Report by Martin Halliday on the "Climate Change: How Christians Respond" conference

Martin Halliday wrote this article for the church magazine of the Parish of Pangbourne with Tidmarsh and Sulham, and has kindly allowed us to reproduce it.

Recently John Staples, Jane Davidson and I joined more than 200 people in High Wycombe at a Diocesan Conference on Climate Change, which was sponsored by the Conservation Foundation and DEFRA. The first speaker was Sir John Houghton, a former Chief Executive at the Met Office. In fairly stark terms he presented the facts regarding carbon emissions and the resulting effect on our climate. He also predicted the likely consequences if the present trends continue. I was particularly struck by the estimate of 20,000,000 environmental refugees as a result of the rise in sea levels and loss of land from flooding as early as 2050, and the inevitable footnote that the poorer countries will be worst affected because they do not have the means to respond to any changes. Sir John was followed by Claire Foster, Environmental Adviser to the Archbishops' Council, who outlined the theological case for a Christian response. She highlighted four reasons why Christians should believe that there is hope for our planet:

1) the Covenant that God made with Noah after the flood - not just with humans, but with every living thing in Creation;

2) the Sacrament of Creation - "No part of God's Creation can be thought of as outside God's grace and therefore there is nowhere called 'away' where things can be thrown";

3) the Role of Humanity - changing the perception that man wants to change the environment to his own ends. Rather we should be caring for the earth as God's stewards;

4) the Role of the Sabbath. "It is the Sabbath on the seventh day, not humanity on the sixth, that is the Crown of Creation." Just as we need the Sabbath to reflect and recharge our batteries, so does the earth and its finite resources need a rest from our relentless consumption.

The conference then split into a series of workshop sessions before reconvening for a service of dedication at which the Bishop of Oxford was the preacher. The first workshop I attended was led by the Thames Valley Energy Centre who gave us practical tips for saving energy in our homes. The second was entitled "Global Costs, Global Solutions" and showed how the Church is beginning to respond to the challenge of global warming starting with practical housekeeping and going right up to putting pressure on governments and organisation such as the United Nations. The workshop leader gave examples of initiatives being carried out in this country, in Europe and even in the United States where several States and cities are now deeply involved. The message we took home with us is that, despite the doom and gloom, there is hope for the future and Christians, because of their holding sacred God's creation in all its forms, have a unique opportunity to take the lead. At one stage during the workshop sessions Bishop Stephen bemoaned the fact that we do not put aside a day to celebrate God's creation. Perhaps that can now be remedied - Environment Sunday is on June 5th.

Martin Holliday