SEC
Environmental Report
July
2019 – December 2019
A Faith Based Case for Climate Action
Prepared for Bishop Mary
Anglican Diocese of Montreal
Prepared by Richard Matthews
Chairperson of the SEC
January 1, 2020
C O N T E N T S
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
REVIEW OF THE SEC’S ACTIVITIES OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS
PART 1: THE WHY AND WHAT OF CLIMATE ACTION
-
Why the Church needs to standup for the planet
and its Inhabitants
-
Faith communities are well positioned to lead
-
The complicity of silence
-
Facing the facts
-
Young people and the prophetic voice of Greta
Thunberg
-
Protecting the vulnerable and opposing Hunger
-
Acting before it’s too late
-
Inadequacy of incrementalism and the ruse of
individual action
-
Debunking the theology of climate denial
PART 2: WHAT IS BEING DONE
-
Christians heeding the call for climate action
-
Civil disobedience
-
Anglican Church of Australia calls for government
action
-
Anglican Church’s climate leadership from Canada’s
North
-
Climate emergency
-
Banning plastic
PART 3: EVENTS AND OCCASSIONS
-
The General Synod of 2019
-
Season of creation
-
Climate March (September 27, Montreal)
-
Canadian federal election
-
Amazon Synod
-
Advent
-
COP25 and the UN
PART 4: WHAT WE MUST DO TO PROTECT CREATION
-
Building support for climate action
-
Pope Francis on the sin against ecology, ecocide
and market idolatry
-
Protecting creation by transitioning to a green
economy
-
Energy revolution
-
Reigning-in fossil fuels
-
Protest and mobilization
-
Resources
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Guided by the Anglican Communion's fifth Mark of Mission, "To
strive to safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain and renew life of the
earth" the SEC has engaged in a wide range of environmental advocacy
including reporting on faith based news, releasing statements, supporting
events, and disseminating resources. We have written reports, held vigils and
hosted events. We have also engaged in direct action, organized speaking
conferences, and created a survey. One of the outstanding highlights of the
SEC's efforts was the successful fossil fuel divestment motion that was passed
in the Anglican Diocese of Montreal on October 16th, 2015. We are currently
working on the production of a short environmentally themed film called Aya's
Mirror that is scheduled to be released in September.
In this report I reiterate the reasons why the church should standup
for the planet and its inhabitants. Faith communities are well positioned to
lead efforts to address climate change and counter eco-degradation. As the
Bishop of Salisbury, Nicholas Holtam says this is not just a reaction to anxiety,
but it is based in our love for creation. We need to face the scale of the
destruction we are causing, and we need to act. According to some the failure
of the church to lead on these issues is contributing to the exodus.
At the very least our silence makes us complicit. No matter how uncomfortable it may make us,
we cannot look the other way. The church has been at the forefront of many
important human rights issues and this should include climate advocacy. We are
called to act by the gospels and by the prophetic voice of young people like
Greta Thunberg. We are called to protect the vulnerable, those who have done
the least to cause the climate crisis are those who will suffer the most from
its effects.
We must act and we must act before it’s too late. As explained in a
statement by the World Council of Churches (WCC) Executive Committee “The time
for debate and disputation of established scientific facts is long over.” Time
for action is swiftly passing, the statement continues. “We will all be held to
account for our inaction and our disastrous stewardship of this precious and unique
planet.” Nor do we have the time to incrementally address the crisis or focus
on individual action. As Archbishop Nicholls said we must do more than advocate
for lifestyle changes. We also need to
share the message that science is compatible with faith and the science tells
us we must act, and we must act now.
Thankfully many Christians are heeding the call. From the Church of
England to local parishes, Anglicans and other faith communities are waking up
to the urgent need for climate action. Some Anglicans see the situation as so
serious that it warrants civil disobedience. The issue of climate change is especially significant
in the Canadian North where traditional ways are being destroyed by rising
temperatures. That is why Anglican churches in the north are taking up the
cause and working in support of climate action. One approach that is gaining
momentum is the declaration of a climate emergency. Canadian Anglicans recently
passed a resolution that called the church to address earth’s climate
emergency. Anglicans are also directly appealing to government and calling for
government action.
The Season of Creation is an opportunity to highlight ecological concerns.
Christians all around the world pray and act in defense of creation including
Anglicans in the Diocese of Montreal. This city is arguably among the most
climate concerned city on the planet. We are home to the largest climate march
in human history which took place on September 27, 2019. Nationally we saw how
the environment was a serious issue in the most recent election. Globally we
are seeing how Anglicans are coming together with people of faith to resist
environmental degradation in places like the Brazilian Amazon and at the UN's
annual climate talks.
So much needs to be done and Anglicans are joining people of faith and
secular society in this global effort. We need to help build support for
climate action and this starts with learning how to speak to people who are
misinformed. Perhaps we need to acknowledge the sin of ecological destruction
and market idolatry. As Primate Nicholls said, “we failed to notice when that
stewardship had been subverted by economic forces, human greed and an attitude
of complacency. We answered God’s very first call to us with neglect, disregard
and denial”.
Solutions abound and at the top of the list is transitioning to a green
economy which includes an energy revolution that will move us away from fossil
fuels towards renewable sources of power. Such a revolution is impossible if
fossil fuels are allowed to dominate our political landscapes. We need to
acknowledge the central role of the fossil fuel industry as both the cause of
the problem and as a leading source of disinformation preventing people from apprehending
the facts they need to act responsibly.
The church should support protests that defend creation. Such protests
can augur change and the involvement of the church amplifies the moral
dimension and makes protest more effective.
SEC’S ACTIVITIES OVER THE LAST FIVE
YEARS
One of the outstanding highlights of the SEC's efforts was the successful fossil fuel divestment motion that was passed in the Anglican Diocese of Montreal on October 16th, 2015. Here is the presentation delivered in support of the motion by SEC Chair Richard Matthews. In support of this motion we consulted widely within the dioceses and we published a wide range of support materials including a FAQ and a statement of support from Dr. Brooke Struck.
At the end of 2014, we launched our website and social media platforms on Facebook and Twitter with the intent of posting environmentally themed educational resources and communications related to climate action. These efforts were informed by the Anglican Communion's fifth Mark of Mission: "To strive to safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain and renew life of the earth."
We organized a speakers conference titled Creation Groans: Climate Justice Event (Christ Church Cathedral), we held a candlelight vigil in support of COP21. We have participated in direct actions and supported events including the Season of Creation, Earth Day/Earth Hour, Blue Dot Movement, Interfaith Eco-Action Day, Global Divestment Day, Justice Tour: Faith Climate Change and Poverty Anglican Eco-Ministry, A Good Friday Call for Climate Justice, and the Global Environmental Day of Prayer. We have also published numerous statements including those encouraging ecological witness, supporting climate change as a moral and justice issue, and drawing attention to the environmental crisis in the Arctic.
Over the years we have published hundreds of articles and shared a wide range of faith-based resources. This includes articles on the Season of Creation, faith activities in support of the UN's annual Conference of the Parties (COP) and Canadian politics. We closely follow the work of ecologically minded organizations within the Canadian Anglican tradition including Creation Matters, ACEN, Greening Sacred Spaces and Greeningspirit.ca. To access links to these and other SEC activities click here.
