A message from Brian Cuthbertson, Head of Environmental Challenge:
Lent 2009 is now upon us! Ash Wednesday is on Wednesday 25 February.
The Bishop and the Diocese are warmly supporting the Lent Carbon Fast, organised by Tearfund again this year.
Here are four key themes for every church and congregation member to reflect on:-
- ‘ “Love does no harm to its neighbour” (Romans 13:10) – climate change can mean our neighbours go hungry because of drought … There are many things we can do … to change the way our lives impact poor communities.’
- We encourage all church members to observe Lent and Holy Week (from 25 February to 11 April) with specific actions which reduce our contribution to climate change.
- Reducing our emissions and changing the way we live are not just things we do in Lent – they need to be forever! Let’s make changes which have the most benefit and which we can sustain well after Easter!
And here are three food-related highlights, based on Tearfund’s menu:
- Let’s give up bottled water – even when we’re on the move, we can fill a bottle from the tap.
- De-frosting the fridge and freezer (unless they’re auto-defrost) improves their efficiency, reduces emissions – and is good for our own health.
- Can we buy unwrapped food, e.g. fruit and veg, and save on packaging and landfill use?
Full details of the Carbon Fast can be found on Tearfund’s website here and here.
