A WOMAN has been arrested as 'climate crisis' activists staged protests in Kendal and Carlisle, it has been confirmed.

The protesters - inspired by the national Extinction Rebellion (XR) movement - say roads in Kendal and Carlisle were affected during the action, which is part of a national day of protest in the run-up to the UK hosted UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow in November.

Police have confirmed that a 58-year-old Carlisle woman was arrested.

A Cumbria Police spokesman said: "At 11.31am today, officers were called to a report of a person blocking the road in the city centre, Carlisle. The incident was reported to involve a woman sat in a road.

"There was major disruption to traffic in multiple directions.

"A 58 year-old woman from Carlisle was arrested on suspicion of obstructing the highway. She has been released from custody having been charged with highway obstruction (contrary to Section 137 Highways Act 1980)”.

Campaigners say that "non-violent direct action" is their way of highlighting the dual climate and ecological crisis.

As they staged sit-down protests, their group apologised for inconveniencing people - but insisted that civil disobedience is the only way to get the government to act.

In Carlisle, witnesses reported seeing police lead a woman away from the scene of a protest in The Crescent, Carlisle.

Wendi Lethbridge, who sat in the road in Kendal town centre, said lives would be lost because of the climate crisis.

"People have already died in this country and across the world because of floods, fires and droughts, and it’s only going to get so much worse," she said.

"Sir James Bevan, Chief Executive of the Environment Agency, has warned that we’re continually hitting worst case environmental scenarios, with more extreme weather and flooding, which will collapse ecosystems, slash crop yields and take out the infrastructure that our civilisation depends on.

"The science is becoming more alarming by the day, and yet the government continues to fail to fulfil its empty promises”

Janet Antrobus, who blocked New Road in Kendal, said “Two years ago today the UK Parliament declared an environment and climate emergency.

"And yet the government’s own advisors, The Committee on Climate Change, have warned that their climate plans are failing.

"The government has promised to ‘build back greener’ from Covid, but has invested £27bn in road building, is committed to airport expansion, and has scrapped the green homes grant that could have helped millions of us to reduce emissions from our homes.

"Over half of Covid funding distributed by the Bank of England has gone to carbon intensive industries, including airlines, car manufacturers and oil and gas companies.

"Our leaders are still not taking this seriously, so it’s time for ordinary people to step up and demand action.”

The protesters say the government is paying only lip service to the climate crisis and point to last years’ progress report from The Committee on Climate Change - the independent body tasked with monitoring government progress on reducing emissions.

The committee reported that the government has failed on 17 out of 21 progress indicators and that just two of 31 key policy milestones have been met since parliament declared a climate emergency.

"In December last year the National Audit Office found that the UK Government is predicted to fail to meet its existing climate targets and said that a radical reassessment of priorities was needed.

The people taking action today say they no longer trust the UK Government with their future.

But at a virtual summit a few weeks ago, Prime Minister Boris Johnson urged fellow world leaders to step up with plans for cutting greenhouse gas emissions this decade.

He said: “It’s vital for all of us to show that this is not all about some expensive politically correct green act of ‘bunny hugging’ or however you want to put it."

Experts have said Johnson was failing to match his rhetoric with action and that the UK would need to bring forward clear new policies and sweeping changes to government departments to show the leadership needed to inspire action around the world.

The lone Cumbrian climate protesters were among 200 who have taken to the streets across the country.

Gully Bujak, from Extinction Rebellion UK, said: “This Government is good at creating positive headlines on climate, but what we need them to do now is stop focussing on their image in the media and start acting.

“When you look beyond the headline grabbing ‘ten point plan’ and the promise to ‘toughen’ targets, to what bodies like the National Audit Office and the Committee on Climate Change are saying – those tasked with monitoring what the Government is actually doing – it is clear that our government don’t have a plan. 

“We are seeing today that people are scared and frustrated at the refusal of this Government to accept the severity of the crisis.

"The UN People’s Climate Survey found that 81% of people in the UK believe that we’re in a global emergency.

"The Government needs to commission a national Citizens’ Assembly on climate and ecological justice, because even if politicians are scared to face the truth, ordinary people are ready for action.”