Creation CareThink Global, Act Local!

Climate Change“Climate Change is the most important environmental problem we face … With so much more knowledge, the changes humans are making to the climate are turning out to be bigger than we ever expected.”Sir. John HoughtonProfessor of Atmospheric Physics at Oxford Chief Executive of the Meteorological Office Chair of the Royal Commission on Environmental PollutionChair of the Scientific Assessment Panel of the Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change

IPCC - the Main Headlines

99%+99%+ certainty that CO2 levels are beyond certainty that CO2 levels are beyond natural range of last 650,000 years.natural range of last 650,000 years.

90%+90%+ certainty that human activity has played certainty that human activity has playedthe dominant role in warming the climate.the dominant role in warming the climate.

22°° – 4.5 – 4.5°C°C temperature rise during 21 temperature rise during 21stst century century(but more in some areas, less in others)(but more in some areas, less in others)18-5918-59 cm sea-level rise in 21 cm sea-level rise in 21stst century century

(not including new melt-water from ice-caps)(not including new melt-water from ice-caps)

•150,000 people a year are dying•The number of Category 4 & 5 hurricanes has

almost doubled in the last 30 years.•Malaria has spread to higher altitudes (e.g. the Colombian Andes, 7,000 feet above sea level).•The flow of ice from glaciers in Greenland has

more than doubled over the past decade.•At least 279 species of plants and animals are

already responding to global warming by moving closer to the poles.

Current Impacts of Climate Change

•300,000 people a year dying by 2030.•150 million environmental refugees.

•Heatwaves more frequent & more intense.•Extreme drought (sometimes lasting for years) will affect 10% of the planet by 2050 (rising from 2%).•Arctic Ocean ice-free in summer, maybe by 2050.

Projected Impacts of Climate Change

“The impacts are inequitable: poor countries will be hit hardest and earliest, when it is the rich countries responsible for ¾ of Greenhouse Gases currently in the atmosphere.”Sir Nicholas Stern

The competition for land

Croplands & pasture-lands now cover ~40% of world land area.

Forest area has declined by ~10 million km2 (about 20%) in the last 300 years, with most of the loss in the last 50.

Desert & near-desert land has increased by nearly as much.

Cities, roads, & airports now cover 2% of world land.

Foley et al., SCIENCE 309, 2005

S. Bahia(Brazil)

1945

S. Bahia(Brazil)

1990

UNDP Human Development Report 2006

The geography of water stress

Significant and largely irreversible changes to species diversity

"Before this century is over, billions of us will die, and the few breeding pairs of people that survive will be in the Arctic where the climate remains tolerable." James

Lovelock2006

Hope for the Planet?

A Biblical Worldview

• Creation

• Fall

• Redemption

A Wonderful World …an amazing God!

• God makes it from nothing Genesis 1 & 2; John 1

• God sustains it in lovePsalm 104; Job 38

• God declares it goodGenesis 1:4 – 31; Psalm 148

2. A Groaning Creation …a fallen humanity

• Spiritual roots of the ecological crisis Genesis 3:17 “Cursed is the ground …”

• The environmental results of sin The land “mourns” (Hosea 4:1-3), “suffers” (Jer. 12:4) and “vomits” (Lev. 18:25-28)

• Creation’s longing for redemption Romans 8:19-22 “eager longing” and groaning in pain”

3. God’s Rescue Plan …getting his hands dirty

• Jesus – the centre of the earth Colossians 1.15-17

• Jesus – the Saviour of the world Romans 8.21 “creation set free …” Colossians 1:20 “all things reconciled to God”

• All things made new in Christ Jesus Ephesians 1:10 “All things under Christ” Revelation 21:5 “Lo, I make all things new.”

• God’s promises to creation Genesis 9:9-17 “My covenant with the earth.”

Changing how we think about …Changing how we think about …

• the earth … the earth … God’s not oursGod’s not ours• ourselves … ourselves … interdependent within creationinterdependent within creation• the future … the future … God’s kingdom on earth …God’s kingdom on earth …• mission … mission … imaging God in creation imaging God in creation carecare• discipleship …discipleship …• lifestyle …lifestyle …• worship …worship …

www.arocha.org

• learning as we go!• learning from the world church• integral mission• honouring God in every area

Openness to change as mission agencies

The growing A Rocha family!

•Brazil•Bulgaria•Canada•Czech Republic•Finland•France•Ghana•India•Kenya•Lebanon•Netherlands•Peru•Portugal•South Africa•UK•USA … New Zealand, Switzerland, Uganda …

www.ecocongregation.org

• self-audit your eco-footprint• download resources• agree plan of action & targets• apply for an award!

Openness to change as a church

www.livinglightly24-1.org.uk

• based on Psalm 24.1• start where you’re at• take one step at a time• flexible & web-based

Openness to change as a household

Fifteen Lifestyle Areas …

Church Nature Friends Food House

Shop Waste Travel Garden Money

Leisure Action Work Quirky Season

Economic: sustainability

Spiritual: Biblical Faith

Social: Community

Transformation

Environmental Caring for the Environment

INTEGRAL MISSION

• PURCHASING POLICY

- recycled products (Viking, Statplus, remarkable)

- energy efficient products

- re-usable products (cups, plates etc.)

- recycling

- energy-saving devices (computers etc)

Openness to change …

• TRAVEL

- Why this journey? Home working?

- Walk or bike – expenses policy

- Bus, Train

- Car Share, Car clubs

- Hybrid, Electric, LPG, green rating

- Flying? Is the day of short-term mission trips over?

- Offset: www.climatestewards.net

Openness to change …

www.climatestewards.net • Click on the site• Type in your flight or mileage• Pay to plant trees in Kenya, Ghana, Lebanon

Absorb CO2 Improve biodiversity Provide sustainable incomes for the poor

• FOOD POLICY

- Local

- Organic

- Animal-friendly (free-range; less but better meat)

- Fairly-traded (but what about air-miles?)

Openness to change …

• LIGHTER ENERGY FOOTPRINT

- Don’t simply rely on technological solutions … (don’t forget embedded energy in new products)

- Turn down, turn off, turn in

- Green electricity (Good Energy)

- Insulate (lofts & walls; 2ndry glazing; curtains!)

- Use passive heating (heat people not space)

Openness to change …

The 90% reduction toolkit …

“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be

transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his

good, pleasing and perfect will.”Romans 12.2

“When Christians take the earth seriously, people take the Gospel seriously.”

Rev. Dr. Rob FrostShare Jesus International

“If the Church wishes to find a common agenda with young people who are passionate about the future of the planet, it needs to recover to its theology the Biblical vision and moral imperative of caring for the environment.” Rt. Rev. James Jones,

Bishop of Liverpool

Towards Hope …