Prayer Guide
God of blessings,
the universe sings of your glory.
Deepen our gratitude for all you have made
and awaken in us a renewed commitment
to care for the earth and each other. Inspire world leaders at COP31,
with openness to listen to those most affected by climate change
and with courage to act urgently and wisely,
so that our common home may be healed and restored
and all people, and generations to come, may delight in it.
Amen.
https://cafod.org.uk/pray/prayer-resources/cop31-prayer
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Tuesday 27th October
A bipartisan group of lawmakers on Capitol Hill is pushing back on a seismic shift in US environmental regulation that experts say exposes previously protected endangered species’ habitats to destruction from land use such as logging and real estate development, writes Kate S Petersen. In July, the Trump administration repealed a 50-year-old regulatory rule that has protected certain wildlife habitats under the Endangered Species Act, a move that has drawn legal challenges from environmental groups and a coalition of 20 states and Washington, DC. Some lawmakers in both GOP-controlled chambers of Congress are also looking to block the change, which officially took effect Monday. Democratic Sens. Adam Schiff and Sheldon Whitehouse last month introduced a type of joint resolution that allows for a simple majority vote to nullify the change.
Wednesday 28th October
As tiger populations in India grow and disperse beyond protected areas, encounters with people are increasing, prompting repeated capture and relocation operations by the forest department, writes Aratha Menon. High density doesn’t necessarily mean India has too many tigers. Experts caution that a region’s carrying capacity is influenced by available habitat and prey, the human population and other factors. While some landscapes support large tiger populations, potential habitat is relatively empty in other areas. Distribution and landscape management are top challenges, conservationists say. With around 30% of India’s tigers living outside its 58 tiger reserves, a landscape-scale management that maintains and reconnects wildlife corridors is crucial to keep both people and tigers safe, as well as careful monitoring of dispersing tigers, and better management of human-wildlife conflict.
Thursday 29th October
Youth-led forest restoration at Plant-for-the-Planet began in 2007, when nine-year-old Felix Finkbeiner in Germany learned about Kenyan Nobel laureate Wangari Maathai’s campaign planting 30 million trees across Africa, writes Mariz Guiniawan. Struck by her message that trees serve as powerful allies against global warming, Finkbeiner proposed that every country commit to planting one million trees. By age 13, he stood before the United Nations General Assembly, raising that ambition to one trillion trees worldwide. Nearly two decades later, youth-led forest restoration has grown from one child’s conviction into a global movement operating academies across 76 countries. More than 104,800 children and youth have become Climate Justice Ambassadors, trained to understand the climate crisis and empowered to fight for their future through tree planting, public speaking, and community organizing. The organization has facilitated more than 36 million trees planted directly through its own restoration projects, while its platform has funded over 107 million trees through partner organizations worldwide.
https://happyeconews.com/youth-led-forest-restoration-movement/
Friday 30th October
The Nepali government has requested $20m from the UN fund for “loss and damage”, following the devastating floods that hit the country in late August, writes Aruna Chandrasekhar. This amounts to just 0.7% of the $2.7bn it has estimated in “physical damage” to infrastructure and “economic losses” from the flooding, according to Carbon Brief analysis. The $20m request would, nevertheless, make Nepal the fourth-largest claimant to the UN loss-and-damage fund, which is intended to help deal with climate-related disasters. Developing countries have already made 176 applications to the UN fund for responding to loss and damage, requesting, in total, $2.8bn to help recover from a variety of damaging events, such as drought, floods and storms. Yet, to date, predominantly developed nations have only pledged $0.8bn to support the fund. This means requests to the fund are already three times larger than the total amount pledged, raising questions about its potential to respond to emergencies. As yet, no funding has been paid out of the fund to developing countries grappling with intensifying and more frequent climate change-induced disasters since it was established in 2023.
https://www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-nepals-20m-loss-and-damage-claim-only-covers-0-7-of-flood-costs
Saturday 31st October
COP31 attendees told not to interfere in Türkiye’s “internal affairs”, writes Matteo Civillini. Amnesty International says the provision in the hosting agreement could have a “chilling effect” on free expression in Antalya. Participants at COP31 in Antalya will have a "duty" not to interfere in Türkiye's internal affairs under the country's hosting deal with the UN, reviving a clause dropped for last year's climate summit in Brazil that human rights groups warn could put activists at risk. Türkiye has faced growing criticism from human rights groups over the jailing of opposition figures, journalists and activists and imposed a blanket protest ban around July's summit of the NATO military alliance in Ankara.
