Face the future with courage and civil disobedience. That was the message given to an audience by the co-founder of climate change campaigners Extinction Rebellion.

Gail Bradbrook told a packed out lecture theatre in Carlisle on Monday evening the daunting facts about the future of our planet.

Her talk, The Time is Now, wasn’t a gentle introduction into the effect that climate change will have on the world. It outlined the various scientific stand-points, how they are different, and where current government policy will put the country in the coming years.

Fiona Prior, a member of Extinction Rebellion Cumbria and organiser of the talk, said: “I thought it was a really instructive and informative talk from Gail, she’s really good and she knows her stuff.”

Dr Bradbrook spoke in-depth not only about the physical effects that an increased global temperature will have, but also about the economic and societal impact.

She said: “What we try and do with Extinction Rebellion is not mince our words in the face of the ecological crisis, because we believe it is really important the people face it.

“It can be a very emotional process, but the emotion can help: when you feel the grief of these times it does open your heart up. A certain percentage of this population in this audience will then be encouraged to act.”

Grief and hopelessness were recognised by Dr Bradbrook and members of the group as part of coming to terms with the future.

“It’s in turning to face the grief and recognising what we love about being alive, that gives us the energy to then get involved and do something about it,” reflected Helen Davison, Carlisle city councillor for Belah and Kingmoor.

However, it wasn’t an entirely terrifying future that Dr Bradbrook set out.

She believes that the Extinction Rebellion plan of civil disobedience and their demand for a citizens’ assembly to address can truly bring about a significant change within society.

“What can be done is rebelling, is actually participating in mass civil disobedience,” said Dr Bradbrook. “That’s how things have changed in the past.

“Change comes through civil disobedience, so that’s what I’m going to be encouraging people to do.”

There was debate and discussion between the audience and Dr Bradbrook, covering topics including climate change across the world, youth action, alternative technologies, and the proposed new coal mine in west Cumbria.

Dr Davison added: “I hope that people will have gone out of that room and been motivated to take some action.”