Radio Interview about COP 17 Durban

Adrian Shaw form the Church of Scotland Climate Change project and Eco-Congregation Scotland spoke to Cathy MacDonald on her radio show last sunday about the Durban conference.

You can listen to the interview here:



Or download it here.

Church of Scotland enters team in fuel efficient car rally.

A team from the church offices in George Street will be taking part in a fuel efficient car rally on 1st September. The Fuel Efficient Driving Experience is being organised as part of the GreenFleet Scotland event at Ingliston.

The contest will find the best Eco-Driver in Scotland with the following teams taking part:

1. EAE Ltd
2. City Car Club
3. Eco-Fleet Driving Management
4. City of Edinburgh Council
5. NHS Tayside & Highlands
6. Dumfries & Galloway Constabulary
7. Church of Scotland
8. Scottish Ambulance Service
9. Lothian & Borders and Tayside Fire Service
10. Scottish Government

Organisers say:

We have a defending champion involved, as well as an organisation that has been 3rd and 2nd, and looking to go one better. This year also sees the Battle of the Public Sector with local authority and NHS teams taking part, and there is sure to be fierce competition between the police, fire and ambulance teams as well. That then leaves the fight between the private sector. All in all, we're on for a cracking challenge on the day.

Job Vacancy at Church of Scotland Climate Change Project

Could you help the Church of Scotland respond to climate change?  We are looking for someone to work part time to help run the climate change project.  If you are interested take a look at our website, but hurry, as the closing date is Monday 8 August. Ring me if you would like to know more.

Adrian Shaw (0131 225 5722)

Further details here:

http://www.churchofscotland.org.uk/about_us/vacancies_and_volunteering/vacancies/administrator_climate_change

Church of Scotland to debate Climate Change

The Church of Scotland General Assembly will be holding a debate on climate change during its meeting in May. Adrian Shaw, the church's Climate Change officer, has prepared this report for commissioners to debate. The report contains policy recommendations called deliverances which the assembly may accept or ammend.

Click here to read the report.

 If you have any comments please contact Adrian Shaw at the Climate Change Project.

Sustainable Agriculture : What can congregations contribute?

The Church and Society Council of the Church fo Scotland is organising a conference entitled:

GIVE US OUR DAILY BREAD

Sustainable Agriculture: What can congregations contribute?

Thursday, 10th February

121 George Street, Edinburgh

Food and agriculture is a subject of ongoing interest and importance both in Scotland and elsewhere. We read of developments and challenges that often seem contradictory: the real difficulties facing some farmers in Scotland on the one hand and huge agricultural subsidies paid to others; the immense power of the supermarkets and the decline of high street shops; an epidemic of obesity in Scotland but poverty elsewhere in the world; new food technologies like GM and the rise of organic alternatives; the exploitation of third world producers and the growth of fair trade; the need to feed seven billion people on earth, possibly rising to nine billion later this century and the destruction of natural habitats to provide more agricultural land to do so.

Consideration of some of these issues persuaded the Church and Society Council to investigate the meaning of ‘sustainable agriculture’ in more detail. The investigation is focused on Scotland but must take account of developments elsewhere. The Council is aware that much work is already underway and is concerned to add to this work not to duplicate it. In particular the Council is interested to explore the question ‘What can congregations do?’

This conference is an opportunity to explore these concerns and to learn more from experts in these issues. Its purpose is to help the Church & Society Council develop a report with recommendations for the General Assembly in 2012, a report that will provide insights and guidance for congregations. We don’t anticipate that the conference will provide firm answers but we do hope it will help to shape our thinking.

The Programme is as follows:

10.30am Registration + Coffee/ Tea


11am Welcome from Chair: Sheena Wurthmann

Keynote address: David Atkinson

12 noon Lunch

12.45pm Discussion groups
• Our mutual food: Pete Ritchie, Whitmuir Farm
• Science and agriculture - new technologies, new opportunities, new challenges: Donald Bruce, Edinethics
• Community supported agriculture: local food production, transition towns, allotments: Richard Frazer and Josiah Lockhart, Grassmarket Community Project
• The view from the farm: issues and challenges facing farmers: John Picken, NFU Scotland
• The view from the Scottish Government: Antje Branding, Scottish Government

1.45pm Coffee/ Tea

2pm Plenary

Each discussion group is asked to report back to the plenary session:

• What were the three main points they discussed?
• What message would the discussion group like to send to congregations?
• What one action would the discussion group like the Church of Scotland to do?

