Support for new Scottish Climate Change Targets

A senior Church of Scotland minister today welcomed the Scottish Government’s new climate change targets, but warned they were doomed to fail unless the people of Scotland were involved at a grassroots level. Speaking a day after the Scottish Parliament approved the trail-blazing Scottish Climate Change Bill, Reverend Ian Galloway, Convener of the Kirk’s Church and Society Council, said: “We warmly welcome the amendment to the Bill requiring the Scottish Government to publish a strategy for public engagement. “Without an effective strategy the new law stands little chance of success. Congregations across Scotland, particularly Eco-Congregations will have vital role to play in coming months to help the Government get this right.”


A final day amendment tabled by Brian Adam, MSP for Aberdeen North, which requires the Scottish Government to publish a public engagement strategy, was agreed by MSPs of all parties.

Mr Adam said: “The opportunities are there for public engagement in delivering the aims of the bill and places duties on us all to reach the challenging targets in reducing our carbon impact. “I hope that others will follow the lead taken by the Eco-Congregations and Eco-Schools in making a difference.”
The MSP was supported in the amendment by the Church of Scotland and the Eco-Congregation Scotland movement, which represents over 200 congregations of all denominations across the country.



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perspectives from Bangladesh (2)

Dipty Linda And James Pender are Advisors with The Church of Bangladesh Social Development Programme. They are providing us with a direct view of the effects of climate change from Bangladesh. This is the second part of their unique viewpoint.

So on my return to Bangladesh in 2006 the moderator of the church gave me the task of looking into how climate change would affect the poor people that the church seeks to serve through its development programme. Some of the results have been published in the report Bangladesh and Climate Change.

Unfortunately my findings arenot very encouraging CBSDP’s projects in north-west (Rajshahi), west (Meherpur) and central (Modhupur) Bangladesh are becoming increasingly drought prone; its projects in Dhaka, Barisal and Gopalganj Districts in the south are suffering from increasingly devastating floods; while communities on the coast are becoming threatened for their very survival.

I visited such a community on the coast quite near to where the Church of Bangladesh has one of its congregations near to the city of Khulna during a field trip from the 3rd International Conference on Community Based Adaptation to Climate Change which was quite heartbreaking: In the twin villages of Kolotola and Amtola as sea level rises and water flowing down the rivers in the dry season gets less, water supplies, and even the soil is becoming salty. This means that they can no longer grow vegetables and rice harvests are getting less and less, while they have to travel 6km for drinking water in the dry season from a pond where the water isn’t ‘good’ but at least not so much salt to make it undrinkable. If this wasn’t bad enough the reduction in dry season freshwater is reducing the productivity of the nearby Sundarbans (the largest mangrove forest in the world, containing Bengal Tigers) on which people traditionally relied for building materials, medicinal plants, and firewood, as well as reducing the amount of fish in the river during the dry season. Worst of all plenty of water in the river with its strong currents in the wet season, means the river is meandering towards the village at a rate of about 2 feet per year. Natural processes are involved but with the effects of climate change making them worse it cannot truly be called a ‘natural disaster’ in the making. When I asked Rattan the young man I was talking to what he would do when the river claimed his home? He simply shrugged his shoulders saying: “I will have nowhere to move to here, I guess I will just have to go to Dhaka city and try and find some work there”.

In rural Meherpur a long way from the coast, effects of climate change may be less dramatic but are none the less insidious, as we talked to village women in Govipur with Neil a visiting Methodist Minister, they showed that although of limited education and from simple farming families, they were in fact wise and insightful with their answers and clearly ladies who could read the ‘signs of the times’. New weather patterns that were affecting the crops their families were growing included: Fruits coming earlier, harvests latter, the hotter season was now longer, heavy rains were commoner, storms were now devastating crops, as well as longer periods of thicker fog. This was serious trouble for these farming families as these changes threatens their livelihoods; for example fog damaged wheat by encouraging fungal disease, and killed flowers of valuable litchi and mango trees reducing fruit harvests. When Rev. Neil asked the women what message they wanted him to take back to the UK these humble but confident ladies stated their message clearly and concisely: “People there should stop pollution, look after the environment and stop emitting greenhouse gases; for Western countries are increasing greenhouse gases but it is we in Bangladesh that are suffering!”