In 2016 we rewrote our constitution and redefined our mandate and in 2017 we reflected on our strategic priorities as part of a longer-term vision. On Earth Day in 2017, the SEC hosted a Youth Litter Clean-Up Event on Mount Royal where we handed out environmentally themed loot bags that included children's books, seeds, environmentally safe cleaning products and easy to follow information on composting and recycling.
In 2018 the SEC relaunched with new leadership, a new vision and a new mission. We started the year by creating a survey to help us gauge Anglican attitudes on nature. The results of our poll reveal that Anglicans are meaningfully engaged in nature and they believe that we must act to protect it. Further, they are actively involved in efforts that support nature in their personal lives. The results also suggest that most Anglican respondents would benefit from knowing what they can do to be better environmental stewards. In response to this poll we began writing and publishing a series of posts called the Eightfold Path of Environmental Action. They are designed as resources that respond to the needs expressed by those who took the survey.
1. Right Understanding: Knowing the facts about climate change
2. Right Thought: How we think about the natural world
3. Right Speech: Effective environmental communications
4. Right Action: Making smaller footprints
5. Right Livelihood: Work that benefits the planet
6. Right Effort: Choosing a cause
7. Right Concentration: Staying focused on nature
8. Right Mindfulness: Managing climate stress
In 2018 we also began writing and submitting quarterly environmental reports to Bishop Mary. The inaugural was submitted on April 1, 2018. These reports are consistent with the revised SEC mandate and they contain a brief review of our activities and plans as well as faith focused environmental news. We also amplified Bishop Mary's messages about plastic waste by relaying her messages and published 21 curated posts. In September, the SEC attended a plastic-free picnic hosted by Christ Church Cathedral's Environmental Social Justice Action Group (ESJAG) to celebrate the Season of Creation.
In 2019 we focused our efforts on the creation of a short environmental film. We chose to make a film with the hope of delivering a broadly accessible message that reaches people in a way that both resonates and inspires action. On Easter Sunday we consulted with the film maker and environmental scientists who all members of the St. Jax community to get feedback on the film’s themes. We developed a storyline, engaged a scriptwriter and created a storyboard. We titled the film Aya's Mirror and formally announced it in June. It was recognized by the U.N. on World Environment Day (WED). We began preparing to support the project with multi-channel marketing campaigns. This includes an Initial pre-release marketing strategy and content (introductions to the film making team, behind the scenes stuff, teasers etc.
As we begin an exciting new chapter in the history of the SEC we would like to thank the Diocese and Bishop Mary for their unrelenting support. In 2020 we look forward to appearing on Live with Lee-Ann on Earth Day and stay tuned for more information on the release of Aya's Mirror, the SEC's long awaited short film that will be screened in September.
PART ONE: THE WHY AND WHAT OF CLIMATE
ACTION
Why the Church needs to standup for the planet and its inhabitants
“As Christians and as a Church we hope to be good
stewards of God’s creation and to care for the environment. We commit to
respond to the serious circumstances we face...It will need the commitment of
everyone in the Church to engage strongly with our communities and establish
creative policy frameworks that get the best out of people, not just because of
anxiety but for the love of this wonderful creation.” - The Bishop of
Salisbury, Nicholas
Holtam.
A July 14, 2019 sermon
delivered by the Rev. Margaret Bullitt-Jonas at St. John’s Episcopal Church,
calls us to stop pretending about climate change. She calls us to face the
fact, "that the ecological foundations of society – the planetary life-systems
upon which all forms of life, including human life, depend – are unstable and
at risk of collapse".
After the hottest summer on record and the hottest month
ever recorded, extreme events are pushing even some of the most reluctant observers
to acknowledge the veracity of anthropogenic climate change. Australia is facing temperatures approaching 50-degrees
Celsius, and devastating bush fires have killed dozens of people and 500
million animals. Climate impacts are not a new phenomenon, but they are getting
worse and they will continue to worsen unless we do something about it.
We have seen 419 consecutive months of above average
temperatures. We have not seen below average temperatures in 35 years. Since
the 1980s, each successive decade has been warmer than any preceding decade since
1850. The five warmest decades on record
have all occurred in the last 50 years. The most recent decade (2010s) was the
warmest in recorded history. Nine of the ten warmest years have all occurred in
the last decade, the five warmest years have all occurred in the past five
years. The Paris Agreement warns us to
stay below 1.5 degrees Celsius and we are currently at 1.1 degrees Celsius of
warming above pre-industrial levels.
To add insult to injury we have wiped out over 40 percent of
vertebrates in the last five decades. Birds, insects and marine life are also
being decimated and there is no end in sight to species loss. Entire ecosystems are dying.
An article by John
Pavlovitz shares his views on why people are leaving the church. In a letter
to the church he says the reason people are leaving the church Is not the music
or a shorter service. They will return if you rebrand, redo your logo, become technologically
savvy or try to be cool. According to Pavlovitz the attrition is likely
irreversible. “Church, people are leaving you because you are silent right now
in ways that matter to them. You aren’t saying what they need you to say and
what you should be saying—and it makes them sick. They spend their days with a
front row seat to human right atrocities, to growing movements of cruelty, to unprecedented
religious hypocrisy, and to political leaders who are antithetical to heart of
Jesus. They live with the relational collateral damage of seeing people they
love abandon compassion and decency; people who are growing more and more
callous to the already vulnerable. They see in their daily lives and on the
news and across their timelines and in their communities, exactly the kind of
malevolence and toxicity they expect you to speak into with boldness and
clarity as moral leaders—and instead they find you adjusting the stage lights
and renovating the lobby and launching websites. In the middle of the songs and
the sermons and the video clips, they can see your feet of clay and your moral
laryngitis. That’s why they’re leaving. I know you’re worried about saying too
much, about being branded too political, about offending people or somehow making
it worse by speaking. Trust me, you are making it worse by saying nothing. Yes,
you may be avoiding conflict or keeping a tenuous peace in the pews. You may be
causing less obvious turbulence inside your walls. You may be appeasing a few
fearful folks there who don’t want you to trouble the waters. But you’re doing
something else: you’re confirming for millions of people, why they have no use
for you any longer. You’re confirming the suspicions of those who believe the
church has no relevance for them. You’re giving people who’ve offered you one
more chance to earn their presence—reason to walk away. Your silence right
now is the last straw for them. …They’ve been waiting for you….to denounce the
degradation of the planet—to say with absolute clarity what you stand for and
what you will not abide. And you have kept them waiting too long. Church,
people can get most of what you offer them somewhere else. …The singular thing
you can offer them is a clear and unflinching voice that emulates the voice of
Jesus. Stand on your platforms and in your pulpits and specifically name the
bigotry, precisely call out the politics, unequivocally condemn the people and
the policies and the movements that sicken you. Jesus did. Stop couching your
words and softening your delivery and start speaking with clarity about what
matters to you. That’s what those who are leaving want most. It may be too late
to stop the mass exodus at this point—but saying everything will at least help
you keep your soul as you fade away. At least you’ll know you stood for
something.”
Climate action is at the heart of our stewardship efforts
because it exacerbates a wide range of environmental concerns. This includes
air and water pollution, biodiversity loss, habitat fragmentation, and species
extinction. Eduardo Sasso has made it clear that according
to his theological understanding, Christians are called to act on climate
change. He is the author of A Climate of Desire - a book recovering the earth-keeping
roots of Christianity to more fully enable us to respond to the challenges of
climate change. “[T]hose who profess a living faith in the God revealed in Jesus
must stand at the forefront of the ecological struggle” Sasso wrote in an
October article,
“Everything else is false religion.”
