Category: Counting On …

Reflections and actions during COP26 and going on

Counting on …day 1.108

22nd April 2023

Action

From the first chapters of Genesis, we realise that God created humans to be active participants in the wellbeing of the earth.

We stand at a tipping point, O God,

teetering between life and death:

Shall we fall or rise?

“Chose life!” 

Shall we retreat into our shells, bury our heads in the sand:

Or shall we step forth into a new age of sustainability?

“Chose life!”

Shall we ignore the science, hide ourselves in the trappings of consumerism:

Or shall we openly embrace renewable lifestyles?

“Chose life!”

Shall we pointlessly mourn the loss of polar bears and elephants, bees and butterflies:

Or shall we live our lives so that all may live?

“Chose life!”

Shall we fly to the ends of the earth while ice sheets melt:

Or value the future by enjoying what is local?

“Chose life!”

Shall we disregard floods and droughts, storms and heat waves, as seasonal blips:

Or acknowledge them as already-present signs of climate change?

“Chose life!”

Shall we close our ears to cries of help from farmers and islanders as their lands disappear:

Or shall we join voices in calling for justice?

“Chose life!”

Holy God,

Prompt us and urge us, encourage and propel us,

to now change our life styles so that all may have life and live!

Amen. 

I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing. Therefore choose life, so that you and your descendants may live. Deuteronomy 30:19

Counting on …day 1.107

21st April 2023

Realisation 

Regret can lead either to despair – there is no hope – or lament which is an expression of grief that leave the way open for new beginnings.  

Love and cherish not some of the earth but all; 

Not just your back yard, but mine too;

Not just your local wood but the rainforests too;

Not just your home town but the favelas too.

Love and cherish not some creatures but all;

Not just pandas and tigers, but the vulture and bat too;

Not just bees but wasps and spiders too;

Not just elephants but slugs and snails too.

Love and cherish not some landscapes but all;

Not just meadows but peat bogs too;

Not just ancient woodlands but hedgerows too

Not just national parks but grass verges too.

Love and cherish not some people but all;

Not just city bankers but street cleaners too;

Not just business leaders but refugees too;

Not just home owners but travellers too.

For if we do not, we are all diminished.

If we do not we shall all suffer

from droughts and floods,

rising sea levels and declining water supplies,

from infectious diseases and resistant bacteria. 

We are one world, one family,

one eco system, one interdependent 

and interwoven creation. 

God, our creator, redeemer and sustainer,

Bring us to our senses! 

Now!

Compassionate God, you know our hearts and share our sorrows.

We are hurt by the despoiling of the living Earth, which we love.

We are angry at the loss we contemplate. 

We long for words of comfort, yet find them hard to hear.

Turn our grief to active love

Turn our anger to energy for the repair of the world

Turn our guilt to solidarity

and by your forgiveness make us whole with all creation.

Amen

(Andii Bowsher, Green Christians)

O Lord, what a variety of things you have made! In wisdom you have made them all. The earth is full of your creatures. Here is the ocean, vast and wide, teeming with life of every kind, both large and small. 

Psalm 104:24-25

Counting on … day 1.106

20th April 2023

Regret

Honest awareness of what is happening in the world may prompt us to consider the part we have been or are playing, and to reassess our  response.

Far away and near at hand

The floods were far away

Now there near at hand. 

How long before I wet my feet 

and take a stand?

The heat was far away.

Now it’s close to home.

How long before I own the fact 

and finally begin to act?

Hurricanes were tropical.

Now they’re topical.

How long before I feel my guilt 

and understand the world we’ve built? 

Our climate is changing –

Far away and near at hand. 

Holy God, redeem our failings

and strengthen our resolve:

far away and near at hand.

How long O Lord? 

How  many heat waves?

How many droughts?

How many floods?

How many lost coast lines?

How many before we admit our error?

Before we recognise the crisis?

How many lost penguins?

How many missing polar bears?

How many extinct butterflies?

How many disappearing swifts?

How many before we admit our error?

Before we recognise the crisis?

How many car journeys?

How many air miles? 

How many beef steaks?

How many tonnes of cement?

How many before we admit our error?

Before we recognise the crisis?

Creator God, we admit our error

and recognise the crises we have caused. 

Grant us the wisdom and determination to make amends:

To change the way we live,

To change the way we see things,

To have care for the future. Amen.

