Published 13 April, minor updates 15 Apr

This is a reading list about Coronavirus, ecological breakdown, system change and justice. It’s aimed at UK climate but hopefully will be of wider use too.

I’m a slow reader and this all took me about 3hrs to read. If you don’t have this time I’d choose one or two of the longer reads.

Most of these articles do cite their sources so you could use this to inform your own writing and speaking. You could also use them to structure an online reading group!

Bear in mind this is ultra-topical, and I don’t plan to keep it updated.

If you’re looking for more detail about specific climate demands designed for this moment, I’m not aware of any available but would love to hear from you if you know about them. Otherwise expect more in the coming months.

Ric Lander

A short summary

1. Friends of the Earth Europe summary (FoE Europe)

Great long reads

1. Impacts on global south, government failure, and links between the ecological crisis and the pandemic (World at 1oC)
2. A review of past crisis, and what they can tell us about what will happen (The Guardian)
3. How to beat Coronavirus capitalism with Naomi Klein (Video) (Youtube)
4. How our economic system makes pandemics more likely (Vox)
5. What are the short-term environmental impacts? (The Guardian)
6. Wellbeing, care and solidarity (Oxfam Blogs)

Impacts on fossil fuels

1. This is the worst crisis ever faced by the oil industry (The Guardian)
2. Financiers weigh up the future of oil and gas (The Independent)
3. Oil lobbying during the pandemic (Influence Map)

Impacts on marginalised communities

1. More people of colour are dying of Coronavirus in the UK (BBC News)
2. Disabled people’s rights (Red Pepper)
3. Rise in domestic abuse (The Guardian)
4. Police repression and people of colour (The Independent)

Manifestos for recovery

1. Just Recovery (350.org)
2. Applying justice thinking to the Pandemic (Reuters Foundation)
3. Protect people of colour (Charity So White)
4. Public health (MedAct)
5. Protect migrants (Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants)
6. Green New Deal UK (GNDUK)

Actions to support

1. Covid 19 mutual aid network (Covid 19 Mutual Aid)
2. Debt cancellation (Jubilee Debt Campaign)
3. Don’t bailout aviation bosses (Stay Grounded)
4. Open up golf courses (Change.org petition)
5. Rent and work during Coronavirus – a survey (Google Form survey)

Guidance for activists

1. How to talk about Coronavirus (Uplift, Ireland)
2. Some more thoughts on framing (Public Interest Research Centre)
3. Taking action online (350.org)