate action - tidningensyre.se

In an article in DN, the significance of this historic judgement is further developed:
Climate scientists acquitted in court - referring to self-defence - DN.se

The trials are the only non-parliamentary opportunity we have to act when politicians totally ignore us and exclude us from any negotiations on climate. The prosecutor is the representative of the state, and in the courtroom we have the opportunity to have an open dialogue about the effects of climate change and the inability of the authorities to act. Therefore, the legal part is as important as the action itself.

We hope that the legal system we have today gives us the right to act for our survival. If that is not possible, then legal right stands against moral right. We all have a moral obligation and right to fight for our survival. As so many times in history, the laws will have to be changed and it is only a matter of time before it also becomes a legal right.

Arrested:
The detainee should be questioned as soon as possible. They are usually detained for up to 8 hours. After the interrogation, the prosecutor decides that the arrested person should be detained, if there are grounds for it.

Arrest:
The prosecutor can decide to arrest a person pending a court decision on whether to remand them in custody. A person can be detained until 12 noon on the third day after arrest, i.e. up to 72 hours

Pre-trial detention:
After arrest, a court can decide whether a person should be remanded in custody. You must be suspected of an offence punishable by imprisonment for a year or more and there should usually be grounds for believing that the suspect will continue with the offence. If you are remanded in custody, you may be held until the trial, which may take months or years, or until the court considers that there is no longer a risk that you will continue to commit the offences.

It's easy to take the rights we have today for granted, but the fact is that there are many before us who have fought with both their freedom and their lives to get where we are today. The suffragettes, the labour movement and the civil rights movement in the United States all broke laws, disrupted society and upset a great many people. But their struggles led to women having the right to vote, to us having labour laws and to black people having rights. Things we all take for granted today.

We know that peaceful resistance helps and we know that it is needed to make big changes. By acting openly, we emphasise our peaceful stance and that we are accountable for our actions to the public and to the justice system. Our goal is not to escape the legal process, on the contrary, it is part of our strategy as we always assert the right of necessity: the right to raise awareness and fight climate change.

The deadly threat posed by climate collapse is a scientific fact. We must all ask ourselves who is really committing a crime - peaceful citizens who want to stop the climate catastrophe or those in power who are responsible for the current crisis?

Our politicians have shown clearly that they will not do what is necessary to stop the climate catastrophe. That's why we recognise that democracy needs to be resurrected in a new way where the voice of the people matters. We need a democracy based on participation and dialogue, on popular engagement and a shared responsibility for ourselves, our fellow human beings and all living things on our planet.

We are the last generation that can turn the tide and save humanity from climate collapse. The new resistanceThere are no upcoming events at this time will, through peaceful means, do what it takes to fundamentally change our society.

We want the people, through citizens' councils, to decide how Sweden will become a good country that cares for people and nature. A country where our children can grow up in safety and in an environment free from toxins and emissions. A society built on love.

The private jet was sprayed with a water-soluble paint consisting of biodegradable pigment, water and organic wheat flour from Saltå Mill.

It can be easily rinsed off with water.

We have procedures for releasing emergency vehicles and this is also part of the Restore Wetlands peaceful resistance training. However, on one occasion an ambulance was delayed and that is obviously never something we want. The delay was partly due to police pickets blocking the road and not letting the ambulance through themselves. The lesson we learned was to always film the whole demonstration from start to finish to stop false rumours spreading. We have since also modified the way a motorway demonstration is conducted. Now we always have ambulance attendants deployed kilometres along the road who call the ambulance officer in the demonstration if emergency vehicles are approaching so they can be let through in a pre-determined lane.

We always have a police contact who calls up the dialogue police and tells them exactly where the demonstration is taking place. We also tellin which lane we let emergency vehicles pass and ask the dialogue police to contact SOS and inform them. We have on several occasions offered SOS Alarm co-operation and advance information about where the demonstration will take place on the condition that they do not pass on this information to the police. SOS Alarm has declined on all occasions.

Climate collapse is humanity's greatest health threat ever. Restore Wetlands is keen for emergency vehicles to arrive, but at the same time we are deeply concerned about the deadly inaction of politicians. It is extremely frightening to know that heat-related events are already killing people and will be thousands of times worse in the future. We are heading towards a time when ambulances will not arrive in time. We are heading for a time when there will not be enough ambulances to save our elderly and the very young children, who are the first victims of heat stroke.

We don't really want to upset anyone, especially people who just want to live their lives. But the world is burning, the climate is collapsing and those in power continue to fail the people of the world by not reversing this trend. We have a couple of years to act to reduce the worst effects of the climate catastrophe and we know that ordinary demonstrations in the streets and squares have no effect. Climate and environmental movements have been demonstrating for 40 years without much success. Actions that disrupt everyday life generate debate and put wetlands and the climate on the agenda. That's why we stop flights, sit on motorways and walk slowly on bridges and streets.

When all life on Earth is threatened by climate collapse and society is pretending it's raining, live TV actions are an effective way to get the media and ordinary people talking about the climate disaster. This makes it harder for the cameras to look away, and discussions that wouldn't otherwise take place happen - both on the TV couch and in debate programmes.

We don't take action 'against' culture or sport. On the contrary, we act out of love for a world where, for example, winter sports and art can continue to exist. The big question is: Why do those in power continue to fill the atmosphere with carbon dioxide when we all know that it leads to the death of more and more people and animals? There will be no sport or culture on a dead planet.

We plan all of our actions carefully and carry out risk analyses to prevent anyone from getting hurt, including actions at sporting events. We always act peacefully in everything we do, it is an important pillar of our work.

on 2 July 2023, we took action at the men's 400-metre hurdles race during the Bauhaus Gala at the Stadium. On 5 July, French runner Wilfried Happio claimed to have been injured during the race as a result of the action. However, on 7 July he won the 400 metres hurdles at the Meeting International de Sotteville, so the possible injury apparently healed very quickly.

This question is based on a false but commonly held belief that the emissions of "little Sweden" are of no global significance compared to the "big bad guys" like China, the US, Russia and India. The fact is that Sweden emits 30% more greenhouse gases than the global average if you include international flights and consumption-based emissions. All countries need to drastically cut emissions, and a rich country like Sweden has every opportunity to do so.

When the big bad guys wait for the little guys, and the little guys wait for the big guys, nobody starts. Why can't Sweden lead the way with a radical transition? After all, it is our lives and those of future generations that are at stake.

• To pause or change the amount - click here.
• Donors via Chuffed - read how to change here.

If you have any questions, you are always welcome to contact us at [email protected].