Our Fragile Earth 2

Thank you for visiting this page on the All Saints, Sidmouth website.

This is really reference material.  So it contains a lot of information.  Therefore, don’t try to absorb it all at once – tackle it in bite-sized bits, an area or a link at a time! Click on any of the buttons below to see an area. If you’re a bit confused about some of the terms used in the Climate Change discussion, click here for a helpful glossary.

On this page you should be able to find:

  • Breaking news on issues relating to Creation Care and the current Climate Change situation.
  • Links to helpful sites about living sustainably.

Click on the pictures to go to the section you are interested in:

All the latest stories, plus links to sites evaluating them and sites with reports and other information for the technically minded!

Sites designed to help us understand what the Climate Change emergency is all about.

Want to work on your lifestyle?  There’s lots of help here.

We can all influence others.  Nervous about speaking up for change?  Have a look at some of this and see if you can find a place where you fit.

Let’s start with … Tearfund! 

Plenty here to get your teeth into, both in terms of Tearfund’s own campaigns and other initiatives they recomment.  Don’t be shy – have a go!

Really on the march?  Interested in campaigning on the Climate Change agenda? Have a look at this site, which gives a way into that. Not sure about it yet? Have a look to see why some Christians think it’s really important!’ Christian Climate Action

Look here for the latest news about Creation Care and Climate Change issues. 

We’ll try to keep this section updated regularly, so check back to it if major events occur or new reports are published.

Eco Church

Our overall aim of the Eco Church award scheme is to celebrate the ways that church communities have been engaging with caring for the earth as a key part of our Christian faith. As a silver-awarded Eco Church, we encourage you to celebrate your award achievement and to share about your Eco Church journey on your website or social media pages. To do this, you may like to add the attached website badge; you’ll just need to add a hyperlink to the Eco Church website here: ecochurch.arocha.org.uk. It was encouraging to see your environment page on your church website, and we encourage you to continue to share your story and your activities as an Eco Church

Climate Change Report

Click here for BBC’s assessment of the latest IPCC Climate Change Report:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-65013560

There’s so much information available now – websites, TV programmes, videos, books – the list is endless.  The following categories take you to a few suggestions according to your preferred way of learning.  Have a hunt around and see if you can find something that works for you.

Websites

The BBC website offers an excellent introduction to climate change, with clear diagrams and explanations.

And if you want the really technical stuff go to theIPCC site

The Government’s Climate Change summary is also very clear.

And, if you want a family-friendly version, how about: Climate change (according to a kid)

TV

There have also been some excellent TV programmes in 2021, many of which are still available on CatchUp TV.

Earthshot TV series available now

David Attenborough documentaries

Greta Thunberg – A Year To Change The World

Ade Adepitan – Climate Change: Ade on the Frontline

Netflix

Our Planet

Building A Sustainable Lifestyle

As Christians (and indeed as responsible human beings!) we now understand that we need to start living sustainably.  That’s a big call – but we have no choice if the planet is to be protected.  It’s time to …

But how do we go about doing that?

Well, a good start would be to have a look at the green ‘My Response’ Pledge Sheet box included on the Fragile Earth page on the Sid Valley Mission Community website (which gives a very good introduction to the ‘Our Fragile Earth’ initiative). That will take you to a number of areas about which you are invited to begin to make commitments.

If you want some more ideas, you could do a lot worse than to work your way systematically through this from the dear old Church of England which offers an excellent page on Sustainable Lifestyle. Just click on the picture.

Ruth Valerio, Tearfund’s Global Advocacy and Influencing Director (!) has written a lovely book about Sustainable Living, ‘L is for Lifestyle’, available by clicking on the book cover:

One of the things we are recommended to do is to set about discovering and then working to reduce our own carbon footprint.  The Climate Awareness Partnership Sidmouth, which is working with a number of partners across the Sid Valley, including the churches, recommends the Carbon Savvy Footprint Tool. 

See their website for further details: https://caps.vgsidmouth.co.uk/  They offer two levels, Taster and Popular, so you can dip your toe in and then go further if you want to.

One of the other most widely-used carbon footprint calculators is provided by the World Wildlife Fund:  

Click on the picture to go to the website.

If you are interested to know more about carbon footprints, try Mike Berners-Lee’s book, “How Bad Are Bananas?”, available from the Mustard Seed’s Bookshop.org shop-front:

Another book along the same lines is ‘Is It Really Green?’ by Georgina Wilson-Powell, published by Dorling Kindersley, London, 2021

Individual Areas

Consider Your Energy Use

Create A More Sustainable Home

Travel

Interested in Electric Cars?  Talk to Malcolm Crabtree, Alan Aspray or Jon Brown about them.  Contact details here.***

Food for Thought

BDA tips for a sustainable diet – from the Association of UK Dietitians website – Includes a good section on Seasonal Fruit and Veg – a handy guide.

And if you enjoy your beef, you might be reassured by this little video! 

https://clear.ucdavis.edu/explainers/why-methane-cattle-warms-climate-differently-co2-fossil-fuels

… and a caveat

The Problem With Plastic

Products That Stand The Test Of Time

Any suggestions??

