After Copenhagen, What next?

The Copenhagen conference was a huge disappointment to us all. Yet we cannot give up or walk away from climate change; we have to respond and if governments cannot lead the faith groups must. There is encouragement in a letter of 23rd December Herald from the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland – a copy is attached. The letter is not just aimed at the Church of Scotland or even eco-congregations, but at the widest possible audience. It says faith groups can and must lead the response to climate change; a powerful message of hope and support at a difficult time. We need not wait for governments; we can lead. This is the message of hope for the New Year.

Best wishes for Christmas and the New Year.

Letter published in The Herald,
Wednesday, 23 December 2009

Faith groups must now give a lead and show politicians how to save the planet
The news from Copenhagen that the world’s political leaders have failed to find a collective way to tackle climate change is devastating for us all, but especially for the world’s poorest people.
Climate change is the single biggest challenge to humanity’s stewardship of the Earth and so far we are failing the test. Doing everything we can to reduce our carbon emissions and to take care of this world we have been given is not simply a political or an economic issue, or even an environmental one. It is a moral issue. People are dying because of our actions and our inaction and yet somehow this has been lost in political machinations and national stand-offs.
This issue will not go away. We cannot avoid the consequences of our own lack of care for the planet. Neither can those whose carbon footprint is much lower than ours but whose vulnerability to the devastation of global warming is far greater.
If governments cannot lead, then faith groups and others must step forward to do so. We cannot change the world but we can show, community by community, that where politicians have failed the people can succeed. Having been let down by our political leaders, it is in our hands to change the way we treat our planet. We need to use our power as consumers, as activists, as members of global organisations, as digital citizens, as believers in hope over adversity to change the way the world lives on Earth. We now need to lead our leaders to show them the way.

Right Reverend Bill Hewitt, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland,121 George Street, Edinburgh



Bookmark this on Delicious