Environmental Activists Paint Grave of Charles Darwin with “1.5 is Dead” in Protest of Climate Crisis
London – Environmental activists from the group Just Stop Oil painted the grave of Charles Darwin in Westminster Abbey with the words “1.5 is dead” on Monday, referencing the critical climate threshold that the world temporarily passed in 2024. The activists, a 66-year-old and a 77-year-old woman, entered the abbey at around 10 a.m. local time and used spray chalk to paint the message on the grave.
The action is a protest against the devastating impact of climate change, which is causing rising temperatures, displacement, and loss of wildlife. The world passed the 1.5-degree threshold last year, with 2024 being the hottest year on record and the first calendar year to do so. Scientists are more concerned with breaching this threshold over decades, as above this level, humans and ecosystems struggle to adapt.
The activists also drew attention to the biodiversity crisis, stating that Darwin would be “turning in his grave” to know that the world is in the midst of its sixth mass extinction, driven by human activities.
The protest comes as the UK government is urged to phase out the extraction and burning of fossil fuels by 2030. The two women involved in the action were arrested on suspicion of causing criminal damage with powdered paint at Westminster Abbey. The Just Stop Oil group has been active in the UK since 2022, with over 3,000 arrests since its formation, including for direct actions and slow marching.