Shopping With A Conscience

An example:

Of all the clothes we discard worldwide, only 20% are reused or recycled.  One of the easiest ways to be greener is to make the best possible use of them, both while they’re in your wardrobe, and, when you’ve finished with them, by donating them, selling them, or sending them off to be made into new items. 

Seven Sustainability Myths Busted

Other Helpful Websites

Good Stories – some stuff to cheer us up!

Green Websites

The Guardian – Top Ten Green Websites

Making Your Voice Heard

Interested in campaigning on the Climate Change agenda? Have a look at this site, which gives a way into that. Not sure about it yet? Have a look to see why some Christians think it’s really important!’ Christian Climate Action

Other Useful Links

Even more information may be found at these two sites: The Sid Valley Mission Community and Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. Click on the pictures to go to the sites!

Other Helpful Websites

And, if you still haven’t had enough (!) …

Good Stories – some stuff to cheer us up!

Green Websites

And finally… 

The All Saints’ Creation Care Group

Who are we and what are we doing?

During the Sidmouth Science Festival week of 2019, All Saints helped host an important series entitled “Our Fragile Earth” which explored a number of themes relating to climate change from a Christian perspective and how we might respond to this challenge.  Following this event David Caporn, our Vicar and Team Rector of the Sid Valley Mission Community, initiated the All Saints’ Climate Change Group (recently renamed the ‘Creation Care Group’) and invited Revd. Bruce Thomson to chair it.  The Group determined to take action to make caring for God’s creation a higher priority than perhaps we had given it before.

Our role is:

  • to help us all be properly informed about the climate crisis
  • to think theologically about it
  • to support us in doing all we can as individuals and as a church to respond with prayer and action
  • to enable us to work with others in Sidmouth and beyond who are also responding to Climate Change issues

The church is making progress with lowering the carbon footprint of the church site and buildings.  We are aiming, if at all possible, to achieve carbon neutrality in respect of the running of our buildings by 2030.

One of our first actions was to carry out an Audit using a questionnaire devised by A Rocha for their Eco-Church initiative.  This link gives you more information about the EcoChurch scheme:  https://ecochurch.arocha.org.uk/

The Eco-Church award scheme for churches in England and Wales provides a simple way for churches to assess how serious they are about caring for God’s Creation as we are mandated to do in Genesis 1.  So we are working through the programme, which is designed to help us live more sustainable lives.

The award scheme has 3 levels, Bronze Silver and Gold, and assesses performance in 4 categories:

  • Worship and Teaching
  • Management of Buildings and Land
  • Community and Global engagement
  • Lifestyle

All Saints Church was awarded the Bronze Certificate in January 2021 and we have plans to improve our standing further in the coming years.

LET’S GO FOR GOLD!

The current group members are:

Revd Bruce Thomson ( Chair – beagle67@btinternet.com) is a retired Anglican clergyman.  Prior to ordination, he worked in property and then with an international mission agency.  He has a particular interest in the Theology of Christian Care.

Alan Aspray ( alan.aspray@gmail.com) Alan is a retired Computer Engineer.  He says: “I’m interested in Alternative technologies, Domestic lighting and control, and Hybrid and fully electric vehicles.  Sorry, I’m not an expert but I care!”

Jon Brown ( joncbrown@outlook.com) is a retired Electronics Engineer.  He doesn’t claim to have a particular area of expertise: “As an Engineer, I’m interested in how things work and how to make processes more effective and efficient as cheaply as possible – so the following may be helpful: –

  • Applications of Technology to help solve the Climate Change Crisis
  • Alternative Energy sources (Solar, Heat Pumps, Fusion etc)
  • Building Retrofit (Thermal Insulation, ventilation, alternative heating sources)
  • From a Christian viewpoint I am particularly keen that we understand the subject from a theological perspective as well, so that biblical principles of Salvation, Justice, Grace and Love underpin what we do.” (That’s probably true of all of us!)

Roger Cozens ( rwincozens@hotmail.com) is an International Climate Resilient Agriculture Consultant.  He says: “I am interested in

  • climate resilient and sustainable land use (agriculture , horticulture , gardening)
  • carbon footprint calculation
  • promotion of local food systems
  • reduction of food waste ( links to supermarkets, food banks etc.)
  • links with local farming organizations e.g. NFU.”

Malcolm Crabtree ( rmcrabtree@waitrose.com) is a retired Farmer.  He says: “I’m a bit of a generalist, but I’m interested in Sustainable Land Use, Farming and Food.”

Revd David Lewis (Secretary – 01395 516 762, davenwend@gmail.com), like Bruce, is a retired Anglican Clergyman.  He says: ‘I too see myself as a bit of a generalist.  I know a bit about a lot rather than a lot about anything but can often point people in the direction of helpful resources.  Like Bruce, I am interested in the Theology of Creation Care.”

Wendy Lewis ( davenwend@gmail.com) is also a generalist, but passionate about the whole subject and brings emotional fire as well as buckets of down-to-earth practical common sense and realism to a bunch of blokes.  She’d welcome a female ally on the Group!

Please don’t hesitate to contact any of us if you think we might be able to help you with a particular issue of Creation Care.  If you are interested in joining the Group, please contact Bruce Thomson.

All Saints Church, All Saints Road, Sidmouth EX10 8ES Phone 01395 577773 Email allsaints@sidvalley.org.uk