Ringing the alarm on climate change

Lloyd Ashton 16 Oct 2009

Church bells will toll up and down New Zealand on Saturday, October 24 – but not to signal a civil defence emergency.

They’ll be ringing support for ‘350 Day’ – a global pointer to the need to cut carbon dioxide concentration in our atmosphere to a safe level of 350 parts per million.

The Anglican Church here is doing its bit for 350 Day by encouraging churches in Aotearoa New Zealand and Polynesia to ring their bells 350 times at 3.50pm on Saturday afternoon, October 24.

This follows a resolution at last month’s Auckland diocesan synod, which specifically encouraged churches to take part in the 350 Day bell ringing.

The three Archbishops of the Anglican Church here are backing that idea, too. “By ringing our bells,” says Archbishop David Moxon, “we’ll be making a public statement of our concern and willingness as a faith community to reduce our carbon emission for the sake of God’s earth, our home.

“As Christians we’re called to further the growth of God’s kingdom – and that involves, in part, caring for the earth and for the integrity of God’s creation.”

The Auckland synod resolution was initiated by its Diocesan Climate Change Action Group, which is made up of concerned Auckland Anglicans who are trying to take a lead on climate change issues.

The action group’s convenor is Dr Richard Milne, a population health scientist, who says he hopes the bell-ringing will “remind church communities and individuals here of the need to live more sustainably, in order to reduce their carbon footprint.”

“It’s particularly important,” he adds, “to make this statement before our Government enters into negotiations at the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in December.”

Note:

1. Further information on the theology, science, economics and politics of global climate change, along with practical ideas for sustainable living, can be found via the Auckland Anglican diocesan website (http://www.auckanglican.org.nz/) . Click the link 'Climate Change' which will take you through to the Diocesan Climate Change Action Group page.

The bell-ringing initiative is one of about 100 ‘350 Day’ events happening in New Zealand. On the international scene, more than 3000 ‘350 Day’ events will be staged, across 160 countries. Further information on that can be found via that ‘Climate change’ link on the Auckland diocesan website.

ENDS

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