3pm Close



Partnership between the Reformed Church in Hungary and the Kirk

The Church of Scotland recently hosted a delegation from the Reformed Church in Hungary. The Hungarians came to the UK under the sponsorship of  the ECEN Eco-Management group which propomotes the development of twinning partnerships between churches in Europe with an Eco-Management ethos. ECEN also promotes the twinning of churches who would like to develop an eco management approach to their activities. The Hungarian delegation visited different Councils within the Church of Scotland and an agreement has been signed between both organisations. The low-down of the agreement is a project for the development and promotion of eco-congregations in Hungary.


The main goal of the project is to adapt the“Eco-congregation” programme to Hungarian church life, and to sensitize Hungarian churches and church members to care for creation in a self-supporting way. The Reformed Church in Hungary committs itself to develop and promote eco-management programs in Hungarian congregations and other church institutions since up to now, isolated programs and projects have been accomplished in the church, but the increasing need for environmental provision has prompted  them to establish a wide-ranging initiative of church environmental activities in Hungary. The project has established the following outputs by 2012.

Exchange information on activities and facilities within both countries
Import and adapt ideas from “Eco-Congregation Scotland” project, 
Form an Advisory Council in Hungary to help congregations to make the link between environmental issues and Christian faith both in spiritual and practical life,
Organise conferences in Hungary on the Christian eco-management, 
Establish a Hungarian homepage and printing leaflets to disseminate eco-congregation facilities, 
Translate relevant materials from http://www.ecocongregation.org/, 
Establish an Eco-Congregation Award Scheme in Hungary.

Congratulations on the agreement. This opens up great prospects of cooperation between churches in Hungary and Scotland.

Biomass Power Plant Applications

Forth Energy, a company formed by Scottish and Southern Energy and Forth Ports plc, has recently submitted planning applications to develop biomass powered energy plants at the ports of Dundee, Grangemouth, Leith and Rosyth. These power stations would have a total energy capacity of up to 500MW. Because of the large bulk of wood fuel required the four sites are all in port locations and it would appear that the greater part of this wood fuel will be imported from overseas by ship. Details of the applications can be found on the forth energy website. 

Wood fuel can be a sustainable source of energy if the wood that is used is being supplied from sustainably managed forests, or if the fuel is coming from another reasonable source such as the waste stream.  It can provide a contribution to Scotland’s overall energy mix and could help reduce Scotland’s carbon footprint.  Forth Energy argue that the proposals will help meet Scottish Government targets for renewable energy and heat, and contribute towards the long term ambition of reducing Scotland’s emission of greenhouse gases by 80% by 2050. The plants would generate both electricity and could, if arrangements were put in place, provide heat for a district heating scheme.  Biomass plants are not new, there is already one at Steven's Croft near Lockerbie in Dumfries and Galloway . The plant can produce 44MW of electricity and is currently the biggest biomass plant in Scotland.  The £90m scheme was opened by First Minister, Alex Salmond, in March 2008.  The plant can burn up to 475,000 tons of wood fuel a year, most of which is sourced locally.  The new plants proposed by Forth Energy would be substantially larger than the Lockerbie plant.

However, although the technology is not new, several questions come to mind:


• Will district heating systems be put in place or will the plants be just electricity generating stations?

• All the proposed plants are in built up areas: is this the right location for new power stations?
• Is the scale of the proposed plants appropriate or are they too big to be ‘sustainable’?
• Where will the wood fuel come from: what is the carbon footprint of importing fuel from as far way as North America or Russia and can this be called a sustainable source?
• What will be the impact of harvesting wood fuel and will the wood be from forests accredited by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)?

Opposition to the Plants. There has been some opposition to these proposals, particularly the plant in Leith as a a joint letter to the Scottish Government.  The signatories do not object to biomass powered energy plants in principle but do object to the scale of the Leith proposal.  Details of the letter and its signatories can be found at the Greener Leith website.

The General Assembly of the Church of Scotland debated energy generation at its meeting in May 2007. The report of the Church and Society Council discussed the energy options facing Scotland and identified two preferred options to help reduce Scotland’s carbon footprint: the development of renewable energy and the promotion of energy efficiency measures. The same report was much more critical of coal fired power plants and, on this basis, the Church opposed the proposal to develop a new coal fired power station at Hunterston in Ayrshire. The Church has not objected to the biofuel proposals submitted by Forth Energy as they appear to be consistent with the deliverances of the General Assembly. However the Kirk is  aware of the concerns of local and national groups, including members of congregations.

