Courtesy of Svenska kyrkan
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You may have heard about the Interfaith Climate Summit in Uppsala, Sweden, which took place a bit over a week ago. At the meeting leaders from most of the world's major faiths—though some, such as Hindus, with less that proportional representation leveled claims of exclusion at the organizers—got together and signed a manifesto urging "rapid and large emissions cuts in the rich world," at least 40% by 2020.
On the personal level Planet Green has lots of green tips on how you can do measure and reduce you personal carbon emissions—through changing your diet, how you travel, buying more energy efficient appliances, just as examples.
But as the Anglican Bishop of London points out, regarding climate change, "Here is a major human emergency. Have the faiths of humankind got anything to say about this challenge? Many of our constituencies regard this still as a peripheral second-order issue - it's got to be moved up the agenda."
And that's what I want Planet Green readers and watchers to do.
Make Climate Change a Spiritual (As Well As Green) Issue
If you go to church, temple, mosque, gurdwara, or mandir (or however you gather to worship) make it a point to bring up the importance of personal steps to reduce our individual carbon and eco-footprints. Do this with others in attendance after the service, or whenever it'd be appropriate to do so in your tradition. Do this with the person or persons officiating the service. And if you don't participate in organized religion, are agnostic or atheist, still make it a point to bring up climate change with those people you know who are religious.
Point out that there is nothing inherently contradictory about the metaphysic beliefs espoused by any of the world's major religions and caring for the environment.
Though religion is often overlooked by the green movement, seen as something 'other', if we all engage on this it could be a powerful force for positive action on climate change. But it won't be unless individuals make it happen. So, do it this week, next week and the weeks and months after that until climate change is a first-order issue in your faith.
Reduce Your Carbon Footprint:
Green Glossary: Carbon Footprint
Calculate Your Carbon Footprint Just By Carrying Your Phone
Your Ecological Footprint: Defining, Calculating and Reducing Your Environmental Footprint
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