Prayer Guide
“O joyful day, Lord Jesus, when you returned
You are the resurrection, our hope and our life
O glorious and victorious Redeemer”
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Tuesday 28th April
While smoking is a well-known carcinogen, what’s less appreciated is that scientists have observed some species of birds adding bits of cigarettes to their nests, writes Warren Cornwall. Scientists in Poland say they have discovered one possible reason why: The cigarettes might be boosting the health of nestlings by warding off parasites. “Our study indicates that cigarette butts may be used by urban blue tits as an opportunistic adaptive strategy, mimicking the function of aromatic plant materials in parasite control,” the scientists write in a paper published earlier this year in Animal Behavior. Add this to the mountain of evidence about how species are finding clever adaptations to urban life in the Anthropocene. There are glaring examples, such as raccoons turning into suburban “trash pandas.” There are more subtle cases, such as bacteria that have evolved to feed on plastic.
Wednesday 29th April
Oil and gas interests pollute the carbon crediting rulebook and invest heavily in a marketplace flush with low-quality carbon credits, writes Gavin Mair. A new Carbon Market Watch report demonstrates how some of the world’s biggest fossil fuel companies use their oversized leverage to influence major decision-making bodies in the voluntary carbon market. For the last three years, the world’s largest corporate buyer of carbon credits on the voluntary carbon market has been oil and gas supermajor Shell. While at first glance such a buying spree might be understood to represent climate consciousness and commitment, what is actually purchased is the illusion of meaningful environmental action bought at bargain basement prices.
Thursday 30th April
The butterfly-mad British are celebrating what seems to be a permanent return of this large and spectacular species after Dutch elm disease killed it off from the island, writes Andy Corbley. Unlike the small tortoiseshell butterfly, the large tortoiseshell butterfly hasn’t been a resident of the UK since the 1960s, but after several years of continuous widespread sightings, it’s clearly no longer just a migratory visitor. Indeed, having been seen in Kent, Dorset, the Isle of Wight, Sussex, Hampshire, and Cornwall, Britain’s Butterfly Conservation has officially designated it as the 60th ‘resident’ species in the UK.
Friday 1st May
Join with many other Christians from around the world with the monthly Pray and Fast for the Climate Movement on the first of each month. Prayer points for May will be on their website.
Merciful God, we believe that you uphold and sustain all that you have made, while also lovingly giving us the freedom to live in relationship with the rest of creation. We ask your forgiveness for the ways we have abused that freedom, through what we have done and what we have left undone. We bring our lament and our longing for a renewed earth to you now: (prayer from Christian Climate Action’s prayer for climate grief).
https://prayandfastfortheclimate.org.uk/resources/
Saturday 2nd May
Antibiotic resistance is often associated with hospitals and the overuse of antibiotics in agriculture, writes Manal Mohammed. Both are genuine problems, but new research suggests another potential culprit that many people haven’t considered – droughts caused by climate change. A recent study published in the journal Nature Microbiology found that when soil dries out, it can speed up the natural processes that create and spread antibiotic resistance. This doesn’t mean drought directly creates superbugs in hospitals, but it suggests climate change could make the problem worse. This matters a lot for the UK. The Met Office predicts that summers will get hotter and drier, with longer droughts if emissions stay high. Meanwhile, the NHS is already struggling with antibiotic-resistant infections, which are harder to treat and keep patients in hospital longer. When standard antibiotics stop working, doctors are sometimes forced to use powerful alternatives that are kept in reserve precisely because overusing them risks making those resistant too. These are known as “drugs of last resort”.
Sunday 3rd May
Father of Creation,
Turn your face to us,
Strengthen us,
So that We will face what we will face
With a firm heart,
Focused mind and resolute will.
