Activism – The Green Tau

Advent – in the bleak mid winter

20th December 2025

In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan, Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone; Christina Rossetti

You Lord, are the source of all good things:

We praise you.

You call us to tend and care for your creation:

May we strive to do your will.

You have made us as brothers and sisters with all that lives:

May we live together in peace.

A reading from Isaiah 55:10-11

“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven,

And do not return there without watering the earth

And making it bear and sprout,

And furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater;

So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth;

It will not return to Me empty,

Without accomplishing what I desire,

And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.

Response

Winter, the fallow season,

prepares the land for spring.

The small seed lies dormant

lest the cold freeze its vulnerable growth.

But in due time what is small will swell,

what is vulnerable will gain strength,

and what is hidden will bloom forth.

Winter, the fallow season

is when we prepare for spring.

Waiting,

but gaining strength,

patiently building networks of support.

Confident that the Word in us

will accomplish God’s desire.

In the bleak winter Lord,

We pray for those who feel they have no hope,

for those who anticipate a Christmas without joy.

We give thanks for all who ease their pain and desolation.

We give thanks for those who offer time and money with generosity.

Open our hearts that we too may be givers.

In the bleak winter Lord,

We pray for birds and animals seeking food and warmth,

for wildlife threatened by human greed and ignorance.

We give thanks for all who stand up for the rights of creation.

We give thanks for all who offer time and money with generosity.

Open our hearts that we too may be givers.

In the bleak winter Lord,

We pray for all affected by systems that fail to deliver,

systems corrupted by prejudice, selfishness and complacency.

We give thanks for all who stand up for the rights of others,

who challenge the status quo and seek a better world.

Open our hearts that we too may act for change.

Lord God, unfreeze frozen hearts,

bring new life to hearts of stone,

and work in us and all your creation

the transformative power of you Word.

May your will be done!

Amen.

Advent 19: mixed media

Some messages are more noticeable when displayed using unusual mediums. This one is knitted!

The prophets of the Old Testament used this technique of unusual media to convey God’s messages. Jeremiah bought a brand new loincloth which he deliberately buried so that it was irreparably ruined: a sign of what would happen to the people if they refused to listen to God. Hosea married a prostitute as a sign that even if God’s people followed other gods, God would still love them and forgive them.

Then the LORD said to me, “Go show love to your wife again, though she is loved by another and is an adulteress. Love her as the LORD loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods and offer raisin cakes to idols.” Hosea 3:1

Counting on … day 225

29th November 2024

Today is the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People.

“In 1977, the General Assembly called for the annual observance of 29 November as the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People (resolution 32/40 B). On that day, in 1947, the Assembly adopted the resolution on the partition of Palestine (resolution 181 (II)) In resolution 60/37 of 1 December 2005, the Assembly requested the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People and the Division for Palestinian Rights, as part of the observance of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People on 29 November, to continue to organise an annual exhibit on Palestinian rights or a cultural event in cooperation with the Permanent Observer Mission of Palestine to the UN.”(1)

This year’s exhibition is entitled “Gaza, Palestine: A Crisis of Our Humanity” and is displayed in the Visitors’ Lobby of the UN’s General Assembly Building.

Most of us won’t get to see the exhibition! But the UK’s Palestinian Solidarity Campaign has invited us all to display a poster of solidarity(2).

Just imagine if every single house in every street displayed this poster! Wouldn’t that be an impactful exhibition of solidarity!!

(1) https://www.un.org/en/observances/International-day-of-solidarity-with-the-palestinian-people

(2) https://palestinecampaign.org/wp-content/uploads/Solidarity-with-Palestine-Poster.jpg

Counting on … day 197

22nd October 2024

The United Nations Climate Change COP29 starts on 11th November in Baku, Azerbaijan. Like the Biodiversity COP, the discussions of this gathering of global delegates should be really important, but the fear is that, as with previous COPs, placatory words are easy, following through with both funding and actions is harder – but essential.

How can we as individuals make any impact?

Not everyone approves of the actions taken by groups such as Insulate Britain and Just Stop Oil, but if nothing else their actions have lifted the profile of the climate crisis in the media.

What we can all do is talk about the crisis, engage our neighbours in the conversation and make the subject newsworthy.

Counting on … day 136

29th July 2024

Today is the start of Christian Climate Action’s week of action urging the National Trust to switch away from its current bank, Barclays, because Barclays is Europe’s biggest funder of fossil fuels in Europe. “We love the National Trust – not Barclays”

There is an online petition you can sign and you can reader a longer article here – https://greentau.org/2024/07/29/green-tau-issue-91/

Green Tau: issue 91

An even greener National Trust?

29th July 2024

Over the last few weeks I have made a grand tour of England and Wales, visiting iconic National Trust sites. Ours is still a green and pleasant land, from St Michael’s Mount in the south west to Newcastle’s Souter Lighthouse in the northeast; from Windermere in the northwest to Box Hill in the south east, from Worms Head on the Gower Peninsula in the west to Kinder Scout in the middle. It is green and pleasant because people care passionately about the environment!

This is not to say that there isn’t room for improvement – uniform green fields full of grazing sheep may in reality be products of monoculture, and placid waters may mask life-damaging pollutants.

One of the greatest threats to our green and pleasant land is climate change. Rocketing temperatures in the oceans are fuelling a wet and windy summer here and across Northern Europe. Flooding and tree damage, poor harvests and dwindling numbers of butterflies is one of the many consequences. Late autumns and early springs upset the breeding patterns of birds, and the flowering cycles of plants. Intermittent heat waves stress many plants and animals, and increase the risk of wild fires.