Sir John Houghton Chair or Co-chair of the Scientific Working Group of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) between 1988-2002 reminds us of words of Jesus spoken after he had told the parable contrasting the faithful and unfaithful stewards: “For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required” (Luke 12:48). The challenge to our Christian churches and the opportunities with which they are presented are unmistakeable”. As former US Vice-President Al Gore, stated in his Noble Prize winning film Inconvenient Truth: “If you believe in prayer, pray that people will find the strength to change (in response to climate change)” and then he quoted an African proverb: ‘When you pray move your feet’!


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The Views from Bangladesh (part 1)

Dipty Linda And James Pender are Advisors with The Church of Bangladesh Social Development Programme. They are providing us with a direct view of the effects of climate change from Bangladesh

These days climate change is everywhere; in newspapers, on TV and within school curriculum, in fact even if you wanted too you can’t avoid the subject. Even in conversation if it’s been wet, windy, flooding, hot or cold somehow someone will blame the weather on climate change. Like it or hate the issue of climate change has gone mainstream, political leaders, business leaders and economists are even concerned; things have come a long way since the issue was promoted by left wing greenies in the late eighties and early nineties.

When I studied my degree in Environmental Studies in 1992 we were taught that Climate Change was a ‘possible’ problem, the details were unclear and perhaps we should do something to prevent it as a ‘safe precaution’. However, when I was back in the UK during 2006 shortly after the publishing of the Stern Report by a British economist on behalf of the British Government who astounded the world’s business community with his predictions on how climate change would affect the world’s economy, I realised things had changed, especially when later even oilmen like President George W. Bush endorsed the findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change who unequivocally stated that climate change was now happening . People were no longer talking about ‘IF’ for climatic changes had already been measured and the link to modern human behaviour was unmistakable, but ‘HOW’ it was and would impact on the earth.

It can be all a bit confusing hidden in scientific gobbledygook but basically while we know human caused climate change is now happening we still don’t know exactly what will happen, how soon and precisely where. However, it is known that climate change in the next hundred years will be significant and by the year 2100 best estimates predict between a 1.8˚ C and 4 ˚C rise in average global temperature, although it could possibly be as high as 6.4˚ C. For the average Brit that does not sound too dramatic as our ever changing weather could lead to ‘four seasons in day’ as they say in Scotland anyhow. We are unlikely therefore to notice this kind of temperature difference in terms of ‘feeling warmer’, but for food production for example, this will be serious as harvests depend directly on climatic conditions (temperature and rainfall patterns) and could lead to food yields being reduced by as much as a third in the tropics and subtropics.

In terms of the impact of climate change few places in the world will experience the range of effects and the severity of changes that will occur in Bangladesh, which will include: Average weather temperatures rising; more extreme hot and cold spells; rainfall being less when it is most needed for agriculture, yet more in the monsoon when it already causes floods; melting of glaciers in the source areas of Bangladesh’s rivers altering the hydrological cycle; more powerful tornados and cyclones; and sea level rise displacing communities, turning freshwater saline and facilitating more powerful storm surges. The impact will be intensified by the fact that Bangladesh is both one of the most populated and one of the poorest nations on earth.

Bishop Paul Sarkar and Bishop Michael S. Baroi of The Church of Bangladesh, are both very concerned and have been highlighting the plight of Bangladesh as they travel to different countries for various church meetings and the latter, speaking of his fears about climate change said: “It would be a serious catastrophe for my country and for the whole region if much of the land in Bangladesh disappears under the sea. I become frightened to think that my grandchildren will have no place to live on this planet earth. I really want to be sure that they, and their children after them, will be able to enjoy the beauty of my country that I have enjoyed, and be able to have enough land to live and enough land for food”.



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Climate Change Bill Approved

The Climate Change Bill received its third stage reading today. It was approved unaminously and will become law when it receives the Royal assent. It will be followed by a delivery plan. Eco-congregation Scotland have asked the government for public engagement to be part of this and they have agreed – see amendment and extract from plan. This is an opportunity for eco –congregations. We now have to think about how we respond to get the best out of this – a big task for the coming year.