Extract from prayer 19, Jon Swales, https://greenchristian.org.uk/lament-hope-40-prayers-for-the-climate-and-ecological-emergency/
Monday 4th May
The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) is a vast system of ocean currents that helps to distribute heat around the world, writes Cecilia Keating. By transporting warm water from the tropics northwards and cold water back southwards, the AMOC keeps Europe warm and plays a role in controlling global rainfall. It connects into an even larger network of ocean currents that continuously moves water, nutrients and carbon around the world. Now, the AMOC is under threat from human-caused climate change, as warming seas, melting ice and increased rainfall upset the temperature and salt balance of the North Atlantic. Scientists have warned that the ocean currents are slowing down – and could eventually become so frail that they no longer transport heat around the globe.
https://interactive.carbonbrief.org/amoc-explainer/index.html
Tuesday 5th May
A growing body of research has suggested that, with enough warming, the AMOC [Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation of the oceans] could reach a “tipping point” and transition to a weak state for many centuries, continues Cecilia Keating. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has projected that the AMOC will decline over the course of the 21st century as the world warms. However, whether – and when – currents might “collapse” remains a subject of debate. The IPCC says a “collapse” before 2100 is unlikely. However, some scientists have argued climate change could force the AMOC past a “point of no return” over the coming decades that could usher it towards a “shutdown” next century. A major slowdown or “tipping” of the AMOC could have grave consequences for European temperatures, causing them to plunge – despite global warming.
https://interactive.carbonbrief.org/amoc-explainer/index.html
Wednesday 6th May
Green Christian workshop – a million acts of hope. The week starting 13 May 2026, communities are getting together to celebrate and inspire A Million Acts of Hope across Britain. Come along to our workshop and find out how to get our church involved.
https://greenchristian.org.uk/a-million-acts-of-hope-green-christian-workshop/
Thursday 7th May
Today are local and Mayoral elections in England, Senedd elections in Wales and Scottish Parliament elections in Scotland. Pray for the polling station staff, vote counting staff and the outcome, where compassion and the environment are foremost in people’s minds.
Friday 8th May
Carbon credits ‘added £1.2bn to the UK economy in 2025’, writes Matilda Cox. New research from the City of London Corporation and the UK Carbon Markets Forum has quantified the UK’s carbon credit economy in detail for the first time, spotlighting the significant growth opportunities still to be unlocked if the Government provides the right support. The findings were published [in April] in ‘Seizing the UK’s Carbon Credit Opportunity: Measuring Value to Enable Action’. Created by the City of London Corporation, in collaboration with the UK Carbon Markets Forum, the report breaks down the scale, reach and financial value of the UK’s carbon credit ecosystem. As well as generating over £1bn in gross value, representing 1.8% of the total gross value added (GVA) to the UK’s net-zero economy last year, the report estimates that the country’s carbon credit economy supports over 11,000 jobs, including developers, brokers and registries. Global carbon ratings agency BeZero Carbon has previously estimated that the UK’s carbon credit industry could create up to 135,000 high-skilled jobs within the next decade, generating £1bn in tax revenues by 2035.
https://www.edie.net/carbon-credits-added-1-2bn-to-the-uk-economy-in-2025/
Saturday 9th May
A new report from the [US based] Environmental Investigation Agency analyzed more than 250 rhino horn trafficking cases prosecuted in China between 2013 and 2025 to understand smuggling routes and trends within the country, writes Spoorthy Raman. Chinese courts have convicted more than 500 traffickers, who received an average of 4.5 years in prison and fines of about 92,322 yuan ($13,540). Most rhino horns smuggled into China came from South Africa and Mozambique, entering by land across the border from Vietnam, Myanmar and Laos. Rhino horns are widely used in traditional Chinese medicine, but most court cases involved sculpted rhino horns and trinkets sold in antique and curio shops. About one-third of consumers were in big cities: Beijing, Jiangsu and Shanghai. Unrelenting demand for rhino horns, along with attempts by Southern African countries to open legal trade in stockpiled horns, could make it challenging to fight trafficking, as poaching decimates rhino populations across their African and Asian ranges.
Sunday 10th May
Father of Creation,
Turn your face to us,
Strengthen us,
So that we may embody and enact Your mercy and justice
To a dying world.
