'That is climate catastrophisation': Just Stop Oil rep and Andrew Castle have a heated debate
20 May 2023, 13:54 | Updated: 21 May 2023, 12:10
Andrew Castle gets into a heated debate with a Just Stop Oil protestor
Just Stop Oil's Alex De Koning told Andrew Castle that climate protection is "everybody's cause" and warned that the UK could be without food if action is not taken.
Andrew Castle and Just Stop Oil spokesperson Alex de Koning had a heated debate after a man attacked slow-march protesters in London on Friday.
Mr De Koning began exclaiming: "Do you think we want to be doing this!"
Andrew interrupted saying: "Yes I do, otherwise you wouldn't be."
When the climate activist expressed frustration Andrew continued: "Well you asked me a question, will you accept my answer, do I think you want to be doing this, I can only assume you do."
The activist retaliated: "No I don't want to be doing this, I want to be sleeping in on a Saturday, I want to be going about my everyday business but our government is committing acts of genocide by opening these new oil and gas licenses, knowing full well what it means for our crops, what it means for everything!"
Andrew asked: "Do you worry that one of your friends or colleagues, the same people that are as committed to your cause as you..."
Mr De Koning interrupted stating: "It's not our cause, it's everybody's cause, are you not worried about the climate crisis?"
Andrew continued: "Are you concerned that the actions you are taking will get one of you run over?"
Mr De Koning responded: "I'm concerned about it but I'm also concerned about the fact that we might not have food within the next ten years..."
Andrew then interrupted him, asking: "When did you become so scared?"
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"Can I finish my statement before you interrupt me, Andrew!?" Mr de Koning exclaimed.
He continued: "Last summer it was forty-degree weather in the UK, so hot that crops caught on fire in the fields...in 2035 in just twelve years' time it is predicted that will become our average summer, I don't know about you but I can't eat fire!"
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The heated exchange continued, culminating with Andrew asking for facts: "You just said something which is extremely worrying and I was just asking you where you got it from."
After the JSO spokesperson expanded on his claim that 2035 will see an average of forty-degree weather in summer, Andrew asked: "Do you believe that will become an average temperature?"
Mr De Koning responded: "Unless we take action now, then the summer we had last summer where we had heatwave that killed twenty thousand people and we had floods which caused thirty-three million people in Pakistan to be displaced, that's going to an average summer, yes."
When asked by Andrew how he knows this might be the case, the activist said that it is "predicted in the government's own reports".
Andrew concluded: "That we could have an average temperature of forty degrees Celsius and therefore will have no food and crops will catch fire...that is climate catastrophisation right there."