Counting on day 1.105

19th April 2023

Panic

Being aware of what is happening, can overwhelm us. If it’s the goodness and beauty that overwhelms we can become ecstatic. But if it is fear and horror, it can be a cause of panic. In either the invitation is to share our feelings with God.

Stop the world!

I want to get off!

I can’t cope with climate anxiety, 

with the knowledge that we are still 

polluting the atmosphere with CO2.

Stop the world!

I want to get off!

I can’t cope with the politics

that we continue to ignore –

that let the rich grow richer & the poor poorer.

Stop the world!

I want to get off!

I can’t cope with the cycle of hate and war,

with our conviction that being tough 

will bring peace and reconciliation. 

Stop the world!

I want to get off!

I can’t cope with the pursuit of profit 

that says ‘I’m worth it’

 whilst resolutely destroying our world.

Stop the world!

I want to get off!

I can’t cope with myopia 

that can’t see the spread of global suffering 

because we are safe in our wealth.

Eternal God,

Give me some hope to aim for, 

courage to continue,

and peace to regain strength.

Amen.

Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will surely help you; I will uphold you with My right hand of righteousness. Isaiah 41:10

Counting on … day 1.104

18th April 2023

Awareness 

Listen; attune your ears – what do you hear? 

The excited chatter of children,

and the chatter of jackdaws,

wind rustling the leaves,

and feet tapping the road.

Or the drone of cars – too much!

Or the whine of planes – too many!

Look; focus your vision – what do you see?

a lacework of branches against the sky,

and curvaceous clouds,

tawny shades of fallen leaves,

and the tight curl of a snail shell.

Or traffic crawling bumper to bumper – too much

Or discarded tatters of plastic – too many!

Stretch; bare your skin – what do you feel?

The warm caress of the sun, 

the chilly nip of the breeze,

the prickle of grass,

the textured bark of a tree

Or the rasp of exhaust in your throat – too much!

Or the scratch of particulates in your eyes – too many!

Sniff; breathe deeply – what do you smell?

The aroma of fresh coffee,

and the zest of orange juice,

the fragrance of the last rose,

and the warmth of ground spices.

Or the reek of petrol – too much!

Or the sting of pesticides – too many!

Savour; let it linger on your tongue – what do you taste?

The fresh acidity of an apple, 

and the earthy satisfaction of bread,

the squashy sweetness of banana,

and the melting delight of chocolate.

Or the fake sweetness of green wash – too much!

Or the gall of climate injustice- too many !

Merciful God, 

bring us to  our senses.

Help us rebuild a world 

of right experiences.

Amen. 

Taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed are those who trust in God!

Psalm 34:8

Counting on … day 1.103

17th April 2023

Prayers around the Big One

Hope

God wills that the world should be a place of beauty and peace – and the world is full of signs and stories showing us how we can part of such a world.

All that is holy!

Amongst the woods and forests,

between oaks and cedars,

God’s name is holy.

In the seas and oceans,

with whales and sea urchins,

God’s name is holy.

Across the moors and meadows,

with curlews and plovers,

God’s name is holy.

By riverbanks and streams,

following eels and kingfishers,

God’s name is holy .

High up on mountain peaks and glaciers,

sheltering in cwms and gullies,

God’s name is holy.

Gathered in barns and hives,

buzzing with bees and bats,

God’s name is holy .

Hidden under stones and snuck into crevices,

lying low with lizards and spiders,

God’s name is holy .

In all corners of the world

and where ever life exists,

God’s name is holy!

Amen.

 But ask the animals, and they will teach you;
    the birds of the air, and they will tell you;

ask the plants of the earth, and they will teach you;
    and the fish of the sea will declare to you.

Who among all these does not know
    that the hand of the Lord has done this?  Job 12:7-9

Living God, 

when we neglect to see the beauty around us, 

open our eyes.

When we neglect to hear the music around us, 

open our ears.

When we neglect to feel your presence, 

awaken our senses.

When we neglect to receive your love, 

open our hearts.

Living God, 

re-inspire us with your Spirit, 

so that in us too your name is holy. Amen. 