Get Involved. Adrian Shaw, climate change oficer therefore urges  members of congregations to learn more about the proposals and get involved in the debate. You can do this in a number of ways, says Adrian, for example, you can


• Exercise your influence on the market in your choice of energy supplier, in the products you buy as a consumer, in your investments or pension. Participate as a shareholder in company AGMs.
• Get involved in the planning process for local energy developments; become informed and play a pro-active role in shaping the developments.
• Use your democratic right to influence government. Get involved locally and nationally by asking questions, lobbying, and using your vote.


Check the websites listed above for details about the proposed developments and the opponents, and get involved in the debate!

Scottish and Bangladeshi churches team up on climate change | Christian News on Christian Today

Have a look at the write-up on Christian Today about the work that the church of scotland and the Bangladeshi church are doing in the area of climate change. the full report will be available shortly on the Eco-Congregation Scotland website and the Church of Scotland website as well.

Scottish and Bangladeshi churches team up on climate change Christian News on Christian Today

Eco Congregation's Impact Overseas

A number of Church of Scotland congregations abroad have responded very favourably to the challenge of reducing their carbon footprint by 5% every year. The Climate Change Project has received the calculators from the churches in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Gibraltar and Valletta in Malta. All of these congregations have made a commitment to reduce their carbon footprint every year by 5% in agreement with the instruction of the 2009 General Assembly.

It is really encouraging to see that Eco-Congregation's work is having an impact on overseas congregations.

Church of Scotland's response to Conserve & Save

The Church of Scotland has prepared a response to the Scottish Government's Energy Efficiency Action Plan. Adrian Shaw, Climate Change officer at the Church of Scotland, was kind enough to send us the reponse document to this important consultation. The response will be posted in 2 parts.

CONSERVE AND SAVE

Consultation by the Scottish Government on the Energy Efficiency Action Plan for Scotland (October 2009)

Response by the Church of Scotland

1. The Scottish Government’s Energy Efficiency Action Plan will be a crucial document in shaping the Scottish Government’s response to climate change and to other energy challenges in the coming decade. The targets set out in the Scottish Climate Change Act demand a massive reduction in Scotland’s carbon dioxide emissions and the energy efficiency action plan is an essential part of the tool kit to achieve these cuts. It is also essential to tackle the growing problem of fuel poverty. For these reasons it is essential that the plan is sufficiently strong and comprehensive to deliver on both objectives.

2. The consultation document sets out in some detail a large number of initiatives that could be taken forward by the action plan. Some areas of work, such as housing, are covered in some detail. Other areas of equal importance such as transport are covered in much less detail. If we are to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases to meet the targets in the Scottish Climate Change Act there will need to be rapid progress in all the areas included in the document.

3. Similarly if global demand for fuel continues to increase then rising domestic energy prices will push more people into fuel poverty. A detailed long term strategy will be needed to address this issue. The proposals in the consultation document go some way towards these aspirations but will need to be amplified and developed further if they are to be effective. In short, the proposals set out in the document are only the beginning.

Responding to climate change
“The Church of Scotland is concerned that climate change poses a serious and immediate threat to people everywhere, particularly to the poor of the earth; and that climate change represents a failure in our stewardship of God’s creation. We accept the need to reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases urgently to avoid dangerous and irreversible climate change; and to promote a more equitable and sustainable use of energy.”

4. The approach that the Church of Scotland is developing is to challenge congregations to learn about climate change, to work out their own carbon footprint and to make a commitment to reduce this by 5% a year. This approach stresses personal and collective responsibility. It challenges congregations to take action because of their faith.

5. The Church of Scotland is working with other denominations to promote this approach through Eco-Congregation Scotland. This is an ecumenical movement of 230 congregations across Scotland and participating congregations have made a commitment to take practical action to care for creation. In 2009 Eco-Congregation Scotland published a guide for congregations explaining how they can measure and reduce their carbon footprint, not only in their church buildings but also in their homes, in the travel and in their communities.

