An unusual sacrifice for Lent
by Fresh EnergyBy Elena Velkov, media relations coordinator, Fresh Energy
On Ash Wednesday—February 6—individuals all over the world asked themselves what they would give up for Lent. Lent is meant to commemorate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ through, among other things, 40 days of self-denial. Many give up meat, chocolate, or alcohol in the name of spirituality.
Two senior Church of England Bishops have suggested churchgoers make a less conventional sacrifice for Lent: Give up carbon. According to Telegraph.co.uk, the bishops encouraged believers to pass up on plastic bags, avoid using the dishwasher, insulate their hot water tanks, check the house for drafts, replace a regular light bulb with a CFL, and generally participate in a “Carbon Fast.”
The Bishop of Liverpool, the Rt. Rev. James Jones, highlighted the salient humanitarian energy justice angle. “It is the poor who are already suffering the effects of climate change,” he said. “To carry on regardless of their plight is to fly in the face of Christian teaching. The tragedy is that those with the power to do something about it are least affected, whilst those who are most affected are powerless to bring about change. There’s a moral imperative on those of us who emit more than our fair share of carbon to rein in our consumption.”
The measure fits with a trend seen throughout Minnesota—faith and environmental leaders teaming up to find global warming solutions. Fresh Energy’s science policy director J. Drake Hamilton and polar explorer Will Steger held a series of public forums on global warming solutions throughout the state this fall. Very often, the venue was a church, and they were joined by bishops and pastors.
J. Drake Hamilton and Will Steger worked very closely with the Lutheran Coalition for Public Policy to present the forums. LCPP’s mission is to engage all people of faith in the promotion of public policy that supports peace, justice and care for all of God’s creation. LCPP reported that after the forums, 562 people of faith signed up to do future work with the organization. In addition, 101 people signed up to receive more information on environmental advocacy and public policy within their congregations.
Too often, skeptics think that global warming is a partisan issue. More and more, we learn that it penetrates any number of boundaries.
