We cannot afford to fall

I had an outstanding day at the the Edinburgh Churches Climate Change Conference. 200 plus people of faith gathered together, determined to understand and to act on what is the most crucial of global issues. Even the credit crunch pales into insignificance given what will happen if we do not act now to reduce our carbon and our consumption.

With speeches from people like Chris Rapley of the British Museum and Michael Northcott of Edinburgh University and workshops as diverse as transition towns, micro generation, eco DIY, low carbon prayer, lobbying your politicians, act and music for the planet and much more there was something to motivate and inspire everyone,

You will be able to get all the presentations and speeches very soon at the conference website but there were a few gems to share with you now;

• "Those that suffer the most from the effects of climate change are the one ones whose lifestyles contribute least to its coming"
• "a Christian theology of climate change is as much driven by the call to love our unknown southern hemisphere neighbour as it is a debate about the garden of Eden or the big bang"
• "we have a moral obligation to our global neighbour to change our destructive ways"

The conference was conceived as a catalyst to action for the Christian community in Edinburgh and beyond to be the powerful lobby it has to potential to be to demand action by politicians and also to be a witness for change in the communities where it serves. The Eco congregations movement, for example, puts words in to action at a local level, practicing what is preached. I hope and I pray that the conference will be just the first of many steps to the Christian community being in the forefront of the most important political movement God's earth has ever needed.