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.