The activist camera

Just Stop Oil has been in the news. Activists have been imprisoned for up to five years for climbing on M25 gantries.

I’m keen on saving the planet. But I’m less keen on getting myself arrested (nor do I possess any orange paint). So I wondered how effective photography can be as a less controversial way of raising climate change awareness.

You say orange, I say xanthous…

Some say these lengthy prison sentences are justified. The chaos caused was significant, coordinated, preplanned and brought Britain’s busiest motorway to a halt at peak time. Businesses and vulnerable members of the public were impacted in large numbers. The resource and financial cost of the police operation needed to contain it was high. Furthermore, it has also been argued that these methods can become counterproductive over time. This is due to the ‘issue fatigue’ that Susan Sontag warned us of. Growing annoyance at the disruption risks putting us off their cause, rather than endearing us to it.

Others, including TV celebrity Chris Packham, argue that the sentences are excessive. This was a peaceful protest. It comes at a time of bulging prisons being a major issue. There was no intended malice directed towards anyone, just spectacle and disobedience to raise awareness. If we don’t take urgent action, we risk even greater climate-inflicted chaos in the future, the group point out.

They cite the Suffragettes as another protest group that had to break to law to ultimately be heard for the long term benefit of society. Suffragettes were similarly seen as a controversial menace in the day. Yet now regarded with heroic respect and gratitude through the kinder lens of history. In a wider sense, there are also concerns about the chilling message these convictions send about our right to peaceful protest. We ought to be able to protest in any properly functioning democracy.

Keep Calm & Take a Photo?

In the fight against climate change, photographers hold a unique and powerful tool: the ability to capture and convey the profound impacts of environmental degradation through compelling visual narratives. Throughout its history practitioners like Lewis Hine, Jacob Riis, and Sebastiao Salgado and have used the medium to highlight issues in highly impactful ways. Many argue that Nick Ut influenced the course of war, for example.

Unlike statistics or scientific reports, which can sometimes be abstract or difficult to grasp, a photograph can stop you in your tracks. It offers an immediate, visceral connection to the issues at hand. As society becomes increasingly visual (thanks to mobile phones and social media) the role of photographers in raising awareness and improving engagement on climate change becomes more crucial than ever.

I mentioned the powerful environmental work of Nuala Mahon in a previous post. Photographers like Paul Nicklen, James Balog and Cristina Mittermeier have dedicated their careers to documenting the stark realities of a warming planet. Balog’s Extreme Ice Survey, for instance, uses time-lapse photography to capture the rapid melting of glaciers. These images provide undeniable visual evidence of climate change, making the abstract concept of global warming tangible and urgent. Paul Nicklen’s underwater photography highlights the plight of marine life affected by rising ocean temperatures and pollution. Mittermeier’s work with SeaLegacy uses emotive storytelling to drive home the necessity of ocean conservation.

Visual storytelling can bridge the gap between the boffins with their scientific data and public understanding. Showing someone a photograph can make complex environmental issues more relatable and compelling. By presenting undeniable visual evidence of climate change, photographers can reach a wide audience and provoke emotional responses. Emotional responses = action.

Activist, or active?

Photography can enhance engagement and participation too. Away from photography specifically, the annual RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch is an approachable way of improving interest in ornithology whilst gathering vital data. And everyone has a camera, so everyone can partake. Over the years I’ve known many photographers who got into it as a way to get closer to nature – landscape, insects, flowers and once in a lifetime safari holidays. Platforms like iNaturalist encourage citizen scientists to upload their own photos, contributing to a global database that tracks changes in biodiversity. These initiatives not only gather valuable data but also foster a sense of community and involvement, empowering individuals to take part in climate action.

That’s too slow…

But a photograph won’t change the world overnight. Activist groups like Just Stop Oil engage in high-profile protests and civil disobedience to demand more immediate policy changes, citing urgency. Their tactics, which include blocking roads and staging sit-ins at key infrastructure sites, aim to create disruption that forces government and corporate entities to address the climate crisis right now.

Comparatively, the effectiveness of photography and direct action can be seen through different lenses. Direct actions by groups like Just Stop Oil generate an immediate media attention and can pressure policymakers to act. Their attention-grabbing methods often lead to swift public and governmental responses – albeit sometimes polarised ones (in a world that’s polarised enough…). The visibility and urgency of their actions can galvanise some segments of the population to demand change, just as much as they provoke a backlash. They can also be a catalyst, forcing decision makers to break out of a doom loop of just talking.

So, camera or superglue?

Photography’s strength lies in its ability to create sustained, widespread awareness and foster long-term engagement. It also moves with trends, remaining ever relevant. Photographic projects can subtly infiltrate daily life through exhibitions, publications, memes and social media, gradually building a broader base of support and understanding.

While this approach may not prompt immediate policy shifts, I think it cultivates a more informed and empathetic public. That’s how to shift opinions and create lasting change.

Photography can inspire action by capturing the beauty and fragility of the natural world, making the impacts of climate change harder to ignore. It educates and engages, laying the groundwork for broader societal support for environmental initiatives. Different styles of photography combine to appeal to a broader base of society, so we can all get on board, we can all hear the message.

But is that enough? Are we already so far behind the curve that we need groups like Just Stop Oil to rattle society out of its slumber, to jolt us into the rapid action needed? Would women ever have got the vote without the tragic death of Emily Davison? Perhaps we actually need both, in a symbiotic relationship of first initiating and then sustaining positive change?

You’ll need to make your own mind up about that.

What do I think? I’m with CS Lewis in believing “The greatest evil is…conceived and ordered (moved, seconded, carried, and minuted) in clean, carpeted, warmed and well-lighted offices, by quiet men with white collars and cut fingernails, who do not need to raise their voices.” Those most accountable for destroying our world are not stuck on the M25 at all, but in yachts, helicopters and private jets. Maybe that’s where we should direct our focus – both peaceful protest and photographic.

But whatever you do, please leave Stonehenge out of it. Unless you’re taking a photo.