Notes for Climate Sunday talk

 This life is spiritual and physical - eternity to heaven or hell dependant on the state of our souls.

Physical eternity is called sustainability - 1985 definition.

The Lord does not want us to mess up His world but to behave responsibility - called creation care. But we are not doing well

Four very important dates: 1760, 1856, 1988, 2015 on the road to climate awakening

Covid has proved we can lockdown, show restraint, even sacrifice for survival.

We now have to move to 'lockdown' for climate by reducing our dependency on oil and gas - and even wood burning.

Also, because of shortages in 2 fff by the end of this century

APPLICATION:

2 Cor 8 v 13-15 is about equality or fairness or, leaving our time here to enable others to inherit a life-sustaining world.  "Godliness with contentment" is commanded on us in the Scriptures.

So, care for creation by cutting consumption of everything - make things last for others to have something left, too.

That means: travel much less by fff, eat fewer meat and dairy products but more plant-based equivalents.

Wrap up more warmly this winter to cut fuel bills.

Go for solar power to cut energy bills.

Conclude:

Only then, I think, are you caring for God's world and others, as He commands us to do.  Truly loving God and others.

Remember 2 Cor 8, 13-15 - fair shares for all, esp the rich world playing its full and fair part.

Community leaders to prepare for climate crisis as no-one did for Covid

You are a community leader and we expect you to set a fine example, as you certainly do. It also means that we expect you to show the personal changes we all must make to respond not only to the Covid crisis of this year but also to the climate crisis that has been creeping up on us since the formation of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in 1988.

It was actually in 1856 that the American scientist, Eunice Foote showed that in burning fossil fuels with the emissions of carbon dioxide, the CO2 absorbs heat. Unfortunately, this enhances the natural greenhouse effect that allows life on earth to exist. Hence, the warming of the planet. Scientists tell us that our sister or twin planet, venus has a runaway greenhouse effect that makes it hotter than mercury even though mercury is nearer to the sun and therefore, should be hotter. Scientists fear that human activity in burning up all our reserves of fossil fuels, may well do the same thing to our planet as has happened to venus. Earth may join venus in becoming uninhabitable. Do check out Wikipedia that I have my facts right!

The actions we all have to take our obvious. Less travel by fossil fuel means. Much less consumption to slow the production of greenhouse gases to feed our greedy, unsustainable lifestyles. Very much more effort by us all to tread as lightly as possible on the earth by sharing our wealth to help the poor; and, to help the poor nations to also cut climate devastating forest burning and, for the poor South to also enjoy electricity from the power of the sun.

The economic basis of the Kingdom of God is 2 Cor 8 v 13-15 that says, in effect, "from each according to his ability; to each according to his needs." 

 In 1987, we had the Brundtland Report that came up with: "Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." You know about A Rocha. https://ecochurch.arocha.org.uk/

Others in the Christian community support Operation Noah. This is their statement from 2018: PREPARE FOR THIS RUNAWAY CLIMATE CATASTROPHE 20 November 2018

1. Operation Noah (UK churches acting together to save collapsing life support systems) agrees with the reasons behind the Extinction Rebellion, i.e: We are facing an unprecedented global emergency.

Our children and our nation face grave risk. The planet is in ecological crisis. We are in the midst of the sixth mass extinction event this planet has experienced.

Scientists believe we may have entered a period of abrupt climate breakdown. 

The earth’s atmosphere is already over 1°C warmer than pre-industrial levels. The chances of staying below the 2°C warming agreed upon in the Paris agreement are tiny. Recent projections show we are on course for 3 degrees of warming and, potentially, much higher.

Children alive today in the UK will face unimaginable horrors as a result of floods, wildfires, extreme weather, crop failures and the inevitable breakdown of society, when the pressures are so great.

We are unprepared for the danger our future holds.

The time for denial is over – we know the truth about climate change and we know the truth about current biological annihilation.

2. ON acknowledges the Extinction Rebellion has some important supporters, including 94 academics, one of whom is former Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams.

Many thanks, Leon for whatever you and your team can do in the coming days.

Magnificent James O'Brien on migrants

 https://www.lbc.co.uk/radio/presenters/james-obrien/proof-uk-doing-less-than-fair-share-migrants/

10 August 2020

After hearing from people that the UK is doing more than its fair share for migrants, James O'Brien had some facts and figures for them.

A Royal Air Force surveillance plane is supporting Border Force officials in the English Channel this afternoon.

A dinghy carrying 20 people was stopped this morning, after hundreds of others made the crossing from France over the last four days.

That led to calls from people demanding they are sent back and that France need to do more. James then proved that France are doing more. Much more.

He said: "The numbers just don't support the rhetoric.

"France currently processes about 80,000 more asylum applications than we do. So what does that mean when we turn around and say France must do more?