Extract from prayer 19, Jon Swales, https://greenchristian.org.uk/lament-hope-40-prayers-for-the-climate-and-ecological-emergency/
Monday 11th May
Scientists have developed a new model purporting to skillfully predict El Niño and La Niña 15 months ahead of time, writes Rebecca Ann Hughes. The first three months of 2026 were the fourth warmest on record, despite weak La Niña conditions suppressing temperatures. The start of the year has also seen record-low sea ice cover in the Arctic. Now, scientists expect the warming El Niño event predicted to arrive by early autumn to be especially strong. Experts say this means 2026 has a 19 per cent chance of surpassing 2024 as the warmest year on record… Global temperatures are expected to rise throughout the year, particularly as autumn could see the arrival of a ‘super’ El Niño. The warming phenomenon in the tropical Pacific shapes global weather patterns, and can power droughts, flooding and marine heat waves.
Tuesday 12th May
Chinese government leaders published a policy document on 22 April – Earth Day – calling for stricter controls on fossil-fuel consumption and greater oversight of heavy emitters, writes Anika Patel. It has been interpreted by experts as a signal of China’s ongoing commitment to climate action and a bridging policy between the 15th five-year plan, published in March, and future thematic and sectoral five-year plans expected to be published in the months and years ahead. While the policy document – known as “guiding opinions” – is not strictly binding, it bears the stamp of the two highest bodies in China’s political system, conveying a strong sense of authority. One expert tells Carbon Brief that this is the first high-level document to explicitly link decarbonisation efforts with energy security and industrial development.
https://www.carbonbrief.org/qa-chinas-leadership-calls-for-strict-control-of-fossil-fuels/
Wednesday 13th May
Lack of financing is one of the biggest barriers to moving away from fossil fuels, officials and experts said at a global conference [in April] in Colombia aimed at speeding up the shift from fossil fuels to cleaner energy. Journalist Steven Grattan continues: The gathering in the Caribbean city of Santa Marta comes as governments face mounting pressure to move beyond climate pledges and begin outlining how to phase out oil, gas and coal, the main drivers of global warming. While U.N. climate talks have acknowledged the need for a transition, they have produced few concrete mechanisms, leaving countries and regions to grapple with the economic challenges largely on their own…In a declaration released [during] the conference, Indigenous groups said efforts to phase out oil, gas and coal must not rely on carbon markets or offset schemes — where polluters pay to offset their emissions instead of reducing them — arguing such approaches fail to address the root causes of climate change.
Thursday 14th May
Ecosia celebrated the milestone Earth Day 2026 when founder Christian Kroll and Germany’s Federal Environment Minister Carsten Schneider planted a symbolic tree outside the Reichstag in Berlin, writes Cyrene Oraya Reyes. The achievement represents 17 years of climate investment since the company’s founding in 2009, establishing Ecosia as the world’s largest planter of native trees. The Berlin-based tech company dedicates 100% of profits to climate action, having invested more than €100 million, including €1 million in renewable energy projects. Ecosia has partnered with 125 local reforestation organizations, employing more than 200,000 tree planters across 35+ countries, creating the world’s largest network of community-based restoration efforts… “All of our successes have come from this powerful on-the-ground movement,” Kroll explained. “From one click in 2009 to 250 million trees today, our global community supercharged our climate action.”
https://happyeconews.com/ecosias-purpose-driven-climate-investment/
Friday 15th May
Central Asian countries have united at the inaugural Regional Ecological Summit, where they launched new regional partnerships to jointly address circular economy and glaciers, as well as establish common approaches to supporting biodiversity, climate action and air pollution. “The beautiful and diverse region of Central Asia is facing significant challenges – from temperatures rising faster than the global average to biodiversity loss, degrading mountain ecosystems, and air pollution, including sand and dust storms. These are shared challenges that demand shared solutions,” said UNEP Executive Director, Inger Andersen. “This Summit is demonstrating how multilateralism, driven by strong regional cooperation, can build resilience and deliver progress for millions of people.” The Heads of State of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Republic of Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and the Republic of Uzbekistan endorsed a new regional partnership on circular economy.
