The Disbelieving Pastor

As a Christian, Anna-Jane believes that we are stewards of God's creation - and should be acting on climate change.

But it's difficult when some powerful pastors don't even acknowledge the existence of climate change. It's even harder when one of these pastors is her own dad.

This is the background for Episode 4 of Years of Living Dangerously. See what happened - the episode is free online until Feb 2.

It's quite interesting to see how a person's mind works when confronted with something it doesn't want to accept - an "inconvenient truth" if you like. He demands hard indisputable evidence (despite devoting his life to God without such evidence). When such information is presented, he seems not to believe it - for reasons which aren't entirely clear.

I'd be interested to hear your impression.

Here's the trailer for the episode:

Who is Katharine Hayhoe?

This is Katharine Hayhoe. A Texan. A Christian. A Climate Scientist. Star of the documentary Years of Living Dangerously. One of TIME magazine's 100 Most Influential People

She is also an author. Her and her husband, evangelical pastor Andrew Farley, have authored the book A Climate for Change: Global Warming Facts for Faith-Based Decisions.

Could be an interesting read. It's currently out of print, but a new version is coming out in 2015.

Consuming Creation

Christians must see climate change as a spiritual and not just a scientific problem. It's not just a material problem. It goes into the heart of the human spirit - what it means to be a human being.

It seems to me that what we have to do is face a fact that at the heart our refusal to engage with the issue of climate change is our consumption economy.

Our refusal to listen to the signs of change in the atmosphere in the oceans and the weather and in the earth's system more generally is a reflection of a spiritual problem of what the prophets would call an idolatry, not just of materialism.

These are the words of Scottish theologian Michael Northcott, in a talk entitled 'consuming creation', given to a conference of evangelical Christians. In Encounter's podcast, Steve Bradbury, had this to add:

Why is it so many people in the church don't catch this - and don't understand why we should be so concerned about climate change. Part of the answer lies in the cultural captivity of the church.

In the 18th century, the Anglican Missionary Society inherited two slave plantations. They did two things - gave the slave a little bit more time off each week - and rebranded the slaves with the initials of the mission society.

We react in a shocked manner. How could they do that? But they were captives of the culture of their time....

I think we're looking at a situation where we are captive to a particular worldview. It's tied to this idea that we have to have economic growth, we must keep trying to get more and more in order to satisfy our needs and aspirations.

The strong teaching in the new testament that we have a choice between serving God or mammon (money) is a choice we don't give enough thought to.

Michael Northcott also mentioned Jesus' parable about a rich man, who dreamt of building more barns to store his enormous surplus of corn. In this parable the man dies before ever eating or selling the corn.

Outbreak of church ethics

I've just read that the Canberra division of the Anglican church has decided to divest from coal, oil and gas companies. "The Diocese accepts that it is both ethical and responsible to divest from fossil fuel stocks."

The comes very soon after the Perth Anglicans and the Uniting Church in Western Australia also decided to stop investing in fossil fuels.

Churches are really starting to catch on - that it's difficult to love one's neighbour while at the same time as funding climate catastrophes.

Uniting Church to disinvest from fossil fuels

"With national governments reluctant to take difficult decisions, it falls to us as members of the body of Christ to show leadership in taking action to reduce damaging pollution."

Those were the words of Uniting Church president Andrew Dutney, as the church resolved to divest from fossil fuels companies.

"As Christians we are called to respect and care for the whole of creation," said Rev. Prof. Dutney. "To avoid damaging climate change we must move quickly to a clean energy economy. The Uniting Church recognises that continued investment in fossil fuel industries does not support the change needed."

Perhaps because of the church's strong connection with Pacific island churches, there is a recognition of the effects of fossil fuels on other nations - and how starkly that contrasts with 'loving one's neighbour'. For the church, this is a matter of social, environmental, and intergenerational justice.

The president also recommended that other churches follow the Uniting church's lead.

More info:
Uniting Church website
Brisbane Times article

PS. The move also seems popular with church members. When the news was posted on the church facebook page, the article received more likes than the page has followers.

Hope for Creation

Hope for Creation is a movement of Australian Christians, who commit to prayer and action on climate change.



If the world is God's creation, and climate change threatens that creation - particularly the world's poor - then it makes sense for Christians to be interested in action on climate change.

One action is Hope for Creation Sunday, where churches make a special effort to reflect on climate change and pray for creation and the poor. There are prayers, presentations, and Sermon ideas available for download.

If you attend a church that doesn't get involved in Hope for Creation, there are resources that can help you individually learn, act, advocate and pray about this.

You can make a small start now, by taking the pledge.

Happy 2nd Brithday

As of July 1, Australia's carbon price has been operating for 2 years. In that time, electricity pollution has dropped 10% - and renewables are up 37%.

