Local members of Extinction Rebellion staged a protest at Richmond station on Monday 30th May to highlight the impact on people's lives of extreme weather caused by climate change.

Evening commuters emerged from the station to see group members lying shrouded in white sheets, representing the bodies of individuals around the globe who have died from drowning, starvation, heat stress and suicide, all attributed to climate change.

Their stories were told on placards and by a narrator. The protest was timed to draw attention to a recently published report on the State of the Global Climate by the World Meteorological Organisation.

It warned that global warming is "leaving no corner of the earth untouched", creating food and water insecurity and displacing millions of people. Valerie Davies, a retired GP and member of Extinction Rebellion Richmond, said: "This damning report reveals that extreme weather has already resulted in billions of dollars of economic losses and taken a heavy toll on human lives. We're seeing the consequences in the scorching heatwave in India and Pakistan, the recent deadly flooding in South Africa, and the unfolding drought emergency in the Horn of Africa.

Tragically, suicide is a major killer, as people despair at what they are facing. "The climate crisis means we'll face more storms, floods, wildfires, crop failure, mass migration and the breakdown of societies. We are totally unprepared for the danger our future holds. The time for denial is over. Government and corporations must take radical action which reflects the seriousness of the situation.

We need people to speak up about their concerns, to join protest movements, and to make their voices heard in whatever way they can." A spokesperson for Extinction Rebellion Richmond said: "Our leaders must take urgent action to avert climate disaster. The UN Secretary-General António Guterres has called for an end to subsidies on fossil fuels - which amount to almost £9 million per minute - and a tripling of private and public investments in renewables. We don't have time for baby steps."

The group meets online and in person and welcomes new members. For more information see https://www.facebook.com/RichmondXR/ , @xrrichmonduk, or email [email protected].