Saturday 16th May
The Good Fish Guide has multiple traffic light ratings for each species, depending on where and how it is caught or farmed. Some ratings for both cod and langoustine (often marketed as scampi when trawled), have declined, highlighting growing sustainability concerns for local stocks… The latest update to the Good Fish Guide sees stocks from north of the UK move further down the sustainability scale - leaving no recommended choices for UK-caught cod. Better-managed fisheries, such as those in Iceland, remain a more sustainable option… Some of the updated Good Fish Guide ratings for langoustine (scampi), have been downgraded because fishing levels have been above scientifically recommended amounts in recent years, and populations are declining… Mackerel, which moved off the charity’s recommended list last April and has recently been taken off the shelves by retailers including Waitrose, is now red-rated, meaning consumers are advised to completely avoid it.
https://www.mcsuk.org/news/good-fish-guide-update-shows-some-uk-seafood-staples-under-pressure/
Sunday 17th May
Father of Creation,
Speak to us,
Strengthen us,
So that we may raise a voice for the world’s most vulnerable,
Who are crushed beneath the wheels of climate injustice.
Extract from prayer 19, Jon Swales, https://greenchristian.org.uk/lament-hope-40-prayers-for-the-climate-and-ecological-emergency/
Monday 18th May
This year, 251 Greek beaches have been declared closed to any kind of building, including everything from hired sunbeds and umbrellas to temporary wooden structures, writes Ioannis Karagiorgas. The Greek Environment Ministry says the decision is aimed at strengthening the protection of beaches of special aesthetic, geomorphological and environmental importance, as well as preserving valuable habitats and the flora and fauna species that depend on them. At the same time, it has increased the list of beaches included in the marine NATURA 2000 programme, which are now subject to a more stringent protection regime. In these areas, the transfer of use of the seashore and the beach is not allowed, while interventions or activities that could alter their natural form or adversely affect their ecological functions are excluded.
Tuesday 19th May
Nepal has proposed a 50-hectare tiger park near Chitwan National Park to house “problem” tigers in semi-natural enclosures and fund their upkeep through tourism, write Abhaya Raj Joshi and Mukesh Pokhrel. Rising tiger populations and increasing human-tiger encounters have led to fatalities, costly captivity, and overcrowded, often inadequate holding centers. Research shows only a small fraction of tigers cause conflicts, typically injured or old individuals, while most rely on wild prey. Critics warn the park may be ethically flawed, financially unstable, and ecologically ineffective, and have suggested alternatives like better conflict management, improved identification protocols, or even euthanasia of high-risk tigers.
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/nepal-plans-park-for-problem-tigers-as-attacks-raise-concerns/
Wednesday 20th May
Today is a Green Christian talk – A Safe Planet in Good Faith, with Julian Allwood. He is co-author, with Prof Andrew Davison, of Promise the Earth: A safe planet in good faith. In this talk he will call for a rethink on not just how we can reduce emissions, but how we live, hope, lead, and take responsibility.
https://greenchristian.org.uk/a-safe-planet-in-good-faith-green-christian-workshop/
Thursday 21st May
Dublin Bay oyster restoration is bringing a lost ecosystem back to life after more than two centuries, writes Grant Brown. Scientists and conservation groups have reintroduced thousands of native oysters to the bay, aiming to rebuild marine biodiversity and improve water quality along Ireland’s coast. The restoration project is led by the Green Ocean Foundation in collaboration with researchers from Dublin City University. The oysters were placed in 300 suspended baskets in Dún Laoghaire Harbour, a sheltered part of Dublin Bay chosen for its favorable environmental conditions. Unlike commercial oyster farms, these shellfish are not intended for food. Their role is ecological. The goal is for the oysters to reproduce and gradually rebuild the natural reef structures that historically existed across the bay.