Faith communities are well positioned to lead
Faith groups can play a leadership role in the communities they
serve by contributing to climate change education, mobilization and action.
They have played a key role in historic social justice movements including the
Civil Rights Movement and the Anti-Apartheid movement and immigration justice. Climate change should be no different. Taking care of and respecting the Earth and
the spiritual connection we all feel to the planet is at the core of many of
the world’s religions. As Anglicans, we are called by the fifth mark of mission
and as Anglicans situated in Montreal, we must heed the climate leadership of
our mayor and the fact that on September 27th we hosted the single largest
climate mobilization the world has ever seen.
A UN Environment article
explored some of the reasons why faith communities have an important role to
play in auguring change. “Faith-based leaders are well-respected individuals
with close community affiliations,” said Iyad Abumoghli, Principal Coordinator
of the Faith for Earth Initiative. “Their legitimacy is built on their important
status and their impartiality to the process” Abumaghli wrote. “Engagement of
faith-based organizations and faith leaders can be a tool for addressing water,
peace and security challenges. This can be achieved through mediations,
dialogue and working towards one global goal to protect the creation of God,
our one and only planet. Today, more than 80 per cent of people in the world
are associated with a religion or a spiritual community. However, many still lack
access to even basic goods and services…. Mobilizing partnerships is an
essential means for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. Action can only be achieved
by engaging and partnering with stakeholders from all walks of life, building
on cultural diversity as a fourth dimension of sustainable development. The
Faith for Earth Initiative is contributing to ensuring that the sound
stewardship of natural resources is a fundamental human value and
responsibility.”
The complicity of silence
“You say you hear us and that you understand the
urgency. But no matter how sad and angry I am, I do not want to believe that.
Because if you really understood the situation and still kept on failing to
act, then you would be evil.” -Greta Thunberg
A Christian Climate Action protest banner sums up our dilemma: “You may choose
to look the other way, but you can never say again that you did not know.” When we say nothing, we are complicit. Evil is
a strong word, and while we are
understandably reluctant to use this word, a recent article
suggests it may apply to those who oppose climate action or are complicit
through their silence. “Those who come
out of a religious tradition, any religious tradition, have a responsibility to
fight this latest iteration of radical evil, which is swiftly ensuring that our
species and many other species will not have a future on this earth. It is our
religious duty to place our bodies in front of the machine.... Let us affirm
our faith by affirming our defiance…against the forces of radical evil. Let
future generations say of us that we tried, that we were not complicit through
our collaboration or our silence. There will be a cost. History shows us that.
All moral battles have a cost, and if there is not a cost then the battle is
not moral. Accept becoming an outcast. Jesus, after all, was an outcast. We are
called by God to defy radical evil. This defiance is the highest form of
spirituality.”
Eduardo Sasso explained the need to speak out as follows: "[W]e
must also remember and take courage from the abolitionist campaigns in Britain,
or the 250,000 daydreamers of the early civil rights movement mounting the steps
of Lincoln’s memorial to expel the national demons of hatred and racial
segregation. Is the time not ripe for all people of good will and for those who
follow after Jesus to engage in redemptive acts of ecological liberation? Will
we cry out and sing and work for freedom at the door of Egypt’s palaces,
reminding today’s Pharaohs that only God is God and that they are not? Will we
offer our whole selves and take part collectively in Spirit-led exorcisms of
the glittering forces of death that are degrading the living world (cf. Rom 8;
12)".
Silence may be less contentious, but as Bishop Oscar A.
Romero said: “A church that does not provoke
any crisis, preach a gospel that does not unsettle, proclaim a word of God that
does not get under anyone's skin or a word of God that does not touch the real
sin of the society in which it is being proclaimed: what kind of gospel is
that?” -
Facing the facts
It is hard to face the facts; it is also hard to escape ubiquitous
calls for climate action. These calls are resounding from the offices of church
leaders and from church pews. Climate
change is emerging as a central theme for faith communities all around the
world. Climate change is on the agenda
of the 15th Lambeth Conference of Anglican bishops which will convene more than
1,000 bishops from around the Anglican Communion in July.
According to Rev. Margaret, the profit Amos tells us
something about the truth of where we are and what needs to be done to combat
the climate crisis. "The whole Book of Amos blazes with the prophet’s
outrage as he accuses the nation of abandoning the loving purposes of God"
Rev. Margaret said adding, "Amos is everybody who grieves and protests
injustice and lies". Amos is everyone who is "willing to face the
facts even when the corporate and political powers want the facts to go away.
Amos is everyone who calls out the fossil industry for pouring billions of
dollars into the effort to confuse and mislead the American public and for
funding climate deniers and think tanks that dismiss climate science...Amos is
everyone who challenges government leaders who scrub climate science from
government Websites, who refuse to take climate change into account when
setting policies, and who dismiss and discredit climate science – all while
taking unprecedented steps to open up public lands and waters to more drilling,
to expand oil pipelines, and to roll back protections on clean air and clean
water. Amos is a teenaged girl who walks out of school, sits down in front of
the Swedish Parliament with a handmade sign, and demands climate action. You
know, we live in an extraordinary time, when the decisions we make about
tackling climate change will make all the difference as to whether or not we
are able to preserve the world that God entrusted to our care. Like Amos who
was just a simple herdsman, we may not have planned to become a prophet – we
are busy, we’ve got other things to do – but God’s love is always being poured
into our hearts (Romans 5:5), giving us a divine plumb line so that we can see
honestly and accurately where we need to amend our lives and where we need to
call society to account.”
Sasso explains that Christians sometimes downplay, dismiss,
or outright ignore the urgency of this issue because they are misinformed by
misunderstood Bible verses (Jn 18, Phil 3, Heb 11, 2 Pet 3). Sasso points out
that the Bible calls us to be stewards of creation and confront injustice and
greed (Rev 22; cf. Ps 148, Isa 58:6). “
Young people and the prophetic voice of Greta Thunberg
And a
little child shall lead them.
-Isaiah
1 1:6
Unlike some of their parents, young people accept the facts
about the climate crisis. This even
applies to conservative Christians who tend to offer some of the strongest opposition
to climate action. As explained by Kyle
Meyaard-Schaap, young conservatives are “breaking ranks” with their parents
over global warming. Meyaard-Schaap is one of a growing number of Christians
that is concerned about the fate of young people. He is ordained in the
Christian Reformed Church. He’s the national organizer and spokesperson for
Young Evangelicals for Climate Action, a nonprofit with more than 20,000 young
people.
“A lot of younger folks are recognizing the existential
threat that this poses to us and to the families that we’re starting or want to
start,” Meyaard-Schaap said. “The stakes are higher than ever for a generation
that’s finding its voice and starting to claim power in the church, in
politics, and in society….I can’t love my neighbor if I’m not protecting the
earth that sustains them and defending their rights to clean water, clean air,
and a stable climate.” That is why Meyaard-Schaap and others have suggested that
young people are excellent ambassadors for climate reality. They can talk with
their parents, grandparents, uncles and aunts.
That is why his organization coaches young people on how to talk to
older folks about climate change. No young person has more influence than the
Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg.
