For the Love of.. Climate Lobby – Green Christian Pictures
Green Christian members attended the ‘For the love of …’ Climate Lobby at Westminster on June 17th.
Over 9,000 people went to London to lobby their MPs about climate change
The two ecumenical services, at St Margaret’s and the Emmanuel Centre, were both packed out. The Bishop of Salisbury, the Rt Revd Nicholas Holtam, the Church of England’s lead bishop on the environment, spoke at both services. He was transported between the two churches in a cycle rickshaw.
See him here with some members of Green Christian
During the services Bishop Nicholas launched the Lambeth Declaration. He said:
‘The impact of climate change is something about which all people of faith are concerned. We need to work together in order to find our responses to some of the most significant moral issues facing the world. Along with many Christians, I am glad to be part of Wednesday’s Climate Change Lobby at Westminster. We want to encourage our politicians to keep Britain committed to taking a global lead on climate change.’
After the services everyone scattered, many of them to lobby their own MPs.
Responses from MPs to invitations from their constituents to meet with them to discuss climate change were mixed.
Some MPs were unable to see their way clear to even making an appointment. Peter and Joy Grimwood found their MP was called away by the division bell and left their secretary to talk with them.
Jerry and Sue Barr report: ‘Our MP Laurence Robertson declined to meet us at the 11th hour. Our little banner asking whether he cared was much photographed, including by ITV, we await his reaction!’
Green Christian members in the new GC Tshirts.
Comments from those who did manage to see their MPs:
Mike and Mary Monaghan ‘had a very good talk with our MP – still work to do “on him” but a good start — six of us from high peak saw him – he has now become PPS at DFID to Amber Rudd, so a potentially useful contact.
Poppy and Quentin Pickard joined around 50 people to see their MP,Catherine West Labour, (who was over an hour late) including about 20 from a local secondary school. Poppy says, ‘She spoke to the school children first and did a photo call with them, and then talked fairly quietly to a few people. It was hard work trying to hear what she said – she was committed and sounded very keen to help and she did stay for a fair amount of time.’
David Beattie went to London with a group from CAFOD, helped on the A Rocha stand in the Emmanuel Centre and stood alongside friends from the Wildlife Trusts at
the final rally
David Higgon: ‘I had a good chat with our MP Nigel Mills from Amber Valley in North Derbyshire. While climate change is not high on his agenda, he did listen to our concerns. He has strong views on immigration and I told him something of what the CAFOD representative from Niger had spoken of and we discussed the implication of climate change on developing counties and how that will impact on migration into Europe .and therefore the need to commitment to climate change finance to help developing countries adapt to the impact of climate change.
Nigel Mills offered to come to talk to our church and I will be taking him up on that as I believe the important thing now is to keep the dialogue with MP’s going beyond the Paris talks.’
Jill Vogler: ‘I had an excellent time with our MP Fabian Hamilton. We were taken to the terraces by the river and provided with drinks by Fabian and spent some 45 minutes with him before the bell for the division lobby went! Fabian as expected said all the right things! Hopefully our small ha’penny worth can be used to contribute to the new Labour party manifesto. We had 7 members from St Ed’s plus others members from CA. The most useful idea put forward was the need to tackle David Cameron and George Osbourne in their respective surgeries. Any GC in their constituencies? AND now the Papal Encyclical. Surely an answer to prayer!’
Next: Population Explosion – a time to act
Previous: Population growth
Comments on "For the Love of.. Climate Lobby – Green Christian Pictures"
John P Fowler:
Well done all GREEN CHRISTIAN Members who made the big effort to attend this important Lobby. Especially well done to Barbara Echlin, who was also representing Bexhill & Hastings GLOBAL JUSTICE NOW & the local UNA Group.
Rosalind Scott:
The West Oxfordshire group, representing a wide variety of organisations, met with David Cameron our MP's researcher as he was in Milan. She listened to everyone in the group and noted our comments. We are following this up with letters and emails. We have also asked for a personal meeting with David Cameron.
Caroline Harmon:
I spoke with my MP Nicky Morgan who is also the Education Secretary. As well as asking for a strong deal in Paris and support for local climate change initiatives in Loughborough, I also asked her what the government is doing to make sure school pupils learn about both the science of climate change and also the practical skills they will need to tackle climate change. She promised to write to Amber Rudd about some of what I asked and then send me Amber's response. She also promised to write to me explaining what the government are doing re: education.
bruce kent:
Why do CAFOD and other similar groups avoid the obvious connection between the militarisation of our world and climate change. There is no argument about the connection. We spend almost 2 trillion dollars a year on the global military with substantial CO2 emissions .Further the effects of climate change means yet more conflict over resources. If this evasion is the result of 'charity status' then it is to be deplored. Bruce Kent
Add your own comment to "For the Love of.. Climate Lobby – Green Christian Pictures"
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Leave a Reply