No wonder people are urging the government to not drop the ball on climate action.

On moral grounds, a group of multi-faith leaders have already called for bipartisan support for carbon pricing - and a recent survey showed more people favour carbon pricing than oppose it.

To me it seems the obvious thing to do is to keep it.

The Optimistic Pessimist

I was listening to a podcast from ABC Sunday Nights (Sustaining Creation) and was struck by this comment:

"We have to have pessimism of the intellect and we have to have optimism of the will. And that sort of optimism as an act of will is a very powerful place to be... It's hope as an act of will. There's no point in pessimism at this time."

It reminded me of a quote a friend shared recently:

"When asked if I am pessimistic or optimistic about the future, my answer is always the same: if you look at the science about what is happening on earth and aren't pessimistic, you don't understand the data.
But if you meet the people who are working to restore this earth and the lives of the poor, and you aren't optimistic, you haven't got a pulse."

That very much reflects my own experience - as you might have noticed here on the blog. Understanding the enormity of climate change can be quite disheartening, but seeing the kind of ideas and solutions that are possible is also very exciting.

All religions the same?

Maybe not, but a growing number of religions have their own climate action kit. Hindu, Islamic and Jewish resources are now available for download.

Much like the Christian resource, these are practical and spiritual guides. They are designed to help people connect faith with action on climate change.

Bonus file: A Jew, a Muslim and a Christian talk about religion and climate change

Archbishop Desmond Tutu supports divestment

Retired Archbishop Desmond Tutu is the latest church leader to call for divestment from fossil fuels.

Tutu would have witnessed a similar divestment helping bring an end to apartheid, and says that "people of conscience need to break their ties with corporations financing the injustice of climate change." In addition to selling shares in these companies he also suggest boycotting events, sports teams and programs sponsored by fossil fuel companies.

"It makes no sense to invest in companies that undermine our future."

The call comes as some churches in Australia and the USA are beginning to apply their beliefs to their investments.

Related Links: Full Desmond Tutu article
Uniting Church Divests
Faith v Fossil Fuels
Divestment Day - May 3

UPDATE: Archbishop Desmond Tutu writes his own article, argues how and why we can tackle climate change, just as we took on apartheid.

And it is not just that we can stop it, we have a responsibility to do so that began in the genesis of humanity, when God commanded the earliest human inhabitants ... to "keep" it; not to abuse it, not to make as much money as possible from it, not to destroy it.

How Climate Change hits the poor the hardest

Climate change hurts poor countries more than rich ones. This is doubly unfair, considering that these poor countries have done little to cause the problem. After writing about this for Journey magazine, I found this map of countries most likely to suffer the effects of climate change by 2025.

Red colouring indicates extreme risk from climate change. Clearly, with names like Bangladesh, Cambodia, Haiti and Ethiopia in the top 10, it's the poorest nations that are most likely to suffer - and without much financial ability to recover from disaster.

Interestingly, this analysis was done before the recent Typhoon in the Phillipines. Sadly, it seems some forecasts come true very quickly.

Faith vs Fossil Fuels

While re-watching Bill McKibben's Do the Math movie online, one of youtube's 'related videos' was Bill McKibben's address to faith communities.



A religious man himself, Bill McKibben observes that

Faith communities are the place we go to think about ourselves as a people. To think about eternity in some sense. To think about all those who will come after.

He encourages faith communities to do as the NSW Uniting Church has done, and divest from fossil fuel companies. He describes this as

A strong swift way to register our discontent with those forces, those powers and principalities, that are doing everything they can to undermine everything good on this sweet earth

For the polluting of the atmosphere, and "subverting our democracy" to prevent anyone from stopping them, Bill McKibben describes the fossil fuel industry as the planetary equivalent of tobacco industry. As such, faith communities should withdraw on moral grounds.

I can't promise you that this will work, but even if I could promise you that it won't work - you should still participate in this. If it's wrong to wreck the climate, it's wrong to profit from that wreckage.

It is not ok to pay the pastor's retirement account or to fund the building project for the church by investing in companies that are running Genesis backward.

PS. For more of Bill McKibben on faith matters, see his article regarding the bizarre theology that it would hurt God's feelings if we didn't open his 'gift' of fossil fuels. (Yes there are actually people saying that kind of stuff!)

Christian Climate Change Action Kit

For people and churches looking to put their faith into action, there is the Christian Climate Change Action Kit. Its a practical and spiritual guide for Christians taking action on climate change.


The kit has been designed to help people understand the connection between the faith and action on climate change - and to take steps in church life, personal life and community life, to reduce our negative impact on creation.

The guide also explains the science, and morality of acting on climate change - and gives plenty of spiritual resources (including prayers and sermon ideas) as well as practical ones.

You can download the kit now.