6. People are not just passive consumers of energy who are incapable of change; rather they are individuals and communities who can choose to take action for the better. This choice is critical for the success of the action plan and to ensure the successful implementation of the Climate Change (Scotland) Act. If individuals and communities across Scotland can be inspired to take action to change their behaviour then the targets set out in the Act may be achievable; but if not, then it is unlikely that the proposals will be successful. For these reasons we believe that behaviour change should be given the highest priority in the action plan.

Chapter 1: Introduction and Strategic Context
7. The plan identifies a reduction in unnecessary energy use as a priority and energy efficiency as the tool to achieve this. The scale of the changes required to meet the Scottish Government’s target of an 80% reduction in the emission of greenhouse gases by 2050 are enormous and represent a major challenge for everybody in Scotland: individuals, communities, businesses as well as government. To achieve this ambitious target will require changes in these way we live and do business and the way in which government develops policy. Inevitably these changes will affect the lives of people and communities across Scotland.

Chapter 2: Current trends in energy usage
8. The chapter makes the point that here have been improvements in energy efficiency in many sectors of the economy but that these improvements have been outstripped by increasing consumption. Cars engines are more efficient than they used to be, but drivers have chosen to buy larger and more powerful cars and there are more cars on the road. The net result is that the total amount of fuel used in road transport has increased and with it the contribution of road traffic to Scotland’s carbon dioxide emissions.

9. The gap between current trends in energy use and those we need to establish to reduce energy use are so great that there will need to be a step change in our behaviour and actions. We are not convinced that the consultation document faces up to the scale of the challenges or the behaviour change needed to achieve these changes. As noted above while it is a useful start much more needs to be done to bring about these changes.

End of Part 1.

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



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The Wave was a Great Sucess

Thank you all very much for your support of The Wave!

The ecumenical service beforehand went well, and we are very grateful to Bill Hewitt, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, Cardinal Keith O’Brien, David Chillingworth, Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church and Kathy Galloway, Head of Christian Aid Scotland, for their participation in the service, as well as all of you who came along to it! The march through Glasgow was attended by appr. 7000 people – many thanks to all who were there!

More information can be found at the BBC news website. Together with other marches all around Europe, this should have given a good sign to those assembling in Copenhagen. Reports from the summit can be followed at the Oddysey network website.

Credits
Photographs were taken by Stop Climate Chaos Coalition and Irene Crosthwaite




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Keep Updated on the UN Copenhagen Summit.

Daily film videos from the UN climate summit starting on Copenhagen next week are part of a December plan of action to make sure that the voice of faith is heard at this “make or break” time in our history. These will be on the new ON website.
Operation Noah, the ecumenical community which campaigns exclusively on climate change, is working with a US web-based organisation, Odyssey Networks, to bring you the voices of religious wisdom as monks, nuns, rabbis and holy men and women converge on the Danish capital. The Odyssey networks website will be posting video blogs of faith leaders as they attend the UN Summit.



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MANY HEAVENS, ONE EARTH

Adrian Shaw has sent us this report from the ARC UNEP meeting.

Report from the ARC-UNEP Meeting in Windsor, 2 November 2009

200 delegates from faith groups around the world have gathered in Windsor to celebrate the contribution that faiths can make to caring for the earth.

The opening session on Monday afternoon asked ‘why do we care? and highlighted reports from the Amazon, Africa and Nepal about the damage that climate change and deforestation is doing to native peoples. Archbishop Mokiwa Valentine told us how drought in Tanzania is creating poverty, disease, and death; Father Michael Holman SJ spoke about deforestation in the Amazon rainforest destroying the habitat of indigenous communities; and from Dekila Chungyalpa of WWF Nepal, details of how melting ice caps in the Himalayas are reducing the flow in the great rivers of Asia such as the Ganges, putting at risk the water supply of tens of millions of people.

Alongside the stories of destruction there were stories of hope; from speakers such as Sheikh Ali Gomaa, the Grand Mufti of Egypt, who outlined the creation of the new Muslim Association for Climate Change Action; and from Nigel Savage about the work of Hazom, a Jewish Environment NGO. There were many stories from the USA about growing activism in American churches on climate change, challenging our assumptions around America’s lack of concern about climate change.

The contributors reiterated the breadth of action taking place by faith groups worldwide worldwide and the common concern about climate change.

Tbc…




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Church of Scotland Takes Climate Change to World Stage

NEXT week the Church of Scotland takes its climate change message to the world stage, as officials prepare to address Ban Ki-Moon, the UN Secretary General, and the Duke of Edinburgh.



