Category: Counting On …

Reflections and actions during COP26 and going on

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 

Counting on … day 1.096

10th April 2023

Homes for all? Here is a simple petition asking that all new-build homes be fitted with a swift box. Places where swifts can nest, have diminished over recent decades and the lack of safe nesting places is contributing to the demise of these beautifully acrobatic birds. 

https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/626737?fbclid=IwAR0EC_OhRCKQVv7OSxCS1MrLdaXsdkIWju0Lljr_VG6kFQSu_DG1RzayY7s

Counting on … day 1.095

8th April 2023

Calling out injustice and being a prophetic voice has long been the vocation of the church. Now the Church is beginning to exercise this role in areas of the climate crisis. Christian Climate Action reports –  “Former Archbishop of York and current Chair of Christian Aid, John Sentamu said: “Climate change is the greatest insidious and brutal indiscriminate force of our time. The people suffering the most have done the least to cause it. That is why continuing to search for new sources of fossil fuels, despite explicit warnings against this from the International Energy Agency, is such an offence against humanity. If we want to limit climate suffering we have to leave fossil fuels in the ground. The Church has a proud history of standing up against injustice and once again we need to see Christians calling on the Government to take decisive actions”” 

https://christianclimateaction.org/2023/04/05/john-sentamu-and-church-leaders-call-on-uk-christians-to-demand-an-end-to-all-new-fossil-fuel-licences/

Counting on .. day 1.094

7th April 2023

Talking about the climate crisis, what worries us and what the solutions might be is important – whether it’s talking with friends and family, with church and social groups, with businesses and providers, with MPs and local councillors. 

From the A22 Network a reports from Germany’s Letzte Generation (LG):  “Elsewhere, LG told mayors that their cities would be disrupted if they didn’t support our demands, creating a national discussion about whether this is justifiable. Our mayor said he didn’t want to be blackmailed, and instead wondered why we couldn’t just ask for his cooperation. So we did, without attacking him in any way, and he agreed.

“This is something we are hearing more and more. It feels like there are many more open doors than expected. We’re not there yet and there’s a lot more work to do, but I want to share with you the feeling that change is indeed possible since there are likely more allies than you think.””