From Fiona in Kendal to James O’Brien

Hello, James.

Fiona from Kendal here. Long time listener, many times caller.  First time open letter-writer.

There has been such a burst of love for you over here. It started when you picked up Sheila Fogarty’s question: ‘Do we owe climate activists an apology?’ And then a few programmes later came ‘We’re screwed’ day. A lot of celebration: ‘James O’Brien, he’s got it!’ Full on Eliza Dolittle. He knows burning fossil fuels is destroying the life systems we depend on and it’s going to take profound change to give our kids any kind of future. 

That beginning to your show was clipped and shared and people said things like ‘This is a game changer.’ 

But I listened on. Suddenly you were asking: ‘We’re screwed but are we going to do anything?’ My heart hit my boots. You talked about gym membership, the way we beat ourselves up if we don’t go. And how good it feels when we just sack it off and cancel the membership. The peace that follows when we give up.

I was so shocked that the James O’Brien who got so many of us through Brexit by never giving in, endlessly exposing the lies, helping those of us in despair at our broken political system, at the very moment when he faced the reality of the climate crisis, all he could do was slide into a counsel of utter despair. 

And that position was quietly and touchingly shown up by your final caller in that hour, an A level student. As an ex-teacher, I felt desperate hearing him say ‘my friends and I are really worried about what we’re learning about the climate crisis’. He sounded so sad and I just wanted to say ‘I’m sorry. Some of us are really trying to stop it getting worse. You are not alone.’ 

Now you get it, James, that is no excuse for sinking down into the couch; we can’t cancel our membership of the human race. Human beings are wired to protect those they love – love drives action. Mothers lift cars when their kids are trapped beneath them. Whatever happens, our children will need to know we acted, did everything we could. They’re going to need fire in their bellies to get through what lies ahead and that fire is our love. 

And they need the truth. You and Nick Abbott were the only two broadcasters who linked the Storm Bert floods back to burning fossil fuels. The fossil fuel companies have waged war against the young since the 1960s and spent billions on misinformation. But now, knowing that oil and gas and intensive farming is effectively a death project, thousands of people are resisting them every step of the way. Just half a degree of warming means millions more deaths.

So instead of saying to your audience ‘We’re just going to give up, aren’t we?’ what about asking ‘How do we bring about the system change we need?’ and ‘How do we stop the fossil fuel companies wielding such terrifying power over our lives?’ Ask truthtelling scientists like Professors Bill McGuire or Kevin Anderson onto your podcast. You worry about losing your audience but there are great speakers out there and the truth is always compelling. And when we’re all up to our necks in filthy water, I don’t think that’s going to be your main concern. Shockingly, in a week of intensive media coverage, you and Nick Abbott were the only presenters I heard linking fossil fuels to the Storm Bert flooding. 

I will keep using my words and sometimes my body when I sit in the street or slow march or end up in a cell. And every time I act I take some comfort from knowing I’m showing my daughter and granddaughter that they are loved. Today I’m using my words and this space to do what I can to reach you.  Now will you use yours so your daughters, and all the people you love, will know you did all you could?

In hope,

Fiona x

Fiona in Kendal is a Just Stop Oil supporter who regularly calls into LBC and James O’Brien is a well known LBC host.