And yes, generally, people do care and do want a sustainable, green, accessible, biodiverse rich environment in which to live. The National Trust is one of the bigger organisations that is making that a reality. And we know we must do all we can to limit the output of carbon dioxide to keep climate change in check. And again the National Trust is addressing this specific issue with a target of net zero by 2030.

We know we need fossil fuel companies to cut back their output and transition to renewables. We know we need pension funds, insurers and banks to use their financial power to press for faster change.

So why then does the National Trust – the nation’s largest conservation charity – still bank with Barclays, the biggest funder of fossil fuels in Europe?

This week there is a week of action, coordinated by Christian Climate Action, which aims to press the National Trust to go that one more step, to become that bit greener, by switching from Barclays to a bank that is fully aligned with the National Trust’s environmental credentials.

The actions at various National Trust sites across the country with banners and placards – possibly even with visits by Peter Rabbit -will be peaceful and friendly, inviting people to learn more about banking with Barclays is an issue and inviting them to sign a petition asking the National Trust to drop Barclays – something which other charities, such as Oxfam and Christian Aid, have already done.

Counting on … day 117

29th May 2924

I, rather more than my husband, also take part in climate actions as a means of raising awareness of the issues of climate justice and sustainability, and pushing for a change of heart/ change of thinking for those in positions of power or influence. This varies from maintaining prayerful vigils outside places such as the Houses of Parliament or the Shell headquarters, joining marches, peaceful occupying the lobbies of offices, and joining peaceful but vocal protests outside conferences and AGMs.

Counting on … day 116

28th May 2024

As well as supporting organisations and charities, we also give emphasis by signing petitions. Sometimes this can be several a day, but I think it is worth it. It is a way of giving the organisation data as to how many people are concerned about or support an issue, which they can their use as evidence to pursue the campaign. By the same token I often write to our MP on topics of concern, prefacing that email with the observation that she probably gets many such messages/ probably supports the issue any way, but that it gives her another piece of evidence to support her work – ie she can with confidence tell the House that x number of her constituents have raised the issue.

Green Tau: issue 88

The climate crisis and insurance companies intersect at three main points.

Climate risks: the risks that insurance companies guard against will include the growing risks associated with extreme adverse weather events. More intense and more frequent floods, wildfires, storms, mud- and landslips will lead to increases in damage to lives and properties. In the short term insurance companies will bear the loss; in the longer term premiums will rise but not necessarily profits.

Underwriting fossil fuel projects: fossil fuel projects – drilling wells, building pipelines, opening mines – need insurance companies who will underwrite the risk of undertaking the project. Ironically these are the very projects that cause climate change and the consequential extreme weather damage for which the insurance companies have to pay out.

Of course insurance companies can be the hero of the day by not underwriting fossil fuel projects and so preventing them from going ahead.

Investing in climate positive or climate negative: to ensure they have sufficient funds to pay out for insurance claims, insurance companies invest the premiums they receive to generate a return. In the past many insurance companies have invested in the fossil fuel industry. This again can be an ironic choice with their fossil fuel investments adding to the climate crisis and thus the size and number of insurance claims being made.

Of course, insurance companies do not have to invest in fossil fuels; there are many other investment opportunities in the renewable energy industry, where profits can be made without damaging the environment.

From 26th February, across the globe, climate activities took part in the week long ‘Insure our Futures’ campaign. The campaign reached out to numerous insurance companies – and groups such as Lloyds of London – inviting them to be the superheroes we need by committing to ensure their company policies exclude the fossil fuel projects that are devastating the world. The campaign was highly creative with dance and song, music and marches and symbolic actions such as forming a human chain around Lloyds of London. Other activists peacefully occupied the offices of key insurance companies whilst passing on information to their staff about the risks of insuring destructive projects such as the East Africa Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP).

I took part in one such occupation. Eight of us calmly walked into the foyer of 88 Leadenhall Street which houses the offices of Probitas 1492. We sat quietly on the floor such that we were visible to those coming in and out – but not blocking their passage. We remained there for five hours, praying, singing, reading poems, and hearing once again the speech given by Antonio Guterres, the UN Secretary General, in which he spoke of the urgency of tackling the climate crisis using the famous words that we must now act to do ‘everything, everywhere, all at once.’

Throughout our stay the receptionist and the security staff we polite and pleasant – afterwards we gave them a box of chocolates as a thank you. The police presence (a pair of officers) was also polite: our action was not a criminal offence.

Today, 4th March, Probitas 1492, has officially confirmed that they have not and will not insure neither EACOP nor the West Cumbrian Coalmine. For more details – https://christianclimateaction.org/2024/02/28/christians-occupy-probitas-1492-to-ask-them-not-to-insure-fossil-fuel-projects/

Counting on … day 30

30th January 2024

Holding companies to account

Whilst governments and local authorities have significant roles to play in shaping how we both live with and tackle the climate crisis, businesses also play a major role. Just as we question and hold elected representatives to account, so we can question and hold to account those who lead and manage large businesses and organisations. We should be able to feel confident that they are acting in the best interests of everyone.

You can write direct to companies and ask what they are doing. You can read reports in journals, like Ethical Consumer, that carry out research as to which companies are behaving most responsibly – and adjust which products you buy. You can sign on-line petitions.

I have written to Pure to ask if their plastic margerine tubs are made from recycled plastic (there is little point in recycling plastic if we don’t then reuse the recycled plastic). I have written to Waitrose asking what they are doing as a company to reach net zero. I have written to Nikwax to ask if they could supply their clothes cleaning and waterproofing liquids as a refill.