Church pulls out of fossil fuels

The Uniting Church has put its money where its mouth is. The NSW meeting of the church voted unanimously to end investments in fossil fuel companies - effectively blacklisting the industry. The motion was suggested by Justin Whelan of Paddington Uniting Church.


The move is in line with the church's ethical policy of not investing in industries that do harm - and the "climate change emergency" is harm on a massive scale.

"The priority for the Uniting Church was to get its own house in order, and to practice what it preaches about environmental responsibility,"

Justin Whelan also called on other states to follow.

[Related Links: ABC report - Detailed church rationale - Fossil free campaign]

PS. If this action of the church inspires you, why not move your own superannuation investment to a sustainable option (if your company has one). If they don't, perhaps move to someone like Australian Ethical.

Earth Hour Prayers

This year for Earth Hour, I experienced a church Earth Hour. It was great to see a church that recognises caring for creation (both the planet and the people on it) as part of their mission.

Also the church building (an old traditional one) looked sensational with all its candles. Far better than the picture captures.


The short sermon (the best type there is ;) was about respecting, and caring for, the planet as something made by God - and entrusted to us.

The opening of the service include this poem/prayer:

Giver of life,
in the midst of a plundered world,
in the midst of poisoned waters,
in the midst of polluted air,
in the midst of mountains of waste,
in the midst of a beautiful but broken world
we groan with creation.

And the night ended with this prayer:

Eternal God, Creator of the universe. Great and wonderful are your works. Thank you for the many splendored variety of your creation. Thank you for the many ways we affirm your presence and purpose. Forgive our violation of your creation...

I hope the future sees more churches embracing creation and celebrating Earth Hour with the community.

Rowan Williams on Climate Change

Our present ecological crisis, the biggest single practical threat to our human existence in the middle to long term, has, religious people would say, a great deal to do with our failure to think of the world as existing in relation to the mystery of God, not just as a huge warehouse of stuff to be used for our convenience.

- Rowan Williams

I thought it appropriate for Easter Sunday to share this quote from the former Archbishop of Canterbury (head of the Anglican church) from his book Tokens of Trust: An introduction to Christian belief.

Should Christians Care?

John Dickson, head of the Centre for Public Christianity was on QandA this week. His thoughts on climate change were both sensible and great to hear.


Asked if Christians have a special responsibility to respond to climate change, he replied:

So, yes, we have a deep responsibility. I mean there are some very deep ideas driving Christian response to climate change. It’s the science, we’re schooled by the scientist and then the Christian sits there thinking, "This creation is actually a creation; an intended, beautiful work of art and humanity is here to care for it".

And more than that, that we are here to care for our neighbours, especially the neighbours that are going to feel the effects of climate change more than most; poorer communities. So there is, I would just say, a deeper or added dimension to the Christian care of the earth.

Another panelist argued that we all have responsibility - Christian or not.

I can see both points of view. What do you think?

Giving up carbon for Lent

Wednesday 13 February is the start of Lent in 2013. It's traditionally a time for people (religious or otherwise) to give up something (or cut back on it). What better to cut back on than carbon emissions? Cue the Carbon Fast.


TEAR publish a Carbon Fast Guide to help you along the way. You may remember i gave this a go last year. Check back here for more of my efforts this year.

Be encouraged to have a go yourself. It's a chance to simplify your lifestyle - but also do a favour to the earth and the poorer people on it.

PS. British people may want to check out the version run by the UK's tearfund.

"We will respond to climate change"

Obama's focus on climate change was obvious in his inauguration speech this week.

His comments in full were:

"We will respond to the threat of climate change, knowing that the failure to do so would betray our children and future generations. Some may still deny the overwhelming judgment of science, but none can avoid the devastating impact of raging fires, and crippling drought, and more powerful storms.

The path towards sustainable energy sources will be long and sometimes difficult. But America cannot resist this transition; we must lead it. We cannot cede to other nations the technology that will power new jobs and new industries – we must claim its promise.

That is how we will maintain our economic vitality and our national treasure – our forests and waterways; our croplands and snowcapped peaks. That is how we will preserve our planet, commanded to our care by God. That's what will lend meaning to the creed our fathers once declared."

I'm hoping the actions match the words.

Morals - Not Just Economics

Dr Richard Denniss spoke at the recent national meeting of Australia's Uniting Church, encouraging the church to continue to advocate for social issues - including tackling climate change.

He said the for issues of "justice and equity" it shold not be left to economics alone. "As high priests of finance we have nothing to contribute to questions of morality or justice."

Speaking primarily about climate change, but also other issues, he pointed out that

"We make choices all the time. We can afford to tackle expensive problems we had never heard of, yet we look ourselves in the eye (or our leaders do) and tell us that we can’t afford to tackle a suite of other problems."

He congratulated the church for thinking about the social issues and for providing a moral view on issues like climate change.

[Full report]