Sunday 1st November
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 this month 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/
Monday 2nd November
The COP31 pre-sessional meetings start today in Antalya, Turkiye. Pray for these negotiations and meetings, for peace, compassion and co-operation to be the main drivers.
While not everyone of us can attend the COPs to demand change, it’s critical that civil society, Indigenous Peoples, youth and activists are inside the UN venue to hold governments accountable, to challenge greenwash and to amplify voices that too often go unheard. While corporate lobbyists from fossil fuel giants or meat and dairy companies prowl the UNFCCC system to try and exert influence over the outcome, Greenpeace [and many other activists from around the world] attend the COPs to challenge and expose them. We’re also there to maintain the pressure on politicians to ensure they act in the interest of people, not profit, and make the urgent changes our world demands. It’s far from perfect, but the path to keep 1.5°C alive also runs through the COP and it’s long past time they led to accelerated action.
Text adapted from https://www.greenpeace.org/international/story/86619/cop31-antalya/
Tuesday 3rd November
Burrowing owls nesting on solar farms are turning a renewable energy site into an unlikely nursery, writes Elena Kryvoshei. More than a dozen owlets hatched this summer inside plastic tunnels at a 10,000-acre solar complex near Phoenix, Arizona. The project suggests clean energy and vulnerable wildlife can thrive side by side. Longroad Energy, the solar company that runs the site, teamed up with Wild at Heart, a raptor rehabilitation center. Together they set out to test whether burrowing owls nesting on solar farms could raise families long-term. In March, workers moved nine owl pairs and one single male about 50 miles to the site, since their old burrows were about to be destroyed by new housing.
https://happyeconews.com/burrowing-owls-nesting-on-solar-farms/
Wednesday 4th November
There’s a Green Christian workshop tonight on Your Local Pantry. In this session, James will be sharing about the Your Local Pantry network, founded in 2013 as a sustainable way to support members through food insecurity with the values of dignity, choice, hope and participation at its heart. He’s passionate about social action, justice and empowering people and he loves nature and walking. He has been part of the Your Local Pantry team at Church Action on Poverty since 2021. Free, but register for the zoom link.
https://greenchristian.org.uk/your-local-pantry-green-christian-workshop/
Thursday 5th November
Greening upwind of cities draws on a centuries-old planning idea, writes Mariz Guiniawan. Researchers behind the new study found inspiration in traditional Chinese village design, where settlements were built backed by mountains, facing water, and surrounded by forest. That layout, known as the mountain-water-forest framework, helped villages stay naturally cooler. Shi-Jie Cao, director of the Center for Sustainable Built Environment at Southeast University in Nanjing, led the team exploring whether this ancient pattern could work for modern megacities. Many cities have already tried planting trees within urban cores to combat heat. Results have often fallen short, leaving some cities sweltering through increasingly hot summers despite those efforts. Cao’s team wondered if location mattered more than volume. Placing vegetation strategically outside a city, rather than scattering it inside, might produce better cooling results. Results revealed a clear mechanism. Greening upwind of cities creates a mass of cooler air in the surrounding suburbs. Prevailing winds then carry that cooler air directly into the city, lowering temperatures across the urban core without requiring any changes inside city limits.
https://happyeconews.com/greening-upwind-of-cities/
Friday 6th November
A surge in wholesale costs driven by expensive gas is responsible for nearly 90% of the rise in UK household electricity bills since 2020, reveals new analysis. Simon Evans continues: The figures, shared with Carbon Brief by thinktank Nesta, show that wholesale gas costs are also behind the vast majority (77%) of the increase in household gas bills. The analysis firmly contradicts the idea, which has become embedded in UK media and political narratives, that the UK’s net-zero target is to blame for high energy bills. Andrew Sissons, director for sustainable future at Nesta, tells Carbon Brief that net-zero is, in fact, “helping to shelter Britain from the impact of expensive gas”. He adds: “Rising gas prices, not net-zero, have driven most of the recent surge in Britain’s energy bills. Britain is particularly exposed, with over 80% of households connected to gas mains, while our electricity system still relies too much on gas as the marginal unit.”
https://www.carbonbrief.org/revealed-expensive-gas-behind-nearly-90-of-rise-in-uk-electricity-bills
Saturday 7th November
Countries have failed – for the sixth time running – to agree on the timeline for publishing the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) next set of influential reports, write Cecilia Keating et al. The IPCC’s 65th session (IPCC-65) was seen by many to be the final opportunity for countries to agree on a schedule where its seventh assessment report (AR7) would be published in time for the UN’s second “global stocktake” of climate action. Before [October’s] meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, IPCC chair Prof Sir Jim Skea had warned that releasing the reports in time for the stocktake in 2028 would depend on a timeline being agreed by the end of 2026. But the week-long meeting descended into fraught disagreements between governments, resulting in Skea “suspending” the talks on Friday evening with no decision made. Countries were also unable to agree on the IPCC’s budget for the rest of the AR7 cycle, leaving the body with a “serious funding crisis”. The IPCC has pledged to reconvene the meeting at the “earliest opportunity”; however, it has not yet given an indication of when this will be. In his concluding remarks, Skea described the Addis Ababa summit as a “profound disappointment” and “among the most difficult IPCC meetings”, according to reporting from the Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB).