Church representatives are using Tuesday’s Alliance of Religions and Conservation event at Windsor Castle as an opportunity to voice the Kirk’s concerns to a global audience. Right Reverend Bill Hewitt, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, has long maintained that climate change poses a serious and immediate threat to people everywhere, particularly to the poor of the earth.
Mr Hewitt is sending a statement of support, as church figures urge world leaders to accept the need to reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases urgently to avoid dangerous and irreversible climate change, ahead of a December’s global summit in Copenhagen.

In May, the Church issued an edict calling on all of its Presbyteries to produce a plan setting out how they will measure energy consumption in their church buildings, ascertain their carbon footprint and achieve a year-on-year reduction of five per cent of that figure. It has also decided to employ a climate change officer for three years, beginning on Tuesday, as it seeks to become a catalyst for positive environmental action in communities across Scotland. Kirk officials are also encouraging congregations to join the ecumenical Eco-Congregation Scotland scheme, with more than 200 churches already signed up. Members pledge to take better stewardship of God’s creation and to stimulate grassroots activity in their area.
More radical changes include parts of a refurbished church in Perthshire being made out of old Wellington boots, yoghurt pots and mobile phones, and a minister in Papa Westray powering his car by recycled chip fat oil from his local take-away outlet.




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International Day of Climate Action for Faith Groups

Bell ringing for Climate Change

When: Sunday 13th December 2009
Who: Churches across the world, led by alliances of Christian development agencies and churches (World Council of Churches, CIDSE, Caritas Internationalis, APRODEV) invite parishes and dioceses across the country to mobilize churches and their constituents to ring their church bells on Sunday 13th December to call for urgent action against climate change. With world leaders meeting in Copenhagen from 7th-19th December to decide on a global response to climate change, we invite all faith communities to come together to send one message of justice in solidarity with the poor, who are already facing the worst effects of climate change.

What: Across the world, faith communities will ring their church bells to represent a unified message from people of faith, calling for action on climate change. Churches across the world will ring their bells to remind us of the obligation we have to save God´s great creation. The bells ring to wake up the politicians that are negotiating a new climate deal. The bells are calling for global climate justice. People of faith all over the world will be calling on politicians to take responsibility and create a climate for justice. Urgent reductions in our emissions are needed if we are to avert disastrous effects on people and the planet. Why not get your parish congregation involved, invite your local newspaper along, invite your local MP or councillors, and take photos or videos of the day?

Where and when: Sunday 13 December marks the height of the climate summit in Copenhagen. The church bells will ring out through all time zones, starting at 3pm local time in Fiji in the South Pacific, where the day begins, and continuing on until 15:00 CET in Copenhagen and across Central Europe. Why not find a time on Sunday that suits your parish congregation? It might be easiest to arrange for the event to happen straight after your Sunday service- make sure you give people plenty of notice in the church bulletin, asking them to stay on afterwards or to come back for the event. You can also extend the invitation out around your local community, and let people know why their local church bells are ringing out!

Why: On the occasion of the UN Summit in Copenhagen, churches, development agencies and their supporters want to signal to politicians that they must reach an equitable and just climate change deal in December 2009. The National Council of Churches in Denmark, where the meeting will be hosted, describes the day of action as “marking our hope in the Lord and our resolve to act for God’s Creation”.

Be part of it! And don’t forget to let us know about your event!
Email one of the coordinators:
Church of Scotland: ashaw@cofscotland.org.uk
Justice and Peace: carol.clarke@justiceandpeacescotland.org.uk
SCIAF: campaigns@sciaf.org.uk
Christian Aid: DGreen@christian-aid.org
And check www.bellringing350.org to keep updated on the international events.

Credits
Photograph by Axel Burhmann.




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The Windsor Celebration of the Faith Commitments for a Living Planet

The Church of Scotland has been invited to The Windsor Celebration of the Faith Commitments for a Living Planet.

Adrian Shaw will be taking the Church of Scotland's Commitment on behalf of the Church of Scotland by the Moderator of the General Assembly, the Right Reverend William Hewitt.


The Church of Scotland welcomes the opportunity to contribute to the Windsor Celebration of Faith Commitments for a Living Planet.

We bring to the celebration the commitment made at the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland 2009 to respond to the challenge of climate change.