"The argument that we do more than our share appears to me to be the most dangerous one of all. We do considerably less than our share.

"We don't even do what Greece does and economically-speaking, Greece is on a much less firm footing than we are."

James pointed out that our agreement with France over migrants is part of our membership of the EU, so that will expire at the end of the year.

And he pointed out: "Do you feel that you should have been told in 2016 that voting to leave the EU would give control of our borders, on the issue of asylum seekers in dinghies, to France?"

Adrian Sherling

Chance for faith leaders to speak out - and get a little kudos!

 Will they speak out boldly against grossly extravagant expenditure that will use yet more finite fossil fuels, more greenhouse gas emissions and, therefore, deepen the runaway climate emergency/crisis, as well as resource depletion?

I am thinking of over-indulgent, vanity projects that impress the visitor but only make matters worse for ourselves in a fast heating world. The projects I'm thinking of are Metro tram extensions, Sprint diesel buses that all spell danger, quite apart from making for more changes and a slower journey between yet more public transport modes; and, HS2.  HS2 will give the super-rich a train to travel in, to a very few destinations but the rest of us need a train that stops at the intermediate stations that HS2 misses out.

Should all faith communities be giving full support and encouragement to the Dudley Muslim Association, if they wish to try again with finding a new site for their purpose-built Dudley Central Mosque?

Their present shabby building is in a former Victorian primary school on Castle Hill road, where smart, flash, snazzy Metro will trundle past.  Dudley Council is regenerating the area where the mosque is located but, I believe, there is no plan for a replacement mosque.

I would be glad to hear what the local councillors and Muslim friends want concerning their mosque.  Do they want a new mosque, in fact?

Tim Weller

Thoughts on W Mids Mayoral candidature to warn and inspire hopeful action

The standing for mayor thing is simply to try and raise the importance of all my/our concerns more often, more easily and to get access to the people in power.  It did give me that advantage at the start of the year when I was given a little more access to the top people.  There was one man appointed who actually did reply to my emails and seemed to take my concerns seriously.  But then Covid and lockdown kicked in and all that stopped.  I don't want votes, I'm only campaigning for the things like those in my last email to you for the 'proper' politicians to do the things that seem blindingly obvious to me - but so few others!

It is probably not worth going beyond 'declaring' my candidature and certainly not worth paying the unreturnable, massive deposit, when there may not be hustings and only Zoom meetings.  The Green Party does not want me to stand as an Independent.  I would not stand if only truly wonderful Chris Packham or Jonathon Porritt would do so for the party in the West Midlands.  That is highly unlikely, however!  Porritt has said 'No', anyway.  I've just read his latest book, 'Hope in Hell' - all about this decade to confront the climate emergency, if it ain't too late already, as I think.

The prognosis for humanity is very poor.  Yet, so far, I have been wrong in thinking that by 2020 things would be very much worse than they are.  I was certainly saying, in the 1990s, in the very occasional PowerPoint presentation on, 'Practical Tips on How to Green Up Your Lifestyle', that "we would certainly be in a very much worse state by the end of the next century than we will see at the end of this."

My fossil fuel consumption has plummeted this year by my doing local footpath clearance work and walks to improve waymarking instead of going to the high hills of England, Scotland and Wales.  If people are going to exercise locally instead of bombing off to the mountains (as I did too much of, I know), then the lowland paths, bridleways and footbridges must be open and available.  One good way of cutting greenhouse gas emissions.  I have discovered the Rea valley of south Shropshire - Cleobury country.

Johnson has had far too many holidays, I think, this year.  Do you ever listen to James O'Brien on LBC from Mon to Fri, inclusive and, from 1000 to 1300 hrs?  He is quite devastatingly magnificent on Johnson, Cummings, Williamson and Brexit, in particular!

More pleadings for the decision makers to act sensibly and responsibly

 Dear decision-makers, one and all - pictures to make you smile if you get down that far!

The hundred of millions for diesel Sprint and £15 BILLION for mainly trams to 2040, means yet more rising greenhouse gas emissions that are threatening all life on earth with runaway climate change, this century.  The more we spend, the quicker finite fossil fuels become exhausted and, the quicker we give ourselves a runaway greenhouse effect like our twin or sister planet, venus.

Far better to avoid making earth as uninhabitable as venus by using the money to give everyone (not just my age group) Fare-Free Public Transport in the W Midlands, like Luxembourg, Dunkirk and Tallinn in Estonia.

Fare-Free Public Transport is also compensation for there being a higher risk of getting Covid when using bus, train, tram.

Far better to redeploy Sprint staff into reversing the continuing waste of the Black Country Railway by using the wasted 56 Kms in the Black Country and south Staffordshire for commuter and regional trains.

Use Sprint staff to put passenger trains on freight-only lines.

