Why Extinction Rebellion dropped a sinking house in the River Thames

Climate protest group Extinction Rebellion floated a miniature house on the River Thames to draw attention to rising sea levels caused by climate change.

The protest was staged early Sunday, close to Tower Bridge, London.

An Extinction Rebellion statement called Monday's "Our House is Flooding" protest "yet another attempt to send an SOS to the government on climate inaction and draw attention to the threat humans face from climate change and rising sea levels."

The U.N.'s recent climate special report, published in September, found that sea level rise will persist for hundreds of years.

"In a fairy tale world, wherein society can curb Earth's warming at 1.5 degrees Celsius (or 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-Industrial Revolution temperatures (this scenario is now nearly impossible to achieve), sea levels will likely rise between one and two feet by the century's end, the report found," wrote Mashable science reporter Mark Kaufman, citing the report's findings.

But specifically, protest comes as nearly 50 flood warnings are in effect across England after extended heavy rainfall. One woman has died as a result of the flooding in Derbyshire. Floods in Yorkshire and the Midlands in England have resulted in homes being evacuated and nine severe 'threat to life' warnings are in place in South Yorkshire.

"Representing the disastrous realities of projected sea level rises, perhaps the stunt was unnecessary," read the XR statement. "As the ongoing flood disaster in Derbyshire and Yorkshire has so starkly illustrated, our homes, businesses and families are at very real risk.

"We are watching, in real-time, as people’s lives are destroyed around the world and in the UK. Unless action is taken to halt biodiversity loss and reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net zero these tragedies are set to worsen."

Extinction Rebellion float a replica of a British house on the River Thames. Credit: Ollie Millington/Getty Images

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said the flooding in the UK does not amount to a "national emergency," something Extinction Rebellion firmly disagreed with.

"Many people in the UK have had life-changing experiences this week, and there will be many more in low-lying and coastal areas affected by flooding over the coming winter," the statement read.

"We stand in solidarity with all of those who have lost their homes and livelihoods and will continue to demand action until the severity of this national and global emergency is realised."

It's not the only headline-making move from Extinction Rebellion of late, especially in the city of London, where police banned protests and arrested more than 1,400 people during a month of heightened activity from the group in October.

Seems that hasn't phased them at all.