“The Church of Scotland is concerned that climate change poses a serious and immediate threat to people everywhere, particularly to the poor of the earth; and that climate change represents a failure in our stewardship of God’s creation. We accept the need to reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases urgently to avoid dangerous and irreversible climate change; and to promote a more equitable and sustainable use of energy.”

To respond to this challenge the Church of Scotland is:

• Developing the project Responding to Climate Change by providing project funding for the project for three years from November 2009.

• Instructing Presbyteries to produce a plan setting out how they will measure energy consumption in their church buildings, ascertain their carbon footprint and achieve a year-on-year reduction of 5% of their carbon footprint

• Encouraging congregations to become eco-congregations and supporting the incorporation of Eco-Congregation Scotland as a charitable company.




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Launch of Module 13: Climate Change, managing your carbon footprint

On September 29th at St Andrew's and St George's Church in Edinburgh 1,30 pm Eco-Congregation Scotland will be formally launching its Module 13, Climate Change, Managing your Carbon Footprint. the Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change, Scottish Government, Mr. Stewart Stevenson, and Mr. John Ferguson, from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency will be attending as well as representatives from eco-congregations accross Scotland. If you want to attend, please contact Aniko Schuetz by email at aschuetz@cofscotland.org.uk or phone 0131 240-2274.

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The Old & Abbey Church, Arbroath

We, in the Old and Abbey Church, have been conscious for some time of environmental issues and the consequences for our world if they are not addressed. Awareness without constructive action is a denial of our contribution to environmental destruction so the challenge is to face up to the issues and act. Global warming and Biodiversity are ours to deal with. We can not sit back and agree that there are problems but leave it to others to fix them. We have a Christian and a moral duty to act and must take a lead.

The effects of global warming are with us now. They are all too evident. We, in the Church of Scotland, have never had a better opportunity to talk openly about God’s creation and our responsibility to care for it or to unite with and work alongside other agencies and campaigners. What is important is the way in which we interact with others. We have an opportunity to be constructive and creative in what we do and how we do it. We need to promote change on a personal level but we also need to lobby local and national politicians, industry leaders etc. encouraging them to protect the needs of our global partners whose economy’s are less robust than ours.

Biodiversity must be part of our vocabulary as it shows our concern for all living things. In our efforts to make change happen we must have a balanced approach to maintain the fragile eco-structures that allow life, in all its forms, to survive and grow. We must also keep the dialogue positive and talk about change in a way that helps others believe that change is possible.

The Old & Abbey church has looked at the congregation, the wider community and the political arena and has in small ways tried to involve all three. We have held “Eco-Funky-Fun” days with the focus being on children and their families (games, treasure-hunts, story corners, African drumming workshops, art competitions etc.)


The congregation is encouraged to re-cycle and in conjuction with Angus Council we have a recycling centre. In addition, we have recently started a bottle-top recycling point in the church.


We also organise quarterly beach cleans, cycle to worship days and promote the use of environmentally-friendly products on church premises.
We have regular worship services, Sunday’s and mid-week, focussing on environmental themes. In 2008 we held a major three day event involving a high profile political forum chaired by Friends of the Earth, followed by a full day programme that included a wide range of advice and information displays (SCARF, Friends of the Earth, WWF, Angus Council, park rangers, organic food growing, composting and renewable energy, Christian Aid and Eco-congregation etc). The event was supported by an eco-village shopping experience, African music and a variety of Children’s activities. Food was organic where possible and cups and sandwich cartons were all biodegradable. On the spiritual side Sunday worship was led by the event organisers plus there was an opportunity to walk an Eco-labyrinth.

What the future hold is a mix of the above. However our main vision is to hold a major Eco-event that will be a truly community-focused event but an event that has at its heart the Christian message. What we do know is our commitment will not diminish. The situation is too urgent.


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Why transforming a desert into a forest might not be such a good idea.

Frank Raes, head of the climate change unit at the Joint Research Centre's (JRC) Institute for Environment and Sustainability sends a warning message to geo-engineering schemes. "People should not meddle with Earth's complex climate system by experimenting with futuristic geo-engineering options, but softer approaches have the potential to relieve the planet's climate woes".

Mr Raes propses a definition for geo-engineering which includes aforestation (planting trees) and explains the reasons why this practice might be a very good long term solution for the planet, but not particualtly good if the short term goal is to cool the climate. To read the entirety of his interview please follow this link.


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