The text of the amendment and extract from the plan is as follows:

Scottish Parliament Bill Amendment
Name of Proposer: Brian Adam

Before section 61A, insert—
Public engagement
(1) The Scottish Ministers must prepare and publish a strategy (a “public engagement strategy”) setting out the steps they intend to take to—
(a) inform persons in Scotland about the targets specified by virtue of this Act;
(b) encourage them to contribute to the achievement of those targets.
(2) The public engagement strategy must, in particular, identify actions which persons in Scotland may take to contribute to the achievement of the targets referred to in subsection (1)(a).
(3) The public engagement strategy must be published no later than 31 December 2010.
(4) The Scottish Ministers—
(a) may, from time to time; and
(b) must, before the end of the period mentioned in subsection (5),
review the strategy.
(5) The period referred to in subsection (4)(b) is the period of 5 years beginning with the date on which—
(a) the strategy is first published; or
(b) the strategy was last reviewed under subsection (4).
(6) Where, following a review under subsection (4), the Scottish Ministers vary the public engagement strategy, they must, as soon as reasonably practicable after so doing, publish the strategy as so varied.
(7) A strategy published under subsection (6) must contain an assessment of the progress made towards implementing the steps set out in earlier strategies.
(8) The public engagement strategy may be published in such manner as the Scottish Ministers consider appropriate.
(9) The Scottish Ministers must lay the public engagement strategy before the Scottish Parliament as soon as reasonably practicable after it is published.>

Extract from

SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT
CLIMATE CHANGE DELIVERY PLAN
MEETING SCOTLAND’S STATUTORY CLIMATE CHANGE TARGETS
June 2009


Wider engagement and behaviour change

8.12
Delivering the scale of emissions reductions in the Delivery
Plan will require real changes from all in Scottish society:
government and the public sector, business, voluntary and
community groups and individuals. An engagement strategy is
being prepared to ensure we approach this in an effective and
co-ordinated way.

8.13
The Scottish Environmental Attitudes and Behaviours Survey
(SEABS) has offered an important insight into how people in
Scotland think and behave on green issues. However, there is
a need to deepen this understanding in order to influence
attitudes and enable change. The next steps to this will involve:
Commissioning in-depth qualitative follow up research into
key aspects of SEABS that require further investigation; this
is likely to consist of a suite of studies focusing on
understanding behaviour change.
Developing further work on enabling behaviour change,
ensuring that policy development is taken forward with a
clear understanding of attitudes and behaviours.
Making SEABS findings more widely accessible to
academic/analytical study.

8.14
Finally, it must be remembered that one of the key aims of the
Scottish Government – in bringing forward the Climate
Change (Scotland) Bill to set ambitious and challenging
targets, and in producing this Delivery Plan to show how these
targets can be delivered – is to demonstrate strong leadership
to others and to use this to influence the international
community. The engagement strategy will need to consider
how the Scottish Government will galvanise support and
action from others in the global effort to tackle climate
change.

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Biodiversity

The blog is starting a series of contributions by selected academics and environmental activists who will present their own particular viewpoints through this medium. We hope that in this way, the Eco-congregations Blog will contribute to the debate surrounding environmental issues and life style. The first of our pannelsts is Dr.Sheena Wurthmann (School of the Built and Natural Environment at Glasgow Caledonian University and SNH).

Please feel free to comment.

There is a lot in the news about climate change and carbon footprints. Reducing the use of fossil fuels and the production of greenhouse gases is a vital process but it is only part of the story. Whatever we do we depend on green plants absorbing carbon dioxide through photosynthesis to produce oxygen and water. This “environmental service” is rarely accounted by the economists probably because it is hard to put monetary values on these processes. When it is done it becomes clear that deforestation particularly the rainforests means that globally there is less capacity to absorb carbon dioxide. This makes the models for climate change less resilient.

Where in the world do we find the best places for capturing and storing carbon? We are very familiar with the role of tropical rainforests. These ecosystems are very valuable sinks that capture carbon and store it in the biological diversity of the ecosystem but they are not the only sinks. All forests – particularly the ancient natural forests capture and store large amounts of carbon. This suggests that major efforts should be made to protect and enhance all forests and woodlands and encourage the development of diversity. Monoculture of commercial forestry only provides temporary carbon stores and is not a self-sustaining system.

