Introduction: What Moment for Climate Activism?

Since late 2018, the world—Europe, Australia, and North America in particular—have seen a great wave of climate activism. Extinction Rebellion (XR) and Fridays For Future (FFF) in particular brought a large number of (new) climate activists into the streets, until the pandemic brought the mobilization to a halt. The contours of this mobilization have already been described elsewhere (de Moor et al. 2021). Here, we focus on understanding its significance, and that of climate movements more generally, through the lens of temporality. In popular and academic discussions alike, climate activists are portrayed as the planet's saviors, having to make up for the impotency of governments worldwide before the window for meaningful action permanently closes. This desperate anticipation is perhaps best illustrated by Time Magazine's nomination of Greta Thunberg as Person of the Year for 2019. It stands in sharp contrast to growing numbers who hold a postapocalyptic orientation...