Holy orders: Give up carbon for Lent
LOW-ENERGY LENT
THE NEWS Instead of alcohol or chocolate, the Church of England is hoping that its followers will give up another vice this year for Lent: carbon. In association with the Christian aid charity Tearfund, the church has published a guideline on how to reduce carbon emissions, with one tip for each day of the 40-day fast, which began on Feb. 6. Tips include replacing inefficient light bulbs, installing insulation and taking public transit.
THE BUZZ While some Christian evangelical denominations still cling to the notion that climate change is a myth, other religious orders have taken up the cause as a moral issue. “If we are Christians and we love our neighbours, then we need to take account for how our behaviours affect the world’s poorest,” says Peter Cook, head of policy for Tearfund. “Climate change caused by carbon emissions from rich countries is having a devastating impact on the world’s poorest countries.” He says that in the communities in Asia and Latin America where Tearfund operates, it is already witnessing more floods, droughts, storms and changes to traditional weather patterns in line with what climate-change scientists have predicted.
THE BOTTOM LINE Although climate change is a reality, we are still capable of averting some of its worst effects, Mr. Cook says. He estimates that with their carbon fast guidelines, people could reduce their household carbon footprint by up to 50 per cent.
PARED-DOWN PARTIES
THE NEWS Environmentalism isn’t just about austere self-denial – the biggest parties on the planet can be green as well. Last month, the first Green World Awards were handed out at the MIDEM music festival in Cannes; Roskilde in Denmark (one of the world’s largest festivals, attended by over 100,000 revellers) and Paleo Festival Nyon in Switzerland were recognized for their green efforts. And next week Festivals and Events Ontario will hand out an award for the best greening of a festival at its annual conference.
THE BUZZ Music is supposed to be a force for positive change, whether it’s helping to break down racial barriers or fuel anti-war protests – or at least that’s what they thought in the sixties. But all too often festivals can be summed up as little more than hedonistic celebrations of excess, with vendors charging $5 for eco-hostile bottles of water and thoughtless crowds leaving trails of garbage and chaos in their wake (think Woodstock 1999’s riots). Even Live Earth – designed to raise climate-change awareness – was panned by critics for the excessive carbon footprint left by massive lighting rigs and private jets.
THE BOTTOM LINE It doesn’t have to be that way – music festivals can promote and celebrate sustainability. At Roskilde, 90 per cent of drink containers are recycled (bonus: attendees are given free beer for their efforts). Paleo claims to be entirely powered by renewable energy. And the Hillside Festival in Guelph, Ont., serves food and drink only in reusable cups and plates, runs a solar-powered stage and gives free tap water to patrons. “We showcased that you can have an outdoor event in the middle of nowhere without any water bottles,” festival manager Rachel Thompson says.
TIPPING POINTS
THE NEWS A study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences lists nine global “tipping elements” – regions that could experience abrupt climate change. At risk are the Amazon rain forest, boreal forest, West Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets, Arctic summer ice, Indian and African monsoons, Atlantic ocean currents and El Nino/Southern Oscillation cycles.
THE BUZZ Change won’t be gradual, scientists say, because of such key factors as positive-feedback effects. For example, as the poles melt, areas of reflective ice and snow decrease while light-absorbing water increases, further exacerbating global warming. This study team estimates that Arctic sea ice could disappear within 10 years. The Amazon rain forest and our own boreal forest could die within 50 years. And even scarier, the Indian monsoons could collapse within one year, resulting in a famine with astronomical death tolls.
THE BOTTOM LINE Policy-makers need to act quickly to protect these systems – and only huge reforms of our environmental impact are going to help us avoid these huge changes in the biosphere.