Sunday 8th November
The United Nations climate conference, COP31, begins tomorrow. Let us bring our prayers to God, who created the earth and all within it.
We pray for the Church: may we speak and act together as we urgently work towards good stewardship of your creation and your presence in all living things. Lord, in your mercy…
We pray for the world; the interdependence of all living things; the beauty and flourishing of the planet plundered and misused for generations by human activity; may we all, through our actions, help repair the harm we have caused. Lord, in your mercy…
We pray for the peoples already facing droughts, floods and storms: that God may grant them strength and hope for the future as they work to adapt to the changing climate. Lord, in your mercy…
We pray for our parish and our local community: that through the grace of God we may examine our environmental impact and make choices for the common good. Lord, in your mercy…
O God, who calls all people to justice and care for the earth, hear and grant these prayers. Through Christ our Lord. Amen
https://cafod.org.uk/pray/prayer-resources/cop30-intercessions
Monday 9th November
The 31st UN Climate Change Conference starts today, COP31, in Antalya, Turkiye. Australia is leading the negotiations.
The day one theme is Food, Agriculture and Health. Pray particularly for negotiations, plans and work in the fields of:
- Agriculture and Food Security
- Irrigation and Water Efficiency ·
- Food Systems ·
- Climate Change and Health
Join Green Christian for ten minutes of prayer and reflection, at 8am every morning from 9th to 21st Nov, except for the middle Sunday 15th November which is a day of rest at COP. COPs often over-run so on Saturday 21st November we intend to carry on praying, either for the final negotiations, or for the outcomes of the decisions taken. These prayer sessions will be on Zoom and led by a team from Green Christian.
https://greenchristian.org.uk/cop31/
Tuesday 10th November
Day two’s theme at COP31 is Energy and Transport. Pray for negotiations, plans and work in the fields of:
- Energy Security ·
- Electrification ·
- Grid Infrastructure ·
- Energy Diversification and Efficiency
- Sustainable Transport
Join Green Christian for ten minutes of prayer and reflection, at 8am every morning from 9th to 21st Nov, except for the middle Sunday 15th November which is a day of rest at COP. COPs often over-run so on Saturday 21st November we intend to carry on praying, either for the final negotiations, or for the outcomes of the decisions taken. These prayer sessions will be on Zoom and led by a team from Green Christian.
https://greenchristian.org.uk/cop31/
Wednesday 11th November
Day three’s theme at COP31 is Zero Waste. Pray for negotiations, plans and work in the fields of:
- Resource Efficiency · Methane ·
- Circular Economy
- Climate-Friendly Buildings ·
It is also day one of the Leader’s Summit.
Join Green Christian for ten minutes of prayer and reflection, at 8am every morning from 9th to 21st Nov, except for the middle Sunday 15th November which is a day of rest at COP. COPs often over-run so on Saturday 21st November we intend to carry on praying, either for the final negotiations, or for the outcomes of the decisions taken. These prayer sessions will be on Zoom and led by a team from Green Christian.
https://greenchristian.org.uk/cop31/
Thursday 12th November
Day four’s theme at COP31 is Resilient Cities and the Built Environment. Pray for negotiations, plans and work in the fields of:
- Climate-Friendly Buildings ·
- Settlements and Urban Resilience ·
- Disaster Risk Management ·
- Local Governments ·
- Smart Cities ·
- Nature-Based Solutions ·
- Smart Mobility ·
- Built Environment and Infrastructure ·
- Sustainable Waste Systems
It is also day two of the Leader’s Summit.
