Sorry For The Inconvenience, But This Is A Climate Emergency w/ Chris Packham, Lynne Jones & Lucy Siegle

As our planet reaches dangerous climate extremes, more and more people are turning to nonviolent action to achieve political change. Can it work? Join Chris Packham, Lynne Jones and Lucy Siegle at Conway Hall as they discuss protest, the climate crisis and Lynne’s new book Sorry for the Inconvenience But This Is an Emergency.

Doctor and aid worker Dr. Lynne Jones delivers a compelling, grassroots perspective on the last five years of protests in the UK, examining the motivations behind ordinary citizens’ adoption of extraordinary tactics to combat the global climate and nature crises. Drawing on her experiences opposing nuclear weapons at Greenham Common airbase in the 1980s, and sharing her journey in movements like Extinction Rebellion today, Lynne, and our panel, reflects on both public history and their personal stories to answer key questions about nonviolent action in a world on the brink. 

Joining her is naturalist, television presenter, writer, conservationist, and campaigner Chris Packham, alongside journalist, broadcaster, and climate and nature issues expert Lucy Siegle.

Chris Packham is a broadcaster, environmental activist, and animal welfare campaigner. His recent TV credits include Earth for the BBC and Is it Time to Break the Law? for Channel 4. He serves as an ambassador for numerous wildlife and environmental NGOs and organises his own independent campaigns, most recently including ‘No New Oil’ and ‘Restore Nature Now’ Alongside the co-directors of Wild Justice, he is engaged in almost constant litigation with the UK’s devolved governments. 

Chris campaigns for just transitions towards positive environmental necessities – from fossil fuels to renewable energies, from industrial and intensive animal agriculture to plant-based alternatives, and from declining biodiversity to nature recovery. 

His autobiographical work Fingers in the Sparkle Jar was BBC Radio 4’s Book of the Week and topped The Sunday Times Bestsellers list. In autumn 2023, he collaborated with young filmmakers on the 8 Out of 10 Bats YouTube series. 

Lucy Siegle is a journalist, broadcaster, and expert on climate and nature issues. She holds the distinction of being the first dedicated eco columnist appointed to a national newspaper in the UK; her Ethical Living column ran in The Observer for over a decade. On television, she is renowned for her comprehensive reporting on various environmental topics for BBC1’s The One Show. Her previous books include Turning the Tide on Plastic and To Die For. The latter was adapted into the hit Netflix documentary The True Cost (with co-executive producer Livia Firth). She serves as a trustee for the environmental NGO Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) and is an ambassador for WWF UK. 

Lynne Jones OBE is a child psychiatrist, aid worker, and writer. Over the past 30 years, she has dedicated herself to establishing mental health programs in conflict and disaster areas around the world, many of which are climate-related. An Honorary Associate Professor at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, she consults for WHO and UNICEF. She is also the acclaimed author of works such as Outside the Asylum, The Migrant Diaries, and Then They Started Shooting. Her field diaries have been featured in BBC Radio, The New Statesman, the London Review of Books, and O, The Oprah Magazine.