https://happyeconews.com/dublin-bay-oyster-restoration/
Friday 22nd May
Key organisations in the electric vehicle (EV) industry have criticised HMRC’s decision to appeal a ruling that would reduce VAT on public EV charging from 20% to 5%, writes Matt Mace. At the start of the year, the First-Tier Tribunal ruled that public EV charging should qualify for a 5% VAT rate. Currently, public charging is subject to a 20% VAT rate, creating a cost disadvantage for any users who do not have access to private, off-street or home charging. Charge My Street successfully brought the case forward. The Guardian has since confirmed that HMRC will appeal that decision. Commenting on HMRC’s plans, Electric Vehicles UK’s chief executive Tanya Sinclair said: “Drivers without off-street parking already pay more to charge simply because of where they live. HMRC appealing this ruling is the government choosing to defend that inequality. If you’re serious about EV adoption, you don’t fight the ruling that would fix your most regressive charging cost. You let it stand. Their actions don’t match the narrative.”
Saturday 23rd May
India's steel mills aim to cut carbon emissions by about a quarter over the next decade and reduce reliance on coal, while the world's second-biggest producer of the alloy plans to more than double output, according to a document seen by Reuters. Journalist Neha Arora continues: Under the proposed “National Steel Policy 2025”, India aims to cut emissions from steel mills to 2 metric tons of carbon dioxide per ton of finished steel by 2035-36, according to a draft cabinet note dated March 10, reviewed by Reuters … Steelmakers in India emit about 2.65 tons of carbon dioxide per ton of finished steel, roughly 32% higher than the global average of 2 tons, and account for 10-12% of the country's total emissions, the document showed. India has been hit by the European Union's carbon border tariff, which from January this year imposed fees on imports of steel, cement and other high-carbon goods, forcing New Delhi to scout for alternative export markets.
Sunday 24th May
Father of Creation,
Your Son set his face towards Jerusalem,
With self-giving sacrificial love,
So too, let us set our face towards injustice.
Let us not look away from the world’s most vulnerable. Let us not look away from sober scientific analysis. Let us not look away from evil’s empires of exploitation.
Extract from prayer 19, Jon Swales, https://greenchristian.org.uk/lament-hope-40-prayers-for-the-climate-and-ecological-emergency/
Monday 25th May
KFC proudly announced earlier this year that it will source 35 per cent of its chicken from British farmers by the end of 2026, writes Rob Percival. The timing is awkward. On Friday 20 February, KFC was among 18 major UK hospitality brands to withdraw from the Better Chicken Commitment (BCC), a voluntary pledge to raise welfare standards for over one billion broiler chickens served in British restaurants and sold by British retailers each year. KFC’s commitment not only represents a low level of ambition for sourcing British chicken but is also accompanied by a retreat from higher animal welfare standards. In 2019, KFC signed up to the Better Chicken Commitment, a six-point policy aimed at improving chicken welfare by addressing harmful practices such as breeding for excessively fast-growth and high yield, as well as issues related to housing, stocking density, and slaughter. By pledging to source slower-growing birds produced to higher welfare standards, in line with public expectations, it positioned itself as a fast-food chain finally doing some good. Now KFC has walked away.
https://theecologist.org/2026/apr/21/kfc-has-chickened-out-welfare-promises
Tuesday 26th May
Supermarkets have also been reluctant to sign up to the Better Chicken Commitment (BCC), citing increased costs, writes Rob Percival. Waitrose has fulfilled the Better Chicken Commitment in full, the only UK supermarket to have done so and M&S is on track to do so this year., The other retailers are lagging behind, and out of step with public opinion. It's shameful that companies can boast about British sourcing while quietly dropping the animal welfare standards that would make that sourcing beneficial. Polling has constantly shown that the public strongly cares about transparency and animal welfare standards - from protests against US chlorinated chicken entering our supermarkets, to research by DEFRA revealing that 85 per cent of UK adults agree we have a moral duty to safeguard animal welfare. The Soil Association's Out to Lunch campaign included an independent assessment of children’s food and sourcing standards across major UK high street restaurant chains in 2024. It found that just 11 of the 20 high street restaurant chains surveyed were sourcing 100 per cent farm-assured meat. Chicken came from as far afield as Thailand and Brazil, with significant gaps in traceability.