Join Green Christian for ten minutes of prayer and reflection, at 8am every morning from 9th to 21st Nov, except for the middle Sunday 15th November which is a day of rest at COP. COPs often over-run so on Saturday 21st November we intend to carry on praying, either for the final negotiations, or for the outcomes of the decisions taken. These prayer sessions will be on Zoom and led by a team from Green Christian.
https://greenchristian.org.uk/cop31/
Friday 13th November
Day five’s theme at COP31 is Finance and Trade. Pray for negotiations, plans and work in the fields of:
- Green Transformation ·
- Climate-Based Investment ·
- Green Finance ·
- Value Chains ·
- Carbon Markets
Join Green Christian for ten minutes of prayer and reflection, at 8am every morning from 9th to 21st Nov, except for the middle Sunday 15th November which is a day of rest at COP. COPs often over-run so on Saturday 21st November we intend to carry on praying, either for the final negotiations, or for the outcomes of the decisions taken. These prayer sessions will be on Zoom and led by a team from Green Christian.
https://greenchristian.org.uk/cop31/
Saturday 14th November
Day six’s theme at COP31 is Children, Youth, education and Skills. Pray for negotiations, plans and work in the fields of:
- Climate Literacy and Education ·
- Green Skills and Workforce ·
- Academia ·
- Curriculum Development ·
- Lifelong Learning
Join Green Christian for ten minutes of prayer and reflection, at 8am every morning from 9th to 21st Nov, except for the middle Sunday 15th November which is a day of rest at COP. COPs often over-run so on Saturday 21st November we intend to carry on praying, either for the final negotiations, or for the outcomes of the decisions taken. These prayer sessions will be on Zoom and led by a team from Green Christian.
https://greenchristian.org.uk/cop31/
Sunday 15th November
God of blessings,
the universe sings of your glory.
Deepen our gratitude for all you have made
and awaken in us a renewed commitment
to care for the earth and each other. Inspire world leaders at COP31,
with openness to listen to those most affected by climate change
and with courage to act urgently and wisely,
so that our common home may be healed and restored
and all people, and generations to come, may delight in it.
Amen.
https://cafod.org.uk/pray/prayer-resources/cop31-prayer
Monday 16th November
Day seven’s theme at COP31 is Science, Industry and Tech. Pray for negotiations, plans and work in the fields of:
- Science ·
- Green Industrialisation ·
- Technology and Innovation ·
- SMEs ·
- Digitalisation ·
- Artificial Intelligence ·
- Low-Carbon Manufacturing
Join Green Christian for ten minutes of prayer and reflection, at 8am every morning from 9th to 21st Nov, except for the middle Sunday 15th November which is a day of rest at COP. COPs often over-run so on Saturday 21st November we intend to carry on praying, either for the final negotiations, or for the outcomes of the decisions taken. These prayer sessions will be on Zoom and led by a team from Green Christian.
https://greenchristian.org.uk/cop31/
Tuesday 17th November
Day eight’s theme at COP31 is Ocean, Seas, Nature and Land Use. Pray for negotiations, plans and work in the fields of:
- Ocean and Marine Ecosystems ·
- Inland Water Ecosystems ·
- Coastal Resilience ·
- Blue Economy ·
- Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services ·
- Forest and Ecosystem Restoration
Join Green Christian for ten minutes of prayer and reflection, at 8am every morning from 9th to 21st Nov, except for the middle Sunday 15th November which is a day of rest at COP. COPs often over-run so on Saturday 21st November we intend to carry on praying, either for the final negotiations, or for the outcomes of the decisions taken. These prayer sessions will be on Zoom and led by a team from Green Christian.
https://greenchristian.org.uk/cop31/
Wednesday 18th November
Day nine’s theme at COP31 is Human and Social Development. Pray for negotiations, plans and work in the fields of:
- Tourism ·
- Cultural Heritage ·
- Employment and Livelihoods
- Traditional and Local Knowledge ·
- Vulnerable Groups ·
- Persons with Disabilities ·
- Women's Empowerment ·
- Just Transition
Join Green Christian for ten minutes of prayer and reflection, at 8am every morning from 9th to 21st Nov, except for the middle Sunday 15th November which is a day of rest at COP. COPs often over-run so on Saturday 21st November we intend to carry on praying, either for the final negotiations, or for the outcomes of the decisions taken. These prayer sessions will be on Zoom and led by a team from Green Christian.
https://greenchristian.org.uk/cop31/
Tonight is also a Green Christian workshop, 7-8,15pm What is driving plastic pollution? .All welcome to join us as we hear from Beth Gardiner on this topic.
https://greenchristian.org.uk/what-is-driving-plastic-pollution-green-christian-talk/
Thursday 19th November
Day ten’s theme at COP31 is Enhancing Implementation. Pray for negotiations, plans and work in the fields of:
- Institutional and Technical Capacity Building ·
- Investment-Ready Projects ·
- Access to Finance
Join Green Christian for ten minutes of prayer and reflection, at 8am every morning from 9th to 21st Nov, except for the middle Sunday 15th November which is a day of rest at COP. COPs often over-run so on Saturday 21st November we intend to carry on praying, either for the final negotiations, or for the outcomes of the decisions taken. These prayer sessions will be on Zoom and led by a team from Green Christian.
https://greenchristian.org.uk/cop31/
Friday 20th November
Today is the final day of negotiations. Sometimes these last days can be full of chaos and mistrust. As we did at the start, pray for peace, compassion and co-operation.
