Day of prayer and action on climate change

CEL preparing to march: Rev Steve Paynter, Ruth Jarman & daughter (rt)

Christians of all denominations took part in a full day of events in London on Saturday calling for action on climate change.

Beginning on the Friday night, a Climate Refugee Vigil was held on the banks of the River Thames, where activists from religious and secular organisations pitched a camp to highlight the precarious situation for millions of people worldwide already affected by climate change.

An ecumenical prayer service, organised by Christian Ecology Link was held at St Mary-le-Bow in Cheapside, on Saturday morning. The congregation was led in readings, prayers and reflections by Revd Steve Paynter from Operation Noah.
Ruth Jarman from Christian Ecology Link led the music.

The group, which included young families as well as old people, then set out to walk to Blackfriars Bridge to join the thousands taking part in the annual Climate Justice March along the Embankment to Whitehall and Westminster, where a political rally was held in front of the Houses of Parliament.

The march supported tens of thousands mobilising in South Africa to demand climate justice.

In Britain, the protestors called for the British Government to stand by its pledge to be the greenest ever elected. Chancellor George Osborne was criticised for pushing economic growth at all costs by threatening to slash support for renewable energies scrapping plans to increase fuel duty and providing tax subsidies for our most polluting industries - on the grounds that "endless social and environmental goals" will cause businesses to fail.

Campaigners said, that as delegates in Durban try to revitalise international agreements to curb carbon emissions and global warming, Britain appears to be happy to sit back and watch as hopes of reaching a binding international deal to cut carbon emissions fade away. Yet scientists' warnings have never been clearer.

Organisations such as the Royal Society, Nasa, and the Met Office, along with around 97% of global scientists believe that carbon emissions are raising global temperatures. If humanity cannot get its emissions to peak by 2020, there is little chance of holding down temperature rises to under 2C by 2100. Major changes to our planet will then occur, particularly severe weather which will first of impact on the poorest communities and countries around the world.

After being received for refreshments by the Quaker Meeting House just north of Trafalgar Square, Christian Ecology Link members walked to St Paul's Cathedral to be welcomed for choral evensong, which included prayers dedicated to the success of the United Nations climate change negotiations in Durban. Members of the congregation included activists from the Occupy encampment, who had been involved in the climate change events throughout the day.

Canon Michael Hampel, Precentor of St Paul's Cathedral Chapter said, "Reverence for God's creation is not only something to sing about in church; It demands proper debate and action if we are to be good stewards of the riches with which God has entrusted us."

Ruth Jarman, member of the board of Christian Ecology Link, who was there with her three children, said: "My children's future depends upon actions taken now. I want them to know they were part of a prophetic community demanding urgent action on climate change."

Westley Ingram, CEL member, said: "Every act is a political act so to choose not to march today would be to join in a mass demonstration in support of the industrialised worlds current destructive impact on the Earth's Climate."