Climate & Ecological Crisis

What's all the fuss about?

Nigel Roberts Oct 2021

From 31 October to 13th November the COP26 summit will take place in Glasgow. World leaders will gather to accelerate the action towards the goals of the 2015 Paris agreement.

Ecological and Climate Crisis
Flooding

Excessive amounts of gases, such as carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide and methane are building up in our atmosphere causing a catastrophic greenhouse effect. It is heating up the earth at accelerating rates. These gases are mainly caused by the human activities of: 

  • Fossil fuel burning
  • Animal livestock
  • Agriculture
  • Deforestation
  • Waste and recycle pollution

Because of lack of action we need a miracle to stay below an average increase in temperature of 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. This is essential to reduce the most severe impacts of climate change. Already the average global level has increased 1.1°C. Between 2021 and 2030, global fossil fuel production needs to decrease year-on-year to limit global warming to 1.5°C. However, the UN Environment Programme has found governments’ plans and projections indicate an average of 2% annual increase for coal, oil and gas.

We are losing biodiversity in nature and the seas are becoming acidic because of their warming caused by extra carbon dioxide. Any loss in the animal kingdom causes a domino effect amongst other species including ourselves as I am sure you have seen reports of in recent David Attenborough TV programs. Furthermore, 400 billion tons of ice in the Arctic and Antarctic regions melts each year and is added to the oceans causing their levels to rise and slowing currents

As you can see, we are not on a good path for continuing to sustain all aspects of life. This is also a poverty issue because climate crisis is already wrecking the lives of millions of people. Those who did the least to cause the problem are the worst effected. The frequency of extreme weather conditions such as floods, droughts, cyclones, heatwaves and wildfires are increasing to unprecedented levels. People in poorer countries are at least four times more likely to be effected by extreme weather conditions than those in rich countries We all have a part to play – and we must act now. Some actions most of us can participate in individually are:

Although we are the problem, we can also be the solution

“Then the LORD God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it.”

~ Genesis 2:15

“He who tends the fig tree will eat its fruit, and he who cares for his master will be honoured.”

~ Proverbs 27:18

Saltash Baptist is establishing a small ‘Creation Care’ team to assist us in becoming an Eco Church. We will be using the resources provided by Rocha UK to help us ‘go green’ and take part in the challenge to demonstrate that we care for God’s earth. In the coming months there will be an increasing amount of references to this initiative in our worship services.

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Data Protection Policy

Under Data Protection legislation the church Charity Trustees of Saltash Baptist Church are the Data Controllers and the Church Secretary acts as our Data Protection Officer. We are collecting this information to enable the church to keep in touch with you and provide pastoral support as appropriate.

Data Protection legislation allows us to process this information as we regard it as being in the church’s legitimate interest. Your name and contact details will be entered into our church database which is held on the church office computer and cloud system which is password protected and accessed only by the Ministers, Church Secretary and Church Administrator. Your contact details will be removed from the database once you are no longer a member of the church – unless you ask to remain as one of our “church friends”. We would like to include your name and contact details in our Church Directory which will be accessible through ChurchSuite . If you are happy for your details to be included please indicate where asked to do so. You can ask for your details to be removed at any time.

To enable us to provide adequate pastoral support to you and your family, one of the Ministers may record information which may be regarded as sensitive. This information will be stored (in password protected documents) on the church computer and Cloud System but the password will only be known by the Ministers. This information will NOT be disclosed to anyone else without your consent. You have the right to ask to see any information we hold about you (including the pastoral support information) by submitting a ‘Subject Access Request’ to the Church Secretary. You also have the right to ask for information which you believe to be incorrect to be rectified. If you are concerned about the way your information is being handled please speak to our Data Protection Officer. If you are still unhappy you have the right to complain to the Information Commissioners Office.

LAST REVIEW DATE 2019

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