In September, the Rev. Dr. Jesse Zink, principal of Montreal Diocesan
Theological College penned an article
titled, “Thus saith Greta” in which he references being struck by
her public witness. He referred to her as as both a prophet of the Old
Testament and a prophet of the present time. Zink quotes Greta saying, “We are
in the beginning of a mass extinction, and all you can talk about is money and
fairy tales of eternal economic growth. How dare you!” Rev. Zink pointed out
that it is not that different from “Hear this word, you cows of Bashan…who
oppress the poor, who crush the needy, who say to their husbands, ‘Bring me
something to drink!'” (Amos 4:1)
Here is a more complete excerpt from Greta’s September 23 speech
at the UN Climate Action Summit: “This is all wrong. I shouldn't be up here. I should be back
in school on the other side of the ocean. Yet you all come to us young people for
hope. How dare you! You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty
words. And yet I'm one of the lucky ones. People are suffering. People are
dying. Entire ecosystems are collapsing. We are in the beginning of a mass extinction,
and all you can talk about is money and fairy tales of eternal economic growth.
How dare you!...For more than 30 years, the science has been crystal clear. How
dare you continue to look away and come here saying that you're doing enough,
when the politics and solutions needed are still nowhere in sight….How dare you
pretend that this can be solved with just 'business as usual' and some
technical solutions? With today's emissions levels, that remaining CO2 budget
will be entirely gone within less than 8 1/2 years…There will not be any
solutions or plans presented in line with these figures here today, because
these numbers are too uncomfortable. And you are still not mature enough to tell
it like it is You are failing us. But the young people are starting to
understand your betrayal. The eyes of all future generations are upon you. And
if you choose to fail us, I say: We will never forgive you. We will not let you
get away with this. Right here, right now is where we draw the line. The world
is waking up. And change is coming, whether you like it or not.
In both her UN address and her Montreal speech, Greta levelled
a straightforward generational challenge. Zink explains that the covenant God
makes with Israel is inter-generational. He goes on to say that one of the many
evils of climate change is that it “upends a Biblical pattern of generational
relations.” “You are failing us Greta said. “But the young people are starting
to understand your betrayal. The eyes of all future generations are upon you.
And if you choose to fail us, I say: We will never forgive you.”
Protecting the vulnerable and opposing hunger
In the short-term, the climate crisis will have the most
impact on those who have done the least to cause it. We are talking here about
children, particularly those in the developing world. However, everyone will be
affected by this crisis. As Christians
we are called to care for the world’s most vulnerable people.
Katharine Hayhoe is a Canadian climate scientist and a Christian
who says “Global warming will strike hardest against the very people we’re told
to love: the poor and vulnerable”. She
teaches at Texas Tech and a pastor in Mississippi. She co-directs the Climate
Center and is the lead author for the Second, Third, and Fourth U.S. National
Climate Assessments, she also hosts the PBS digital series “Global Weirding”
and is writing a book on how to talk about climate change with people who don’t
agree. Hayhoe also expressed concern that climate change will “exacerbate
political instability, and even create or worsen refugee crises.”
Climate refugees are a huge and growing problem and for the first
time in a decade global hunger is increasing which the WMO attributes to
climate change (drought and floods). The growing problem of refugees displaced
by climate threats was addressed by the United Nations Security Council. Around 80 countries jointly agreed that the
greatest impending threats to humanity could be triggered by climate change,
not terrorism, nuclear war or the conflicts around the world. A WMO report claims that up to 22 million
people worldwide could be displaced by weather extremes in 2019 alone. Climate
change migration/climate refugees could become an even more challenging
issue than they are today.
Acting before it’s too late
The world is warming at an ever-accelerating rate and we are
running out of time to stop it. Rather
than reducing global emissions these emissions are increasing. We are falling
behind and if we are to have a chance of keeping temperatures below the
upper threshold temperature lime (1.5C above preindustrial norms) we must act
and we must act quickly. As a moral authority the church can play a pivotal
role in helping to build the critical mass needed to accelerate climate action.
According to the IPCC we have less than a decade to act before we surpass
tipping points from which we cannot recover. This
year has featured increasingly clear signs of global warming impacts
worldwide. From accelerating ice melt and sea level rise to heat waves and wildfires.
The human toll is already serious but it
will get far worse if we fail to act.
In November The World Council of Churches (WCC) Executive
Committee issued a statement
on climate change which said the climate crisis is not a distant prospect, but
is impacting us today. It decried government inaction and called for an
immediate response. “Children, young
people and ordinary citizens have made public demonstration of their outrage at
the lack of any adequate response by governments to the gravity of this global
crisis, and against the backsliding by some governments,” the statement reads.
“The time for debate and disputation of established scientific facts is long over.”
Time for action is swiftly passing, the statement continues. “We will all be
held to account for our inaction and our disastrous stewardship of this
precious and unique planet.”
The inadequacy of incrementalism the ruse of individual action
Linda
Nicholls the new Archbishop of the Anglican Church of Canada outlined our
failure as stewards of the Earth. She also explained why we need urgent action while
exposing the inadequacy of incrementalism. She made it clear that to tackle climate change
we must do more than advocate for lifestyle changes.
"We only began to pay attention when ecological devastation
started to affect our daily lives. Today our failure of stewardship affects us
through climate change. Shifting weather patterns warm the planet and oceans,
breaking delicate links in our food chain and melting polar ice. This melt,
which further confounds Earth’s weather patterns, is already devastating the
livelihoods of Indigenous people in the North...Over the past 50 years, we have
been challenged to realize our share in the devastation of our planet. Given
stewardship over creation (Genesis 1),...In my lifetime we have incrementally
addressed environmental concerns: recycling, pollution regulations and
low-energy appliances have all been presented as meaningful ways for us to
address the warming of our planet. While helpful, I fear incrementalism has
allowed us to hide—to pretend the damage is not as bad as it is and deny the
radical changes we need to make in our personal and corporate lives. The time
to hide is now over; there are no rocks left for us to crawl under, no shelter
large enough to conceal us from this crisis in creation. The changes needed are
urgent! The only time we have to change is now. What will we do to see and
respond? I pray we will listen to the call for action and begin today—in our
own lives and in our parishes—lifting our voices in our communities. May God
grant us courage to see and to act!"
George
Monibot explains the perils of incrementalism this way: “it begins with the
premise that gradualist campaigns making small demands cannot prevent the
gathering catastrophes of climate and ecological breakdown.”
There are many in the church, who suggest that we should focus
on individual action. The emphasis on
individual action is a clever ruse that will not produce significant results.
While individual action is important, it is meaningless without government and
corporate action. In an October article,
George Monbiot wrote: “The big polluters’ masterstroke was to blame the climate
crisis on you and me”.
The fossil fuel industry succeeded in delaying climate action
by planting a false narrative doubting the veracity of climate change even
though they knew better. Now they are using their tremendous wealth and power
to push the idea of individual responsibility, while saying that the goals laid
out in the Paris Agreement are unattainable. Individual lifestyle choices and consumerism
cannot save us and pointing out the hypocrisy of environmental activists is yet
another diversion. This begs the question: should the church be complicit in
what Manibot called a “brilliant con”? Can
we be a moral authority if we fail to call out the lies of an industry that
threaten life on Earth?
Debunking the theology of climate denial
Denial thrives when faith is disconnected from science. As
expressed in an Anglican Journal article
faith is compatible with science. In "Laudato
Si', Pope Francis states that science and religion, with their distinctive
approaches to understanding reality, can enter an intense dialogue that is fruitful
to both. If we embrace science we must
also embrace the scientific warnings.
Evangelical Christians commonly oppose science and climate action.