It is unfair for Solihull to get both Metro trams and Sprint diesel buses.  For the west of Brum, we get a slower and longer journey by bus into the city centre, changing either to the tram for the final section or, staying on the diverted and slower bus route that no longer uses the Five Ways underpass!

STOP ADDING TO THE GREENHOUSE EFFECT!

STOP COMPLICATING LIFE BY MAKING YET MORE CHANGES BETWEEN DIFFERENT PUBLIC TRANSPORT MODES!

START ACTING RESPONSIBLY.

Chris Packham is superb and correct in every way

WE STILL HAVEN'T LEARNT HOW TO USE RAILWAY LINES FOR RAILWAY TRAINS!

Chris Packham is superb and correct in every way. He is a hero. As a species, we are committing ecocide. Chris's work has made it less likely that the 87 Kms Western Orbital Motorway will be built down the western side of the Black Country.

The tragedy is that over the last 75 years, we have been closing and permanently losing railway lines. Instead of mothballing them in case they were ever needed again or, even turning them into cycle-walkways, we have sold them off to any old Tom, Dick or Harriet. As a result, thousands of miles have been bulldozed out of existence. The very last, mothballed, mainline railway of 120 Kms (74 miles) is being turned, in the congested and densely populated Black Country, into a piddling little shuttle tramline, a VLR test track, an extended cycle-walkway and a trail of trees. What a waste!

No wonder the deluded, uninformed, wrong-headed authorities want HS2 to allow the rich to have an additional choice of high-speed train or high-speed plane to get between London and Brum super quick, super indulgently and even more greenhouse gas-guzzling.  Live it up today and all hell to pay tomorrow.

However, Jonathon Porritt has 'Hope in Hell: A decade to confront the climate emergency' if we listen to the sound and sane pleadings in his latest book.

Faith Leaders on Covid from happening again

Covid emerged in Dec 2019 as a surprise.  Yet, our leaders failed to prepare in case it came to W Europe.  How can our faith and political leaders now prepare for the climate emergency that we have known about since 1988 when the IPCC was formed and we heard the major speeches from Margaret Thatcher and President George Bush Snr in that year?

What exactly was the reason for the virus jumping from animals to humans and how can we reduce that happening again?  Tim Weller

Challenge to West Midlands Faith Leaders

 Will they speak out boldly against grossly extravagant expenditure that will use yet more finite fossil fuels, more greenhouse gas emissions and, therefore, deepen the runaway climate emergency/crisis, as well as resource depletion?

I am thinking of over-indulgent, vanity projects that impress the visitor but only make matters worse for ourselves in a fast heating world. The projects I'm thinking of are Metro tram extensions, Sprint diesel buses that all spell danger, quite apart from making for more changes and a slower journey between yet more public transport modes; and, HS2.  HS2 will give the super-rich a train to travel in, to a very few destinations but the rest of us need a train that stops at the intermediate stations that HS2 misses out.

Should all faith communities be giving full support and encouragement to the Dudley Muslim Association, if they wish to try again with finding a new site for their purpose-built Dudley Central Mosque?

Their present shabby building is in a former Victorian primary school on Castle Hill road, where smart, flash, snazzy Metro will trundle past.  Dudley Council is regenerating the area where the mosque is located but, I believe, there is no plan for a replacement mosque.

I would be glad to hear what the local councillors and Muslim friends want concerning their mosque.  Do they want a new mosque, in fact?

Tim Weller

Mgt Thatcher, as PM in 1988, said ...

It is 1988 and it is the hottest summer on record.  The greenhouse effect is detected and it is changing our climate.  "It is the year that our earth spoke back.  Our land, water and soils support a remarkable range of human activities but they can only take so much." (George HW Bush on the campaign trail, soon to become President of the USA) 

"We have all recently become aware of another insidious danger.  It is mankind and his activities which are changing the environment of our planet in damaging and dangerous ways."  (her speech to the UN General Assembly in 1988).

MY ENDORSEMENT OF 'POACHER'S PILGRIMAGE' by Alastair McIntosh

Extract from e-mail to Jonathon Porritt:

"Have you ever come across author Alastair McIntosh?  I am reading 'Poacher's Pilgrimage'.  It's a beautifully crafted account of his walk from the southern end of Harris to the Butt of Lewis and interspersed with ecology, spirituality, respect for the old ways on the island and, his brave challenges in official, formal sessions with the military over our alternative non-violent direct action.  Or, at least, diplomacy rather than the militarisation of diplomacy.  And pilgrimage (your "treading lightly") to describe how our three score years and ten should be like AND, not poaching from future generations."

MY ENDORSEMENTS as I was reading the book:

A truly great writer who holds the readers' attention with wonderful descriptions, remarkable knowledge and delicious humour.

An outstanding book.  Nicely left of centre, an amazing command of the English language.  A giant of a man.

Every page keeps my attention and interest.

