Climate Emergency Declaration: Unanimous Motion Passes in the Anglican Diocese of Nova Scotia and PEI

Congratulations to the Anglican Diocese of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island for unanimously passing a resolution declaring a climate emergency at their 148th Synod this past weekend (May 23 - May 24, 2019). This is the first Anglican Diocese in Canada to do so.

Mover: Mellanie Cohoon; Seconder: Charles Bull
Resolved that this Synod of the Diocese of NS and PEI:

1. recognises that there is a global climate and ecological emergency,
2. encourages churches and parishes of the diocese to make the Fifth Mark of Mission To strive to safeguard the integrity of creation, and sustain and renew the life of the earth is a living testament to our faith, and calls upon churches and parishes of the diocese to:

a. observe the Season of Creation (Sept. 1st to Oct. 4th), setting aside a day in that season as a day of public repentance,
b. plan and gather resources that would promote ecological action, including minimizing water-use, setting aside available land for natural growth of plants and trees, transition to renewable energy sources and incorporating creation care into liturgical practice,
c. prepare or use an existing Lenten practice focused on Creation d. form small groups to take leadership on environmental issues within each parish and to connect with the Diocesan Environment Network,
e. identify environmental and climate-related threats in their context and to develop or adapt existing tools on disaster preparedness and mitigation.

3. encourages the organisers of both Diocesan and General Synod to make each session of synod as environmentally sustainable as possible.

Commentary: A climate emergency has been declared by many cities, including Charlottetown and Halifax. The church needs "the courage and love of Jesus" (Eucharistic Prayer 5) in order to make significant, life-giving changes in how we relate to all God's creation. This resolution is adapted from the Anglican Consultative Council's environmental resolution, passed in early May 2019. It can be seen as a response to that resolution. This resolution goes a small step further than the ACC resolution by including the extinction of species as a crisis of urgency equal to the climate crisis (this in light of the May 6th UN report).

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Related
Introducing the SEC's Eightfold Path of Environmental Action
Right Understanding: Knowing the facts about climate change
Right Thought: How we think about the natural world
Right Speech: Effective environmental communications
Right Action: Making smaller footprints
Right Works: Efforts that benefit the planet
Right Effort: Choosing a cause
Right Concentration: Staying focused on creation
Right Mindfulness: Managing ecological stress