On July 17th I was arrested for locking myself to a bathtub in Cabot circus as part of extinction rebellions attempt to sound an alarm on the climate emergency.

As a doctor and a mother I take no pleasure whatsoever in having disrupted people trying to earn a living, get to hospital appointments, people stuck with young children in cars etc and I don't feel at all good that you were in that situation.

Nor did I relish lying in a cell wondering if I could get a prison sentence for causing a public nuisance. I simply want to explain why I did it without expecting everyone to agree with or like what happened that day.

Daily Echo:

Christelle Blunden

For over 30 years scientists and activists have been sounding an alarm over climate change in the usual ways including reports, policy recommendations, peaceful non-disruptive protest, endless summits and meetings and yet our carbon emissions globally continue to rise.

The latest IPCC reports give a 5% chance of human extinction by 2100 if our emission trends continue as they are now.

David Attenborough's latest documentary challenges us to halve our emissions by 2030 or face devastating consequences such as mass migration, global food shortages and economic instability to which the UK will not be immune.

Sir David's estimate is conservative as based only on the most rigorous science.

We can't really know how rapidly things will spiral when global temperatures reach a tipping point of over 1.5 degrees which is now almost inevitable.

That is why extinction rebellion are asking for a target of 2025 not 2050 for net zero carbon. We need an emergency plan to turn this around as quickly as possible and what we decide in the next year or two is crucial. But it's a massive undertaking and facts alone don't seem to affect attitudes.

I don't know what else is left in terms of a strategy to radically alter public and political discourse other than the one thing that has brought about radical and positive lasting change throughout history when dialogue has failed; non violent direct action.

And although I'd far rather chain myself to a tree than block a road that would be too late.

Our disruptive actions are designed to send a message to government that we can't continue business as usual.

500,000 people die annually due to climate change and that is worse than being stuck in traffic.

Daily Echo:

A separate Extinction Rebellion protest in London

The government have listened to extinction rebellion and the youth strikes by declaring a climate emergency, committing to a net zero carbon plan by 2050 and creating six citizens assemblies on climate policy.

If they bring this target forward and give power to the citizens assembly to make decisions having heard from experts in energy, ecology etc we would be delighted to stop disruptive action immediately.

We understand we have alienated some people with these actions and we will take on board the feedback of the public in planning future actions to try to balance disruption and impact. We respect the police and the courts and look forward to a time when their time is better spent enforcing new laws against our collective crime; ecocide.

Christelle Blunden

Southampton

Earlier this month Ms Blunden and a number of other climate change protesters appeared at Bristol Magistrates Court charged with and was found guilty of obstructing a highway following a trial.

They were given a 12 month conditional discharge and told to pay court costs between £180 and £250.