Counting on … day 1.101

15th April 2023

How about a virtual state visit? It would save on costs and carbon emissions for both the visitor and the recipient.
It does actually happen! Earlier this week I received an email telling me that such a visit had been made to Paraguay.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uks-international-champion-on-adaptation-and-resilience-for-cop26-presidency-concludes-virtual-paraguay-visit?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=govuk-notifications-topic&utm_source=13db5428-bcac-4945-898e-46401f48cbb7&utm_content=daily

Minister Trevelyan met Vice President Hugo Velazquez during her virtual visit, accompanied by the team at the British Embassy in Asuncion.

Counting on day …1.100

14th April 2023

If more cargo bikes on our streets is a good sign for our environment, so is the news that the number of short haul air flights in Europe is dropping.
Euro News reports-

“ ‘Flight shame’ seems to be working – at least for short-haul trips within a country’s borders. According to new Eurocontrol data, 38 per cent fewer domestic flights took off in Germany in 2022 than in 2019. In Lithuania and Finland, such trips declined by 38 per cent and 35 per cent respectively. The drop can be attributed to “environmental pressure,” the Eurocontrol report suggests.”

https://www.euronews.com/travel/2023/04/11/where-in-europe-are-people-flying-less-and-whats-the-one-country-where-flights-are-surging?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=EN_TESTMay&utm_content=where-in-europe-are-people-flying-less-and-whats-the-one-country-where-flights-are-surging&_ope=eyJndWlkIjoiMTJjMTk2MDNmOWI2YTEwZmZmMTQ0ODYyMWQ3NDJhNDcifQ%3D%3D

Counting on … day 1.099

13th April 2023

This week Positive News reported on the expansion of cargo bikes in London.

“They’ve been a regular sight in Dutch cities for decades. Now cargo bikes finally look set to conquer the English capital after Transport for London published its cargo bike action plan. 

“The transport body said that it wanted to fast track the rollout of the vehicles, after delivery giants such as Amazon and DHL started using them. It estimates that a sixth of all deliveries in the city could be made by cargo bike by 2030.

“Cargo bikes can be real game changers,” said Will Norman, London’s walking and cycling commissioner. “Not only do they provide environmental benefits by not contributing to air pollution, they also make journeys more efficient, and present a much lower risk of danger to people walking and cycling than vans and HGVs.””

What went right this week: the fund to help you rewild, plus more

Counting on …. Day 1.097

11th April 2023

As we celebrate the new life of the resurrection, here is a petition calling for life for our bee population.

https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/631948

Quotes from supporters of the petition:-

1.

Professor Dave Goulson – Scientist, Author and Founder of the Bumblebee Conservation Trust

“For three years in a row our government has granted farmers special permission to use banned neonicotinoid pesticides on sugar beet. This is contrary to the expert advice of their own Expert Committee on Pesticides, who specifically recommended that permission should not be granted.  It also flies in the face of a huge body of scientific evidence showing that these chemicals are phenomenally toxic to all insect life, and that their use on any crop contaminates soils, hedgerow plants, and nearby streams and ponds for years to come. We are in a crisis, with insect populations in freefall. It is about time our government woke up to this, and acted accordingly. This petition is a necessary means of holding the government to account. Please sign and share as signing will ensure the issue is debated in Parliament.”

2.

Rev Professor Jasper Kenter, Aberystwyth Business School, Aberystwyth University 

“The repeated lifting of a ban on extremely harmful neonicotinoid pesticides by the UK Government is doing untold damage to insects in the UK. It is short-sighted and not backed by evidence. The ecological, economic, and cultural value of protecting insect population is far greater than any short-term profits from allowing these pesticides. By signing this petition, we can force a debate on this issue and make sure these pesticides are banned again next year.”

3.

Dr. George McGavin. Entomologist, TV Presenter, Author, President of the Dorset Wildlife Trust and Senior Principal Research Fellow, Imperial College.

Neonicotinoids are not a disaster waiting to happen – the disaster is already unfolding. These potent nerve poisons are extremely toxic to all manner of invertebrates and are water soluble – they get everywhere polluting soil, ground water and rivers. These chemicals, often used prophylactically as seed treatments, go on to make every part of the plant toxic. Neonicotinoids generate very large profits for the companies who manufacture and distribute them but they do enormous environmental harm and their use must stop.

Notes:

Globally 15% of crops are lost to ‘pests’ but the FAO tells us that 33% of all food grown is wasted. We need to get smarter – there other ways of protecting crops than poisoning the entire countryside.    

Dose for dose neonicotinoids can be hundreds, even thousands of times more toxic to bees than DDT