Faith

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Faith Climate Change

• The Diocese of Salisbury
• Environment Working Group
• With thanks to
• Revd Professor Ian James
• Head of School of Mathematics, Meteorology
  Physics, University of Reading
• Oxford Diocesan environment adviser

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O all you works of the Lord
Clouds of the sky, O bless the Lord Sun and moon
, O bless the Lord Stars of the heavens, O bless
the Lord, Showers and rain, O bless the Lord, To
Him be highest glory and praise for ever. Daniel
357-88
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Plan of talk

• The science
• Is climate change real?
• Why should Christians care?
• What can we do?

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The science

• - why climate change is a concern

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Atmospheric carbon dioxide
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A little goes a long way!
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The greenhouse effect

• Carbon dioxide blankets Earths surface.
• Sunlight gets in.
• Infra-red absorbed and re-emitted.
• Other greenhouse agents water vapour, clouds.

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The Carbon Cycle
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Is climate change real?

• Some examples

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Effects of CO2 increases

• Warmer climate local variations
• Changed patterns of rainfall drought/flood
• More extreme weather events rain/wind
• Melting of ice caps and glaciers
• Rising sea levels

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Carbon dioxide ice ages
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Variations of the Earths surface temperature
for the past 1,000 years
SPM 1b
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Arctic sea ice
September 2005
September 1979
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Glaciers in retreat
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Glaciers in retreat
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Why should Christians care?Because we are
called by God to do so.
It is our calling under God, Nothing less.
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Tillers and keepers
we are participants with many others in a web
of life. Our responsibility as human beings is
stated in pithy terms in the Book of Genesis to
be tillers and keepers of this earth. Richard
Chartres, Religion, Science and the Environment
Symposium, Estonia 2003
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Priests of creation

• "The true vocation of the human person is to be
  the priest of creation -to stand before the
  creator on behalf of all creation (intercession),
  and in turn to interpret the good intention of
  the creator to and for all."
• Towards an Affirmation on Justice, Peace, and
  the Integrity of Creation, Working Paper for the
  World Convocation on Justice, Peace and the
  Integrity of Creation 1989

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We have all sinned
since all have sinned and fall short of the
glory of God Romans 323
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• "Where is the still small voice of the Church
  in the environmental debate now turned crisis?
  The conclusion is, very still and very very
  small. The one institution which should have
  been in the vanguard with its spiritual and moral
  obligation, its theology and its worldwide
  infrastructure is now at last joining the ranks
  with the rest of humanity in a rearguard attempt
  to restore God's creation."
• Diana Schumacher in Resurgence Magazine

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A moral problem
It is imperative, however, that the true nature
of the ecological crisis be understood. The
relationship between individuals or communities
and the environment can never be detached from
their relationship with God. When man turns his
back on the Creators plan, he provokes a
disorder which has inevitable repercussions on
the rest of the created order
Pope John Paul II, 2003
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Bias to the poor!
Just as you did not do it to one of the least of
these, you did not do it to me.
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What can we do?

• Pray
• Ask hard questions especially of media and
  popular science and ourselves
• Take practical action because we care and know
  why we care

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Some Hard Questions
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We must test the information we are given.

• Is the link between human activity and global
  warming proven?
• Are the results of warming really scientifically
  agreed?
• Are there issues to do with the poor that we are
  ignoring?

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Practical Steps
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What activities generate carbon dioxide?

• All sources are comparable
• No easy target!
• Reduction across the board

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Who emits carbon dioxide?
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A target for the Diocese

• People
• Parishes
• Centre
• Starter.Reduce carbon emissions by 15 by 2010.
  (Kyoto target)
• BUT our main aim is 40 by then!

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A lot of our carbon use is Transport CO2 per
passenger km
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Lifestyle choices (personal carbon use)
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The 40 energy audit

• Please take a copy of the work sheet to help you
  calculate your own carbon Footprint
• Do the same sort of thing for your church.
• An example For a meeting, 12 people travel an
  average of 10 miles
• No car sharing, big cars 9.5 kg carbon
• Car sharing (2 per car), small cars (each journey
  15 miles) 3.7 kg carbon

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The 40 church how can we get there?

• Look at your 2005 emissions and try to save on
  that figure. How?....try
• Low energy light bulbs
• A green electricity supplier
• Heating control systems and maybe a new boiler
• Insulation (building or personal!)
• Behavioural changes.

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Only connect! a theological post script.

• We must recognise the interdependence of the
  natural world
• We are part of natural world!
• We need to live sustainably within the entire
  world community justice for the poor (Amos)

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So what about you?

• Please put this on your PCC agenda see letter
  from the working group
• Pray
• Ask hard questions of your own attitudes, of
  popular science and politicians
• Take practical action please use the material
  in the pack provided.