‘These cars kill Valencians’: Climate activists target SUVs in solidarity with flood victims

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🗞️ Driving the news: Climate activists from the Tyre Extinguishers targeted SUVs in Edinburgh, spray-painting “These cars kill Valencians” in protest of the role SUVs play in emissions and climate-related disasters
• The action was prompted by deadly flash floods in Valencia that killed over 200 people, linked to climate change-fueled rainfall

🔭 The context: SUVs have a significant environmental impact; if they were a country, they would be the fifth-largest global polluter
• Recent analysis by World Weather Attribution linked climate change to intensified rainfall, which contributed to the catastrophic Valencia floods that caused massive damage and loss of life

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: SUVs continue to drive emissions higher, with global oil consumption rising due to the surge in SUV popularity
• By highlighting the connection between SUVs and climate disasters, activists aim to push for reduced reliance on these vehicles in urban areas

⏭️ What's next: The Tyre Extinguishers plan to continue their anti-SUV actions in cities worldwide until they see concrete steps toward banning large polluting vehicles
• Their network, active in 21 countries, calls for solidarity actions to raise awareness of the human cost of the climate crisis

💬 One quote: “If SUVs were a country, they’d be the 5th biggest world polluter,” posted the Tyre Extinguishers, emphasizing the vehicle’s role in exacerbating climate risks

📈 One stat: There are over 360 million SUVs worldwide, contributing 1 billion tons of CO₂ emissions annually

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