Teaboy Tom’s Climate Strike Panic

Today sees a global climate strike: millions of school-age children, more often than not with the support of their parents and teachers, are rallying in protest at the lack of action on climate change. Many businesses are also supporting the strike, with employees taking time out to attend protests. But out there on the right, there is still kudos to be gained - and money to be made - by pretending it isn’t really happening.

Or, if it really is happening, well, there isn’t anything that can be done about it, and in any case, hey, look how environmentally unfriendly all those smartphones are! And look how many of the protesters used air travel in the past year! And when it comes to spreading the disinformation, there is no finer convocation of exponents than the perpetually thirsty Paul Staines and his rabble at the Guido Fawkes blog.

Here, replacement teaboy Tom Harwood has tackled the subject in the same way he does any other: that is, talking well, but lying badly. Added to the usual dishonesty has been a dash of blind panic, starting with the nudge-nudge of his telling “When teachers are advising students to bunk off lessons something is very wrong” yesterday.

By this morning, Teaboy Tom was eagerly propagandising, promoting a School Strike Climate Quiz. His “friends at the Global Warming Policy Foundation have produced a handy fun quiz for the kids skipping school to ‘strike’ over climate change today”. Pushing the Daily Mail-friendly “skipping school” line. And promoting another of those phoney “think tanks” dedicated to pushing the idea that It’s Not Really Happening.

This, though, was not enough: there had also to be attacks on environmental groups, and especially Extinction Rebellion, because it scares the shit out of the media establishment. After Sam Knights told that “The police have decided to ban me from the Labour Party Conference, despite the fact I am an elected delegate. I suspect this is because of my work with Extinction Rebellion”, Harwood became especially righteous.

“XR is an extremist organisation that undergoes illegal activity, costs millions in damages, and puts lives at risk. All to pursue the perverse political ends of ending liberal democracy and pushing 'de-growth', using climate as cover. You're lucky the police didn't go further”. Would Sir care to scream and stamp his feet as an encore? And there was more.

“Read more about the reality behind the greenwashed extremist Extinction Rebellion campaign here”. With a link to someone called Policy Exchange. That’s an embarrassing name. It sounds just like the outfit that sprayed its credibility up the wall by telling people in Liverpool their city had failed and they should all move to London.

All that was left was for Teaboy Tom to go into low moaning mode: “Lots of slow moving cars in traffic jams across Westminster this morning pumping out unfriendly emissions. Thanks, #schoolstrike4climate” … “Hey kids, seeing as you presumably know it all, not having to go to school and everything, which G20 country has cut their CO2 emissions by the biggest percentage since 2010?” Only by fiddling the figures.

See how frightening Extinction Rebellion isn't

The climate strike is having a real impact. We know this as the right-wing media elite are experiencing involuntary bowel movements over it. Keep up the good work, everyone.

Enjoy your visit to Zelo Street? You can help this truly independent blog carry on talking truth to power, while retaining its sense of humour, by adding to its Just Giving page at

https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/zelostreet4