However, several prominent evangelicals
have spoken out about “creation care,” arguing that they should take care of
the world God created. Three evangelicals leading this effort are Richard
Cizik, former vice president for government affairs at the National Association
of Evangelicals, Katharine Hayhoe and Kyle Meyaard-Schaap.
“if we truly believe we’ve been given responsibility for
every living thing on this planet (including each other) as it says in Genesis
1, then it isn’t only a matter of caring about climate change: We should be at
the front of the line demanding action.” Hayhoe
said. She added, “science is the study
of God’s creation. If we truly believe that God created this amazing universe,
bringing matter and energy to life out of a formless empty void of nothing,
then how could studying his creation ever be in conflict with his written word?”
Meyaard-Schaap shares the view that
science does not need to be seen in opposition to faith. He says that young evangelicals have been open
to his message that caring for God’s creation “is part of what it looks like to
follow Jesus in the 21st century with integrity.”
Hayhoe points out that she encounters resistance from two
groups, political conservatives and evangelical Christians. Hayhoe distinguishes herself from the later
whom she refers to as political evangelicals and she identifies as a theological
evangelical Christian. She explains the resistance
of evangelicals is due to the fact that they have been coopted by politics. She explains they, “prioritize their political
ideology over theology”. She is of the
opinion that “evangelicals who take the Bible seriously already care about
climate change (although they might not realize it). “She suggests those who
advocate this position should be rejected as false prophets. She explains that climate change is not a
belief system, it is a fact revealed by data that allows us to see it with our God
given eyes and test it with our God given minds.
Meyaard-Schaap and Robin
Veldman are assistant professors of Religious Studies at Texas A&M
University, they share the view that resistance to accepting climate change is
political, not theological. This view is
also shared by Hayhoe. Resistance to
climate action “comes from fear: fear of loss of our way of life, fear of being
told that our habits are bad for society, fear of changes that will leave us
worse off, fear of siding with those who have no respect for our values and
beliefs,” Hayhoe says, she goes on to
explain that as a Christian, she believes “the solution to this fear lies in
the same faith that many non-Christians wrongly assume drives our rejection of
the science. In the Apostle Paul’s letter to Timothy, he reminds us that we
have not been given a spirit of fear. Fear is not from God. Instead, we’ve been
given a spirit of power, to act rather than to remain paralyzed in anxiety,
fear, or guilt; a spirit of love, to have compassion for others, particularly those
less fortunate than us (the very people most affected by a changing climate);
and a sound mind, to use the information we have to make good decisions.”
PART 2: WHAT
IS BEING DONE
Christians heeding the call for climate action
Christian communities that oppose climate action are
outnumbered by Christians that believe we should protect the natural world. This point of view was affirmed in an SEC
poll. Many in the Anglican and Episcopal churches are heeding the call all
around the world. In October Green
Apostles were appointed in the Solomon Islands and Youth from Iglesia
Episcopal Anglicana de El Salvador attended an Environmental
justice workshop. Bino Makhalanyane, the youth Coordinator of the Green
Anglicans movement in Southern Africa called advocacy "unstoppable".
At the beginning of November, the Church of England’s Environment
Group called for greater action on Climate Change across the Church. The
Advisory Group urged all parts of the Church to recognize the Climate Crisis
and step up their action to safeguard God’s creation. In guidance sent to
bishops, dioceses and church leadership teams, the Environmental Working Group
(EWG) said an ambitious program of action is required. This includes everything
from the Church’s buildings to its investments. The paper also highlights
future mission challenges. EWG plans to bring a motion to General Synod in 2020
proposing net zero emissions by 2050. The work of local Diocesan Environment
Officers was also identified as key, with the paper called on bishops and
dioceses to prioritize environmental action.
In the summer of 2019 The Anglican Journal launched an
online magazine called "Epiphanies" and the
first issue is devoted to environmental concerns. A UN Environment article
reviewed faith based action and the Faith for Earth Initiative is working to
establish a high-level global Interfaith Coalition to facilitate dialogue and
collaboration on natural resources management, encouraging innovative approaches
to finding long-lasting resolutions.
Civil disobedience
The seriousness of our perilous course has caused some passionate
faith leaders to engage in acts of civil disobedience. Church leaders who are
rebelling about climate change was the subject of a September talk given at St Mary Aldermary church by
Christian Climate Action (the Christian arm of the Extinction Rebellion
movement).
In October, Christians and members of the clergy of all
denominations, marched under the banner of Christian Climate Action. Some faith
leaders engaged in acts of civil disobedience in London and other cities
across the UK. Christians of all ages camped out in the rain and risked arrest
to make their point. They explained that it’s their God-given responsibility to
take care of the earth, and that we need immediate and radical measures to accelerate
the push for zero carbon emissions. One
of the protestors is the Rev Jo Rand, a Methodist minister from Cumbria who was
arrested and physically carried off Lambeth Bridge by four policemen. A number of Vicars
were also part of the protest alongside Christians who professed a deep faith.
One of those present was Holly-Anna
Peterson, she chose to be rebaptized at the Trafalgar Square protest. “I needed to draw strength from a God who
knows what I am going through — who became human and spent his days standing up
to the oppressive powers of the time. Whose passion for protest led not only to
his arrest but his death.” Peterson explained, “I wanted to be close to a Christ
who knows what it means to be scared of police lines but stand for justice anyway…After
I was baptized, I burst into tears. And I wasn’t the only one. I felt so many
emotions all at once. I felt like a little child crying with God asking why I
have to be here. I felt rage and sorrow for all creation, which is being undone,
and an utter love for my brothers and sisters standing alongside me,” Peterson added. “The truth is, we are not at Extinction
Rebellion because we want to be. We are here because we are desperate. We are
here because if we were not, then we would be passing on this burden to
children and the poorest communities around the world. This climate emergency
is the core justice issue of our generation. So, the question is, are you
present?”
Christians are not the only faith group present at these
actions. Rabbi Emeritus of Finchley Reform Synagogue Jeffrey
Newman was among more than a thousand people arrested during the October
Extinction Rebellion protests. He sees protest as a moral duty. “I see it as my
religious and moral duty to stand up for what I believe in” The 77-year-old,
who was wearing a white kippah branded with the black Extinction Rebellion
logo, said: “I see it as my religious and moral duty to stand up for what I
believe in, and what I care about, for my grandchildren.” Rabbi Newman was
accompanied by around 30 Jewish activists.
Anglican Church’s climate leadership from the Canadian North
We are also seeing Anglican church
leadership from the north. In places
like the Arctic and Yukon, the growing impact of climate change is already a
reality and many church leaders are standing up to face this existential threat.
One of the things that Anglicans in the
Arctic have witnessed in recent years is the melting permafrost, which is
described by scientists as a potential tipping point from a warming world. “Being the canary in the North, we’ve seen the
change in the environment,” Anglican Bishop David Parsons says. “It’s not a
theory to us.” Caribou populations are on the decline due to climate change as
our local fisheries. This threatens the way of life for indigenous people who
depend on the land.
“There’s a large vacuum here, and I believe that climate
change offers all of us an opportunity of reflection, cohesion and moving
forward. But I also see a large opportunity here for the church to be a leader
in all of this,” Parsons said. “But my part is to try to encourage people that
there’s hope….The Anglican Church of Canada can encourage young people to
study, study really hard to learn and seek solutions and to invent things that
do not exist yet.”
