Climate Piece for Faith Initiative
A couple of months ago, I was asked by the charity Faith Inititaive to write a piece about climate change and how it relates to faith. Here it is!
Climate change is our most pressing issue. The environment we live in is crumbling after decades of ignorance and careless behaviour. The world is shifting for the worse, from the ice melting in Antarctica at an alarming rate, to warmer weather in the UK, too warm for April. You only need to check recent reports and there it is, evidence of climate change already happening. Species are going extinct and we’re seeing 4 seasons in one day. This isn’t how it’s supposed to be. Indonesia’s capital Jakarta is predicted to be flooded by 2050. I have never understood why the UK doesn’t take climate issues more seriously, given that we live on an island. We are most at risk of suffering from sea levels rising, yet we haven’t enacted any useful laws or deals that will safeguard our future.
"Change needs to be enacted from the top, rather than pressuring individuals to become vegan or give up shopping completely."
As a climate activist, you see a lot of attention focused on how we can improve our lives as individuals, making sure we recycle in our homes and use public transport rather than cars. But we seem to conveniently forget that corporations are responsible for over 70% of the world’s carbon emissions. Change needs to be enacted from the top, rather than pressuring individuals to become vegan or give up shopping completely. While I encourage everyone to make eco-conscious choices, it’s becoming apparent that the biggest difference is the one that companies can make, by not investing their money into fossil fuels and using an alternative to plastic in their packaging.
"Religion is in favour of climate change being sorted, because it’s about preserving the world for future generations and taking care of what we have been given."
Faith has a big part to play in the climate world. Many religions teach their followers to look after each other and to care for nature. Religion is in favour of climate change being sorted, because it’s about preserving the world for future generations and taking care of what we have been given. By living in a first world country, we are not feeling the worst effects of climate change, which means we are less likely to take action. I read somewhere that the countries that suffer the most from climate change are the ones who tend to produce the least CO2 and are urging first world countries to take action. Our emissions are directly contributing to disasters in other countries, so is it not our responsibility to act?
"I feel that climate change is an issue encapsulating everything: it is political, it is religious and it is current and relevant for everybody."
Everyone has different reasons within the climate world for why they choose to act. Faith serves as a strong motivation because it encourages us to enforce good values. Islam encourages its followers to not be wasteful; food must never be thrown away. I feel that climate change is an issue encapsulating everything: it is political, it is religious and it is current and relevant for everybody. It affects everyone regardless of their beliefs.
"...in the climate movement, we have scientists working with religious leaders, spreading the message about conserving our resources before it is too late and urging their networks to be mindful of the crisis. "
Climate change and faith are so closely interlinked because they champion the same values of respect and awareness. It is well known that science and religion do not tend to mix; yet in the climate movement, we have scientists working with religious leaders, spreading the message about conserving our resources before it is too late and urging their networks to be mindful of the crisis. This work is hugely promising, because it not only allows everyone to be involved and to contribute their ideas, but also to combat stereotypes relating to religion and science. We have seen with the COVID vaccine how it has divided communities. BAME communities have been hit harder than any other category of people due to COVID, and yet this community is the one least likely to take the vaccine. This can be a cultural thing: people believe that if they are meant to have COVID, they will get it and it will be in God’s hands. The alternative view is mistrust in science and the government; whether this vaccine is actually going to harm us instead of protect us.
"...we can’t have people who have the same education, the same background and consequently the same ideas, because so far nothing has happened when this approach has been used."
Working with different communities who have different perspectives can only be a positive thing, because we will constantly be exposed to new ideas and experiences. The climate situation requires many solutions, and we need everyone to get involved and demand action. This means we can’t have people who have the same education, the same background and consequently the same ideas, because so far nothing has happened when this approach has been used. When people stand up to injustice from different groups across the world, when they stand united because they recognise there is more in common than that which divides them, no problem can seem too big for us to resolve together.
"We need people from all walks of life..."
This is why I welcome faith playing a role in the climate movement. We need people from all walks of life to use their experiences and their motivations for action. The climate movement, like many movements is seen as a white middle-class movement, even though there are so many BAME individuals championing the movement across the world. To change the way the world is responding to the climate movement, we need faith, we need support and we need people who are willing to demand action for future generations, or else there won’t be anything left for them.
*The words are inspired by Jo Cox, during her Maiden Speech in the House of Commons on June 3rd 2015. The link will take you to a video of the speech as well as a transcript*Special thank you to Faith Initiaive for asking me to write this piece for Issue 43! Link to the e-magazine is: https://www.faithinitiative.co.uk/ 
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