Creation care

“The earth is the LORD’s and

everything in it.”

(Psalm 24: 1)

Climate change

• Over the last 40 years, the earth has been warming, mostly due to increased emissions of CO2 from burning fossil fuels

• Seven thousand million tonnes of CO2 are emitted globally per annum

• A warmer earth leads to a changing climate

Climate change

Consequences of a warmer earth:• Melting arctic sea ice• Melting glaciers• Rising sea levels and

flooding• Drought• Spread of disease• Species extinction

Climate change

Consequences of a warmer earth:• Desertification• Declining crop yields, malnutrition, hunger• Conflict• Refugees

Climate change

Who suffers with climate change?

“The impacts are inequitable: poor countries will be hit hardest and earliest, when it is the rich countries who are responsible for three-quarters of greenhouse gases currently in the atmosphere.”

(The Stern Review, 2006)

Creation care and mission

Why should Christians care?• The earth belongs to God – he loves and

cares for it• People are already suffering through the

effects of the changing climate• “When Christians take the earth seriously,

people take the gospel seriously.” (Rob Frost)

BMS and the environment

Green solutionsBMS long-term workers, Daveen and Mike Wilson have set up a bee-keeping project in Trapiá, Brazil, to help improve income in the local community and to care for God’s creation.

Living locally, thinking globally

“If every UK household installed three energy-efficient light bulbs, the electricity saved in a year could power all the streetlights in the UK.”

(Energy Efficient Partnership for Homes, 2007)

Take action

Save energy• Don’t leave appliances on stand-by• Turn down the temperature of your house

Campaign• Join the i count campaign www.icount.org.uk

Care for God’s creation!

Useful websites

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate change www.ipcc.ch

A Rocha

www.arocha.org

Living Lightly 24:1www.livinglightly24-1.org.uk

Stop Climate chaos www.stopclimatechaos.org

Reflection

“How many are your works, O LORD! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. May the glory of the LORD endure forever; may the LORD rejoice in his works – he who looks at the earth, and it trembles, who touches the mountains, and they smoke.” (Ps 104: 24, 31-32)