For Lorraine Netro, a member of the Vuntut Gwitchin First
Nation and St. Luke’s Anglican congregation in Old Crow the call to action is based
on concern for those who will come after her. “People need to wake up and make
it a priority, because what kind of land are we going to leave for our future
generations?” she asks. “It’s my responsibility as a grandmother to do whatever
I can today.”
Declaring a climate emergency
On May 19, Archbishop Fred Hiltz, the-primate of the
Anglican Church of Canada, blessed the opening of St. Luke’s, a new Anglican
church, in the community of Old Crow, Yukon. That same day, the Vuntut
Gwitchin First Nation of Old Crow declared a climate change emergency. The Vuntut Gwitchin have raised the alarm with
their declaration of a climate emergency because climate change is impacting
the lives of those living in the North. Tizya-Tramm hopes that the climate
emergency declaration will serve as a steppingstone towards a pan-northern or
pan-Arctic climate accord. He sees the church as a key ally in supporting the
call to action outlined in the document.
In 2019 the Climate Mobilization’s coalition partner, GreenFaith, called on people
of faith to declare Climate Emergency. As people of faith, they are part of a
diverse coalition calling for the official declaration of a Climate Emergency. Declaring a climate emergency has the power to
awaken hearts and minds and help mobilize the types of resources and public programs
needed as an urgent response to climate change.
Many faith
organizations have declared a climate emergency including those in the Anglican
Church. In 2019, the Diocese
of Bristol, followed by the Diocese of Salisbury, both declared Climate
Emergencies. In July the Methodist
Church declared a climate emergency. In September the Anglican church of Southern
Africa declared a climate emergency and in the same month 10
Quebec Universities came together to declare a climate emergency.
Anglican Church of Australia calls for government action
The New Zealand Government has passed the Zero Carbon Act –
aiming for net zero carbon emissions by 2050. The Anglican Church in Australia
is working on a framework for reducing carbon emission. The Public Affairs
Commission of the Anglican Church of Australia released a statement endorsing
the call for a National Day of Climate Action on September 20th 2019. They characterized the day as an opportunity
for all Australians to call on our political leaders to act. The Marks of
Mission of the Anglican Church commit the Church to striving to safeguard the
integrity of creation, and to sustaining and renewing the life of the earth. They
acknowledge climate change as a significant threat to our planet and its
inhabitants. The General Synod of the Anglican Church of Australia and various
Diocesan Synods have called on State and Federal Government to act in decisive
ways to deal with climate change.
“Awareness carries a responsibility to do our best for the
future. Unless we take account of the
needs of our own descendants, and of other life, we will not be behaving
kindly, fairly, ethically or morally. Anglicans
respect the clear statement on the public record from the 1998 conference of
world-wide Anglican Bishops, that ‘human beings have responsibility to make
personal and corporate sacrifices for the common good of all creation,” said Dr
Carolyn
Tan, Chair of the Public Affairs Commission. “Political leadership of the
highest quality is needed. Individuals
can only do things on a small scale and many of us are, but effective national
and international action is desperately needed. The call for government action
by the Anglican Church in Australia has only increased in the wake of the
devastating fires that are plaguing the county.
Banning Plastic
In September the Anglican church of Southern Africa called for
a ban on plastics. The Provincial Synod of Quebec called on parishes to recycle
and to ban the use of plastic in their congregational activities, including
items such as plastic straws, cutlery and water bottles as well as plastic and
Styrofoam cups.
PART THREE:
EVENTS AND OCCASIONS
The General Synod of 2019
In a previous Bishop’s report,
the SEC reviewed the hundreds of climate emergency declarations including those
from faith communities. We urged the Bishop Mary to declare a climate emergency
in the Anglican Diocese of Montreal. The UK declared a Climate Emergency in
May, 2019. Followed by Ireland. Most recently Tibet has declared a climate emergency.
The Pope has declared a Climate Emergency and more than 7,000 universities and
colleges around the world have united to declare a Climate Emergency.
In a September article
titled Before the clock runs out of time Canadian Anglican youth
delegate Brynne Blaikie reviewed the support she has received for Resolution
C003 that passed by General Synod. The resolution calls the church to address
earth’s climate emergency. "For the future of this planet, everyone needs
to commit to helping prevent climate change from advancing," Brynne said.
By passing Resolution C003, Anglicans have affirmed their duty to safeguard
creation and sustain and renew the life of the earth.
They ran out of time to pass a second resolution (Resolution
C004) that calls upon the church to support environmentally responsible
political leaderships and be part of a Canada wide, indeed a global movement.
It specifically states:
-Encourage individual
Anglicans to make the climate emergency known to all candidates in the upcoming
provincial and federal elections as a priority.
-Encourage dioceses and parishes to support and participate
in the global climate justice rallies occurring for young Canadians on
September 20, 2019 and for the wider Canadian community on September 27, 2019.
Season of Creation
During the Season of Creation (September 1 - October 4)
Christians from all around the world unite to pray and act in defense of
creation. Support for the Season of Creation is growing and this year we
experienced a bolder sense of sense of momentum and unity across the Christian
family. In 2019 the theme was “Protecting the Web of Life.” this is prescient
given the rate at which we are destroying
the natural world.
To open the Season of Creation CPJ offered the following prayer:
"On this day, we lay our grief and our fears before God. For it is in God
that we have hope and we have faith. We pray for grace and guidance as we
continue to work for love, justice, and the flourishing of all creation.
Amen".
The Bishop of Salisbury, Nicholas Holtam, a member of the
Season of Creation Steering panel who also chairs the Church of England's
Environmental Working Group, said: "We love the beauty of the earth. The
fires in the Amazon show how interconnected we are in this beautiful,
wonderful, fragile planet. We know there are serious issues to address if we
are going to care for God's earth. Season of Creation is a chance once again to
give thanks for the gifts of creation, to pray and act in ways that care for
God's creation and address the issues of climate change and the depletion of
species. It is the joyful, hopeful responsibility of people throughout the
world and particularly of the Church which is both local and global."
A Season of Creation statement from the World
Council of Churches read as follows: “In a time of climate emergency, the
celebration of Season of Creation can work as a spiritual grounding of our
action to change the world to a more sustainable home for all forms of life
that share the gift of life. It is also a way of showing ecumenical unity in
our efforts to lessen the ecological footprint of humanity by praying and
acting together.” On the Feast of St. Francis, the last day in the Season of
Creation. Pope Francis’ first ever event
for the season was celebrated side-by-side with indigenous leaders.
At the General Synod in 2019 a resolution was passed
adopting the Season of Creation in the Anglican Church of Canada as a time of
prayer, education, and action and encouraging dioceses and parishes to
participate. Anglicans participated in the Season of Creation in many ways.
This includes ecumenical or interfaith prayer services; worship outdoors; parish
hikes; reducing plastic waste and minimizing energy consumption. Many chose to
advocate for stronger environmental policies. The Diocese of Toronto and Bishop
Andrew Asbil released a video
for the Season of Creation and Faith for the
Climate launched a new website that includes lots of faith-based resources.
The SEC also posted news
about its forthcoming film set to be released on September 1, 2020 and
published Faith based ocean resources for the Season of Creation as well as a
summary of other Anglican
resources. The SEC asked parishes in the Diocese of Montreal to let us know
how they are celebrating the Season of Creation. Here is a summary of the
replies:
The Cathedral celebrated the Season of Creation by 1)
organizing a group to participate on the Sept 27th Climate March, and 2)
offering a specially designed service of Evening Prayer to the care of creation.
