Step up to meet challenge of the Climate Crisis

A member of Green Christian explains why it is supporting Extinction Rebellion's call for 100,000 to rally in London in April to show the UK government that there is public support for more serious action to tackle the Climate Crisis. 'The Big One' event will take place 21-24 April 2023.

God's Creation is in trouble. Are we walking by on the other side of the road?

Before COP26, the UN climate talks in Glasgow in 2001, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Secretary said: "Unless there are immediate, rapid and large-scale reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, limiting warning to 1.5C will be beyond reach." COP26 was described as 'our last chance to get climate change under control' by those attending, but all it managed to do was to get some countries to increase their NDCs (Nationally Determined Contributions) and to keep to the target of not exceeding 1.5C global temperature above pre-industrial times.

It was therefore necessary for COP27 in Egypt in December 2022 to get the G20 countries (the biggest emitters) to increase and implement their NDCs so that by 2030 we could still limit global temperature to 1.5C above pre-industrial times.

But COP27 was an utter failure, except for the agreement on 'loss and damage', as Sir Alok Sharma pointed out at the end of the conference.It failed on all fronts proposed. These were:- Emissions peaking before 2025 as the science indicated.- A clear follow-through on the phase down of coal.- A clear commitment to phase out all fossil fuels.- And the energy text was weakened in the final minutes

This result, plus the effects of the Ukraine war, have now produced a situation in which oil and gas companies are spending vast sums on new production that will lead to climate catastrophe. And some nations, including the UK, are now continuing to exploit fossil fuels. The UK is also offering licences for 100 plus explorations, instead of concentrating on renewables to avoid increased emissions.

What would climate catastrophe look like? It would consist of irreversible runaway climate change. Earth would heat up until it became uninhabitable and in due course the human race could be wiped out. In David Attenborough's words it would be "the end of civilisation". As Christians we are called to 'tend and care' God's garden and 'love our neighbour.' We cannot be bystanders to this situation.

I would hope that the G20 nations do not want the above to happen. So, what has to be done to stop this occurring? If we are still able to reverse things as they are, we would have to do everything possible to rapidly reduce emissions on a worldwide scale starting NOW. And to confirm this course of action by consensus, involving fossil fuel firms also, at COP28 in December 2023 in Dubai.

To make this happen NOW would only be possible by getting the G20 countries to agree and organise this as soon as possible including stopping all the vast plans of the fossil fuel companies and shutting down all present sources of oil, gas and coal as soon as possible.

All this could have been avoided if at the COP meetings decades ago the politicians of the world had listened to the scientists, so the ball is now in their court once again. The future of humanity is their hands.

Bring your churches to Westminster on 21 April and demand climate action from our government.

Antonio Guterres, UN Secretary General, said in April 2022: "Climate activists are sometimes depicted as dangerous radicals. But the truly dangerous radicals are the countries that are increasing the production of fossil fuels."

I would like to finish by quoting Sir Alok Sharma's words to the politicians in Egypt at the end of COP27:"Friends, I said in Glasgow that the pulse of 1.5C was weak. Unfortunately, it remains on life support. And all of us need to look ourselves in the mirror and consider if we have fully risen to that challenge over the past two weeks. Colleagues, I will not be in this chair at COP28, when our ambition, and our implementation, is tested in the Global Stocktake year. But I assure you, indeed I promise you, that if we do not step up soon and rise above these minute-to-midnight battles to hold the line, we will all be found wanting. Each of us will have to explain that to our citizens, to the world's most vulnerable countries and communities, and ultimately to the children and grandchildren to whom many of us now go home." (Sharma was removed from the Cabinet on his return home by the Prime Minister.)

We must not be bystanders. Let's all bring our churches to Westminster on 21 April and demand immediate climate action from our government.

LINKS

The Big One: https://greenchristian.org.uk/the-big-one/

Christian Climate Action: https://christianclimateaction.org/2022/10/22/the-big-one/