Other important ecosystems are also excellent carbon stores. The peat bogs in Scotland are major systems for capturing and storing carbon. This only works if the peat land is allowed to develop a high level of diversity. This is diversity of mosses and lichens and insects. Draining and exploiting the peats releases the carbon stored and increases the problem. Raising the water table and encouraging more moss growth and peat development would be a better strategy.


The wetlands such as marshes and reed beds have similar contributions to the carbon stores. However, they have other advantage of “treating” the water as it passes through the habitats. This water treatment process is a major method of naturally dealing with diffuse pollution. Again these are habitats that are frequently modified by draining, construction and farming. These activities reduce the capacity for using carbon stores, providing natural pollution control and soft mechanism for flood management and water storage. We lose a lot when we try to manage nature.


The major area of the Planet Earth’s surface is ocean. The small green algae carry out photosynthesis and this makes for a large amount of carbon capture. Some almost sci-fi proposals to increase this are recognition of the importance of this system. More to the point in terms of improving the oceanic system is to prevent pollution in the coastal and deep oceanic areas. .For ecosystems to work well all types of organism should be represented. That means that herbivores and carnivores and predators should be functioning well. Current fishing practices suggest that humans are disrupting the large oceanic system in vital ways. Climate change is a challenge but reducing carbon footprints is only half the story. The other half is about treasuring and enhancing biodiversity locally and globally.

Credits
The picture of the marshes was taken by Herzogbr. the picture of the ocean was taken by Andrew Hux. The photograph of the fish ready for sale was taken by Mr T in DC. The picture of the peatland was taken by Colin J Campbell.



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The Carbon Economy in Scotland

Around the upper estuary of the River Forth is the visible evidence of Scotland’s development as a carbon economy.


Coal
One of the earliest examples of Scotland’s coal industry is found at Culross. The now picturesque town was built on the wealth generated by coal mining. Sir George Bruce was the first to introduce machinery to drain coal pits and dig deep beneath the sea bed in the seventeenth century; as a result he helped turn Culross into an early industrial centre and one of the busiest ports on the east coast.

The exploitation of coal for electricity generation developed on a massive scale in the twentieth century. Near Culross is Longannet Power station, the largest in Scotland, which produces over 10 million tons of CO2 each year and produces 1200 MW of electricity. This is now the largest single source of greenhouse gases in Scotland.

OilAcross the river is the location of the early development of Scotland’s oil industry: the oil shales of West Lothian were exploited in the nineteenth century. This source was soon inadequate but did lead to the location of a refinery and petro-chemical industry at Grangemouth, now processing 10 million tons of oil a year from the North Sea and elsewhere in the world.



The development of Scotland’s carbon industries has had a massive impact on the economy, communities and environment of Scotland. Around the upper Forth estuary carbon industries dominate the area. And the impact on the wider world has been significant; with important trade in both importing and exporting carbon fuels and products.

The Carbon Economy and Climate Change.
The area is responsible for the release of tens of millions of tons of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere each year; directly and indirectly perhaps a third of Scotland’s total. It is also a transport hub with major road and rail bridges and major oil terminal at Dalmeny. Paradoxically it is also at risk of flooding. Any rise in sea level will put local communities and businesses in jeopardy; including the carbon based industries themselves.

Why is this of Interest to the Church of Scotland ?
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.

Fossil fuels are gifts of creation and we have used them to enrich ourselves: for warmth and comfort, domestic convenience and mass transportation around the globe. Has this comfort and convenience been purchased at a cost to the generations that follow? If our massive consumption of carbon fuels leads to damaging climate change does this then represent a failure in our duty of care for creation – and care for each other? If we are called to care for creation and for others how should we then respond as Christian churches? And how should those training for the ministry address this concern in their ministry in coming years; both in preaching and in action?

The Church of Scotland is trying responding to climate change and grappling with these issues.

Credits
The photograph of burning coal was taken by Bruno Ciampi. the photograph of Grangemouth was taken by Paradasos


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Stewart Stevenson MSP to speak at St Kane's Church

Stewart Stevenson, the Scottish Minister for Transport, Infrastructure & Climate Change will speak on June 6th at a transport and climate change event organised by the Presbytery of Buchan. The event will take place at New Deer St Kane's Church centre from 10am to 3.30pm. Adrian Shaw, Climate Change Project Officer at the Church and Society Council will speak about climate change and transport. There will be small group discussions after each presentation giving participants ample opportunities for reflection.


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