400 pages of erudition and anecdotes, of walking, talking, recalling - all related so skilfully and often humorously that it made me smile.  A masterclass in writing.  A literary great.  Politically correct, liberation theology supported and, a socialist.

Anti-war, pro-nature, pro-humanity.  This man is a Quaker, a pacifist and argues for Christ's non-violence in both his life and teachings.

This book is pure poetry in prose, with a sense of fun thrown in for good measure.  After the Gospels of social justice, non-violence and other divine ethical teachings, this must be the greatest and most important book I have ever read.  My 'Desert Island' book! 

They want it; we make it bite, like every other national park

from Mick Freer:

As you are an advocate for this proposed 'West Midlands National Park', I suggest that you study the proposal and advise us how this will protect our countryside from the real threats that we are addressing?

We have to make it so it does.  Otherwise, the National Park is meaningless.  The authorities, the establishment came up with the idea, so they had better make our 32 sq Kms + Lutley Wedge the first AND, with the full protection that the other national parks have.  This is a perfectly reasonable request.  They want it; we make it bite, like every other national park.  Although, I recall that they built a nuclear power station in Snowdonia NP at Trawsfynydd.  At least, they won't do that with ours!!

Boris Johnson's economic growth plans must not affect our countryside.  Cobham's economic greedy growth expansion for Hagley Hall must be the very last.  We want farming and recreation NOT concrete, brick and tarmac.

Economic gain is nature's loss and our ultimate undoing.

The proof that I'm thick, too!

Dear Ian

Thanks so much for replying.  It's very nice to hear from you.

Can you tell me when I said, "thick" or where I wrote "thick", please?  I am pretty sure I have never, ever used the word.  It is so very rude!  And. partly because it describes me, exactly.  I failed the 11+ and had five years in a secondary modern school in Ilford, Essex from 1959 to 1964.  I somehow managed to pass six 'O' level GCEs with very ordinary grades.

On the other hand, "foolish" and "misinformed" and "incompetent" are much more accurate and correct adjectives to truthfully describe what all you politicians, over the last sixty-plus years, have been doing to our urban tram and railway networks.  Namely, using our railways for running homes, offices, shops, roads and, grossly extravagant "bus on rails" trams down them.  And, now a Very Light Rail test track for 2 Kms to Cinder Bank roundabout on a railway "of national strategic significance", of all things!!

Your first trick, in the 1950s, was when you all happily dismantled the tram network.  Can you believe it?  Astonishing!

What on earth do you all think you are all doing for so many decades?  

Apart from one brilliant, working, train driver who lives in Rowley Regis and, a member of Railfuture, not one other person, including my family and the media, are at all bothered about this further destruction of a railway "of national strategic significance".  Everyone thinks it is just fine and dandy to break up the UK's last and only mainline, north-south railway between Brum city centre and the Irish Sea (apart from the Hereford to Shrewsbury to Crewe railway).  So we all get stuck in traffic jams on motorways and main roads with a double track, mainline railway alongside or near, ready and waiting to go (almost) but, not a single train or station!

You are in such good company, Ian!

Despite living here in Halesowen since 1976, I never realised we still had one local, very important railway until the mid-90s when Roy Burgess, of Halesowen, told me about the complete waste of a good railway through the very centre of Dudley town.  I remember, very soon after I bought this house in 1976, of how you politicians built yet another house on the Halesowen Railway.  This one was on the southern side of the Halesowen bypass, Manor Way.  By my own silence, I was guilty as everyone else.  I just kept 'mum' and never protested.

Will you, Ian please say something to Patrick and to the MMA/TfWM/WMCA?  It is still not too late to save the railway.  Main works on Metro start in April 2021, according to Jim Cunningham of your council.

Thanks again, for writing, engaging and contacting me.

PREPARE FOR THIS RUNAWAY CLIMATE CATASTROPHE

20 November 2018

1. Operation Noah (UK churches acting together to save collapsing life support systems) agrees with the reasons behind the Extinction Rebellion, i.e:

• We are facing an unprecedented global emergency. Our children and our nation face grave risk.
• The planet is in ecological crisis. We are in the midst of the sixth mass extinction event this planet has experienced. Scientists believe we may have entered a period of abrupt climate breakdown.
• The earth’s atmosphere is already over 1°C warmer than pre-industrial levels. The chances of staying below the 2°C warming agreed upon in the Paris agreement are tiny.
• Recent projections show we are on course for 3 degrees of warming and, potentially, much higher. Children alive today in the UK will face unimaginable horrors as a result of floods, wildfires, extreme weather, crop failures and the inevitable breakdown of society, when the pressures are so great.
• We are unprepared for the danger our future holds.
• The time for denial is over – we know the truth about climate change and we know the truth about current biological annihilation.

2. ON acknowledges the Extinction Rebellion has some important supporters, including 94 academics, one of whom is former Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams.