Expect Disruption As U.S. Millionaires Start Backing Extinction Rebellion Activists

From Forbes by Ollie A Williams

A group of wealthy U.S. philanthropists has raised £500,000 ($638,000) for a British non-violent climate activist group, Extinction Rebellion, with plans to increase that “a hundred times” more.

The funds came from the Climate Emergency Fund, a joint effort between two wealthy scions: Rory Kennedy, the daughter of Robert Kennedy, and Aileen Getty, granddaughter of J. Paul Getty.

This is money that will be deployed on the streets of U.S. cities. The funds have been earmarked for bullhorns and printed banners and "activist starter kits", according to The Chronicle of Philanthropy.

There is a strong chance that the money will also find its way to the sort of glue that London activists used to stick themselves to trains in April.

Old boats are also likely to be bought. Extinction Rebellion has found them particularly useful in blocking the streets of London. They simply buy them on eBay and drag them into town.

These activist groups have proven they do not need much to bring their message to major cities. Extinction Rebellion has been active in the U.S. since April.

But there is a question over whether many other philanthropists will want to have their name associated with such groups.

Funds are already low: Less than 2% of all giving by U.K. philanthropists is deployed to counter climate threats, according to an open letter from some of the country's leading scientists. In the U.S. the figure is just over 2% according to Giving USA.

Most climate change spending goes towards conservation rather than climate change action, according to the Environmental Funders Network, a British philanthropy body network. This implies donors are more committed to solutions than activism.

Then there is the issue of associating yourself with a "non-violent" group that keeps getting themselves into trouble: over 1,000 activists have been arrested in London alone and the British police have called for tougher sentences to be bought against offenders.

While these issues mean few will emulate Kennedy or Getty in funding environmental activist groups, the disruption their money will cause might make others think: 2% of all donations is a measly figure.

Perhaps the blaze of bullhorns and barrage of boats will bring the message home. Perhaps it won't. Either way, the disruption is coming.