Rev. Jennifer Borque indicated that they observed the Season of Creation at their
Wednesday community Eucharists throughout the month. They used a modified
version of a Creationtide lectionary developed by the Rev. Jesse Abell. They
reflected on the Gospel call to hope and change in the face of climate
emergency and other environmental challenges.
St George's Place du Canada was among the churches that
supported climate action by ringing their bells for 5 minutes. This was
intended as a message, not just urging world leaders to act, but as a strong
sign of pastoral solidarity and support to the youth involved in the student
strikes for climate. In addition to supporting student strikers it highlighted
the leadership of faith communities in the fight against climate change.
Finally, it is a way of sounding the alarm on the climatic emergency that many
churches have already declared.
St. George's, Chateauguay highlighted their garden with the
hope that it will inspire others. At their spaghetti dinner they offered thanks
for the gift of creation and the ability to share these gifts with those in
need. The success of St. George’s ‘Spaghetti Garden’ was made possible by a
grant from the Montreal Diocesan Mission Standing Committee that allowed them
to build three raised garden beds and fill them with plants. After a summer of
beautiful weather and TLC from our volunteers, a plethora of tomatoes, green
peppers, onions, and herbs were harvested and frozen and used in the spaghetti
dinner. The money raised from ticket sales went to the Chateauguay Food Bank to
help feed those in need in our community and bring awareness to the issue of
food security.
Climate March (September 27, Montreal)
As evidenced by the world’s largest ever climate march that took
place in Montreal on September 27th 2019, this city is the global
epicenter of climate action. Climate icon Greta Thunberg joined a half million
people who took part and Montreal Mayor Plante announced some of the most
ambitious climate targets of any city anywhere in the world. The march included many Anglicans including students
and staff from the Theological College and the diocese, as well as parishioners
from Christ Church and other parishes. Christ
Church Cathedral invited people to join them in a common witness that care of
creation. This march followed a September 20th event in which 4 million people
participated in almost 4,500 climate strikes in 132 countries. There were 800
events in the U.S. including a massive march in New York City ahead of the
U.N.'s Climate Action Summit. These climate strikes are part of a game-changing
global movement.
Canadian federal election
Canadian federal election held on October 21 and some Canadian
Anglicans made their choices based on the fifth mark of mission. The Anglican Diocese of
Quebec asked voters to consider the following question: Does the party you support advance an agenda
that strives to “safeguard the integrity of God’s creation, and respect,
sustain and renew the life of the earth?”
Denis Drainville, the retired Bishop of Quebec ran as a
Green Party candidate in the riding of Gaspésie-Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine. He
offered some powerful remarks ahead of this election. “Governments today are
becoming dangerous” says Drainville.
“They have their own political and economic agenda and they pursue it, at times
even ruthlessly.” Drainville described
"the twin threats of climate change and unethical government" Green
leader Elizabeth May is an Anglican who encouraged Drainville to run. In
addition to climate change Drainville is concerned about the prioritization of
the interests of elites (the one percent). He suggests “We should be electing
leaders who care about the common good. They say they do, of course. The
rhetoric is all there, but in fact when you see what they do and how they do
it, they are not supporting the needs and aspirations of all Canadians. They
have their own political and economic agenda and they pursue it, at times even
ruthlessly.”
Amazon Synod
Catholic bishops joined indigenous leaders, European climate
strikers, Extinction Rebellion youth activists, climate scientists, anthropologists
and archaeologists for a climate conference deep in the heart of the Amazon. The
Anglican Church of Brazil took part in preparing liturgies and services in
support of the Amazon Synod.
The Synod of Bishops took place between October 6 and October
27, 2019. Bishops and representatives from Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador,
French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Venezuela, and Suriname gathered with Pope Francis
in Rome. These bishops condemned the
“sins against the environment”. Pope Francis cited the Brazilian bishops and
explained that they have said that "the Spirit of life dwells in every
living creature and calls us to enter into relationship with him. Discovering
this presence leads us to cultivate the 'ecological virtues.' "
Advent
In an advent article
Arthur Jones starts with the question “What is God asking of me?’ As the pope
notes in his encyclical "Laudato Si' St. Francis of Assisi’s "Canticle
of Creation" Mother Earth, "is like a sister with whom we share our
life and a beautiful mother who opens her arms to embrace us." Comparing Mary’s journey to Bethlehem to the
tragic and traumatic elements of uprootedness Pope Francis is referencing in
part to the despoliation of the Earth. But there is more to Advent than this
sorrow. There is the breath-drawing, anticipated arrival of the joy to the
world. However, Francis warns us, in
Laudato Si' is that because of human activities, “joy to the world is hard to find for the
billions on the Earth — and in time may be impossible for any of us to find on
an Earth threatened to the borderline of extinction unless the people of the
Earth, particularly the powerful people, change their ways, change them
drastically and change them soon. Francis is forcefully saying that those
imperiling the planet — those who command governments, corporations, and vast
networks of commerce and extensive nonprofit systems with a self-centered
mission — will just continue to push the planet ever closer to disaster unless
they dramatically change their ways..”
The pope calls each of us to repent for the ways we have
harmed the planet, "for 'inasmuch as we all generate small ecological
damage,' we are called to acknowledge 'our contribution, smaller or greater, to
the disfigurement and destruction of creation.' " The pope elucidates our role
in contributing to joy by trying to avert disaster. As Jones explains, the pope,
“metaphorically takes us by the hand and leads us to the plight of the Earth,
its people and all its living things — and sometimes into places we would
rather not go.”
COP25
Faith groups were present at COP25 and they prayed and
demonstrated for climate action. They
brought a giant clock to the venue to “sound the alarm” on the climate crisis. Pope
Francis’ called on leaders to show the political will to act on the climate
crisis. The Pontiff said political leaders have not done enough to avert a
climate catastrophe. “We must not place the burden on the next generations to
take on the problems caused by the previous ones” he said.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres outlined the
“increased ambition and commitment” that the world needs at COP25. Guterres called for “accountability,
responsibility and leadership” to tackle the global climate crisis. Sadly, the
COP25 conference achieved very little prompting Greta Thunberg to say that world
leaders are doing nothing except "clever accounting and creative PR".
PART 4:
WHAT WE MUST DO TO PROTECT CREATION
Building support for climate action
Meyaard-Schaap says, climate advocates must get better at
speaking to people who are different from them. Hayhoe explained that she tries
to connect with people by building on commonalities, she says that caring for
this planet is something that all Christians share. Being concerned about climate change is a, “genuine
expression of our faith, bringing our attitudes and actions more closely into
line with who we already are and what we most want to be.” In an interview
with Charity Nebbe, Hayhoe said building support for climate action is about
finding, “something we both agree on and value.” Hayhoe said. “Just have a conversation
with somebody about who they are, what they enjoy doing, and what are they
really passionate about.” Connecting our identity to action is key, Hayhoe said
and that is why she does not typically begin with science when starting
conversations about climate change with those who disagree. When talking to skeptics she focuses on what
we share, this can be the well-being of our community or our children, when
talking to Christians it is often about our shared faith.
Pope Francis on the sin against ecology, ecocide and market idolatry
We need action and at its heart this means legislation. In
November reports circulated suggesting Pope
Francis is considering adding ‘sin against ecology’ to Church’s catechism.