https://theecologist.org/2026/apr/21/kfc-has-chickened-out-welfare-promises
Wednesday 27th May
The Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) was supposed to address emissions from international flights, including those to and from Europe, writes Jenny Helle. But it’s clear the scheme is deeply flawed, suffering from patchy enforcement, limited coverage, and reliance on low-quality offsets instead of real emission cuts. Recent actions – and inactions – in the United States make it clear that CORSIA is a phantom scheme, unlikely to ever get off the ground. While the US is seemingly ‘participating’ in CORSIA, it has made no commitment to move beyond the voluntary phase or shown any interest in making its airlines pay. Meanwhile, the European Union has been waiting for global aviation pricing to take-off as its own emissions reducing scheme – the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) – sits patiently in the departure lounge. As the bloc’s biggest trading partners avoid carbon pricing responsibilities the EU must wait no longer, and extend pricing to all departing EEA flights, including those operated by US airlines.
https://carbonmarketwatch.org/2026/03/30/presidential-pardon-gives-no-cost-airlines-the-all-clear/
Thursday 28th May
In Australia, the eastern barred bandicoot was declared extinct in the wild in 1991, after the population dwindled to just 60 living at a landfill site in Victoria. But now, the marsupial has been “bred for survival” and will be released into a half dozen reintroduction sites across the country after previous attempts to reintroduce it failed because of inbreeding. In the world-first gene-mixing approach, mainland Australian bandicoots have been bred with those from Tasmania—two genetically distinct populations isolated from each other for more than 10,000 years… Animal survival isn’t the only benefit—the land will improve too. Burrowing by the chipmunk-sized bandicoots improves soil health and strengthens landscapes against flood and drought.
Friday 29th May
Independent testing of the Salween River [on the Thailand/Myanmar border] began in September 2025 after researchers found alarming levels of toxic contaminants in the nearby Kok, Sai and Ruak rivers in Thailand, much of it linked to unregulated mining in Myanmar. Journalist Gerald Flynn continues: Rare earth mines exporting crucial minerals needed for artificial intelligence, mobile phones, electric vehicles, renewable energy technologies and other uses have been blamed, but the mining of gold and various critical minerals also continues largely in secrecy across river basins in Myanmar. Most suspected mines were found upstream in the Salween’s basin, notably in Shan state, where various factions such as the United Wa State Army and the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, as well as the Myanmar military, are fighting for territory. A working group was formed to address the growing issue of contamination across Thailand’s rivers, including the Salween, and tests showed arsenic levels at every monitoring point were more than double safety levels; news of the contamination has put local fishers and communities on alert.
Saturday 30th May
The UK Government has confirmed plans to lower the influence of wholesale gas prices on wholesale electricity prices – a move which should lower energy bills and make the electrification of transport and heat a more attractive investment prospect for businesses, writes Sarah George. Historic market design mechanisms mean that gas prices set the electricity price in the UK for a significant portion of the time. At present, when electricity demand is high, generators submit bids to ramp up generation and close the impending demand-supply gap. The last generator needed to meet demand – usually a gas-fired peaker plant – sets the price for everyone. Gas sets the price of electricity around 60% of the time in the UK because of this so-called ‘marginal pricing’ system. The UK Government first committed to breaking this price link under Boris Johnson. The impetus to do so has increased with the Iran War pushing energy prices higher. [In April] ministers … set out measures to reduce the link, but have stopped short of scrapping marginal pricing altogether.
Sunday 31st May
Father of Creation,
We will one day see our Saviour face to face. Tears will be wiped away, Death will be no more.
And there will be a tree for the healing of the nations.
Until that day,
Turn your face to us,
Strengthen us so that
We will face what we will face
With a firm heart, Focused mind, And resolute will.
Extract from prayer 19, Jon Swales, https://greenchristian.org.uk/lament-hope-40-prayers-for-the-climate-and-ecological-emergency/
Sources:
Text and links compiled by Emma King. Links accessed April 28th 2025.
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