“We are thinking about it, in the catechism of the Catholic Church, the sin
against ecology, the sin against our common home, because it’s a duty,” he
said. Francis also denounced corporate “ecocide” referring to “massive contamination
of the air, of the land and water resources, large-scale destruction of flora
and fauna, and any action capable of producing an ecological disaster or
destroying an ecosystem.”
Francis also criticized “market idolatry” that makes
individual people defenseless before the interests of the “divinized market”
which has become the absolute ruler, with some economic sectors exercising more
power than the state itself. “The principle of profit maximization, isolated
from any other consideration, leads to a model of exclusion which violently attacks
those who now suffer its social and economic costs, while future generations are
condemned to pay the environmental costs,” Francis said.
Protecting creation by transitioning to a green economy
Primate Nicholls said, “we failed to notice when that stewardship
had been subverted by economic forces, human greed and an attitude of complacency.
We answered God’s very first call to us with neglect, disregard and denial”. An
August article by Mark
MacDonald suggests we are spiritually sick. "The living God has become
an adjunct to the comprehensive claims of the marketplace," MacDonald said
adding, "The economic-cultural patterns that dominate our lives and our
planet are fueled by a fever to find security in the possession of things that
can never satisfy. There is a spiritual deception at the heart of this systemic
evil. What the marketplace asks of us is in direct and dangerous competition
with the claims that God makes upon our attention and loyalty." MacDonald
wrote. "There is a growing consensus that we have 10 to 12 years left to
act on climate change. After that, it seems almost certain that the planet will
face catastrophic changes that will threaten global stability and life itself.
These predictions are made against a growing backdrop of political inertia and,
as well, more and more evidence that the consequences of our environmental
violations and injustice are already upon us...With that, I may have lost the
doubters and the distracted and those who would say that this is not an
appropriate topic for Christian comment. But even if you ignore the scientific
warnings, the moral issues surrounding humanity’s relationship with the
environment are just as pressing. The forces that are destroying your planet
are destroying your soul...The consequences of our spiritual sickness are
carefully described in gospel teaching and Indigenous wisdom. The remedy is
also clear: we must turn around and we must sustain hope. We must act in a way
that is as dedicated and comprehensive as our entrancement to the culture of
money. Rarely does the choice between life and death become so clearly present.
Rarely does the promise of God to be with us in our struggles for humanity and
life seem so urgent. Let us choose life.”
Science reveals that our economy is fueling climate change
and what can only be described as a genocide
against nature. A green economy could
both protect creation and offer trillions
in savings. According to Hayhoe,
people are not rejecting science they are rejecting what they perceive to be
the solutions. This includes the misperception that climate action will ruin
the economy, or let China take over the world. “But in fact, as we see, clean
energy is part of the solution that grows jobs,” Hayhoe said.
“The “social dimension” of climate change must also be
paramount, so that national commitments include “a just transition for people
whose jobs and livelihoods are affected as we move from the grey to the green
economy,” UN Secretary Guterres said. “A green economy is not one to be feared
but an opportunity to be embraced, one that can advance our efforts to achieve
all the Sustainable Development Goals. But what frustrates me is the slow pace
of change, especially given that most of the tools and technologies we need are
already available. So, my call to you all today is to increase your ambition and
urgency.”
Energy revolution
On Amanpour
and Co Hayhoe explained that if we are serious about being good
environmental stewards, we need an energy
revolution. Transitioning from fossil
fuels to renewables is especially important in the Canadian North. In Old Crow,
the Vuntut Gwitchin have taken on “the largest solar energy project in the
circumpolar north,”. This 940-kilowatt solar array will be owned and operated by
the community. Without this array diesel fuel would be flown into Old Crow and burned
in generators, making it one of the highest carbon emitters per capita in the
Yukon. The new solar array aims to satisfy 24 percent of the community’s energy
needs, allowing the community to turn off their diesel generator from early
March to late September. Bishop David
Parsons thinks the Anglican Church of Canada must pray and support investments
into technology to facilitate the transition away from fossil fuels towards
sustainable energy. He decries what he calls a lack of “vision” in the church. “When
we stand with the church, it helps legitimize things,” the chief said.
Reigning-in fossil fuels
Desmond
Tutu has called for anti-apartheid style boycott of fossil fuel industry. “We
have allowed the interests of capital to outweigh the interests of human beings
and our Earth” The archbishop writes: "We live in a world dominated by
greed. We have allowed the interests of capital to outweigh the interests of
human beings and our Earth. It is clear [the companies] are not simply going to
give up; they stand to make too much money." The research has shown that
past divestment campaigns succeeded by stigmatising their targets – using
"moral pressure" according to Tutu – and exerting financial pressure.
The Guardian
reports that 20 fossil fuel companies have produced 35 percent of the carbon
dioxide and methane released by human activities since 1965. The article also
references a paper published in Nature that shows we have little chance of
preventing more than 1.5C of global heating unless existing fossil fuel
infrastructure is retired. We simply cannot afford to keep burning fossil
fuels if we are to prevent catastrophic levels of warming. The risks associated
with the carbon bubble and stranded assets are clear and the wisdom of clean
energy is unavoidable.
The Church of England’s national investing bodies have
already divested from companies deriving more than 10 per cent of their
revenues from the mining of thermal coal or the production of oil from oil tar
sands. The national investing bodies have made commitments to start to divest
in 2020 from companies that are not taking seriously their responsibilities to
assist with the transition to a low carbon economy. They have also committed to
ensuring that, by 2023, the Church has divested from fossil fuel companies,
drawing on Transition Path Initiative data.
Protest and mobilization
Protest is critical and people of faith have been shown to improve
the efficacy of such actions. As
revealed above people of faith are taking their place in the front lines. By
studying successful mobilizations, such as the Children’s March in Birmingham,
Alabama in 1963 (which played a critical role in ending racial segregation in
the US), the Monday Demonstrations in Leipzig in 1989 (which snowballed until
they helped bring down the East German regime), and the Jana Andolan movement
in Nepal in 2006 (which brought down the absolute power of the monarchy and
helped end the armed insurgency), Hallam has developed a formula for effective
“dilemma actions”. A dilemma action is one that puts the authorities in an awkward
position. Either the police allow civil disobedience to continue, thereby
encouraging more people to join, or they attack the protesters, creating a
powerful “symbolism of fearless sacrifice”, thereby encouraging more people to
join. If you get it right, the authorities can’t win.
Among the crucial common elements, he found, are assembling
thousands of people in the center of the capital city, maintaining a strictly
nonviolent discipline, focusing on the government and continuing for days or
weeks at a time. Radical change, his research reveals, “is primarily a numbers
game. Ten thousand people breaking the law has historically had more impact
than small-scale, high-risk activism.” The key challenge is to organize actions
that encourage as many people as possible to join. This means they should be
openly planned, inclusive, entertaining, peaceful and actively respectful. Hallam’s
research suggests that this approach can break the infrastructure of lies the
fossil fuel companies have created, and developing a politics matched to the
scale of the challenges we face.
Resources
-
Webinar: What you and your
church can do to care for God's Earth
-
Sustainable
Preaching Sermon notes from the Revised Common Lectionary. Artwell Sipinyu,
-
Global
Classroom on Creation Care: a series of 10 short videos
-
Ministering
to those who despair - A blog by Canon Rachel Mash
SEC reports for Bishop Mary
No 7: SEC
Environmental Report July - December 2019 – FAITH BASED CASE FOR CLIMATE ACTION
Click here to see the SEC's short film The Seed.
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
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
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