Join Green Christian for ten minutes of prayer and reflection, at 8am every morning from 9th to 21st Nov, except for the middle Sunday 15th November which is a day of rest at COP. COPs often over-run so on Saturday 21st November we intend to carry on praying, either for the final negotiations, or for the outcomes of the decisions taken. These prayer sessions will be on Zoom and led by a team from Green Christian.
https://greenchristian.org.uk/cop31/
Saturday 21st November
Join Green Christian for ten minutes of prayer and reflection, at 8am every morning from 9th to 21st Nov, except for the middle Sunday 15th November which is a day of rest at COP. COPs often over-run so on Saturday 21st November we intend to carry on praying, either for the final negotiations, or for the outcomes of the decisions taken. These prayer sessions will be on Zoom and led by a team from Green Christian.
https://greenchristian.org.uk/cop31/
Sunday 22nd November
God of all,
you made the earth and saw that it was good,
but like robbers we have stripped it of its treasure.
Open our eyes, Lord.
Now the earth cries out
and your people hunger and thirst.
Open our eyes, Lord.
Open our eyes to see the pain of your creation
and move us with compassion for your world.
Open our eyes, Lord.
Lead us to act as neighbours,
who do not pass by on the other side.
Open our eyes, Lord.
So that together we may care for all that you have made
and with all creation sing your praise.
Open our eyes, Lord.
Prayer: Catherine Gorman/CAFOD
https://cafod.org.uk/pray/prayer-resources/open-our-eyes-lord
Monday 23rd November
Białowieża Forest, one of Europe’s last remaining primeval forests, straddles the border between Poland and Belarus, writes Marta Kasztelan. Its wetlands and ancient trees support a dazzling array of life, but decades of drainage, drought and fragmentation have left the ecosystem under pressure. Now, it faces a new challenge. As the threat from Russia and its ally Belarus grows, Poland is strengthening its eastern border through a project called the East Shield. New military fortifications and infrastructure are planned in the region to bolster existing border security. Scientists warn that further development in and around the forest could be devastating for the ecosystem. They have, however, suggested an alternative: restore the forest, its wetlands and rivers to their natural state. The resulting landscape, dense with trees and boggy with water, not only provides important habitat but can also be practically impenetrable to heavy vehicles and ground forces. Some have dubbed this strategy “warwilding”, using restored natural landscapes as part of military strategy.
Tuesday 24th November
A hidden threat is making it harder for bees, butterflies and other pollinators to do their job: air pollution is scrambling the floral scents they use to find flowers. [James Ryall and colleagues] have just published research showing that ground-level ozone and nitrogen oxides (two pollutants strongly linked to fossil fuel use) significantly impair pollinators’ ability to locate and feed from flowers. The good news? The global shift away from fossil fuels, including the rise of electric vehicles, could eventually ease this pressure. But timing matters. Things may get worse before they get better. Flowers release complex cocktails of volatile organic compounds, essentially their perfume, to attract pollinators. These scents act like a GPS for bees and other insects. But when ozone and nitrogen oxides (NOx) react with these compounds, they break down or alter the chemical signals. The result is that pollinators struggle to find the flowers they need. This isn’t just a problem for wild plants. Almonds, apples, oilseed rape, strawberries and many other important crops depend on insect pollination. When pollinators can’t forage efficiently, yields and quality can suffer.
https://theconversation.com/how-electric-vehicles-could-help-pollinators-find-flowers-again-289835
Wednesday 25th November
Lula’s victory in Brazil's presidential election [in October] brings hope for the Amazon – but far-right gains threaten progress, wites Angela Symons. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s victory in Brazil’s election has been hailed as a win for democracy and the Amazon. Since his return to office in 2023, deforestation in the Brazilian rainforest has hit a record low, dropping 42 per cent in the last year alone. The left-wing President’s historic fourth-term reelection comes as a relief for environmentalists who feared a return to weakened nature and climate protections under right-wing opponent Flávio Bolsonaro, son of former President Jair Bolsonaro. During his presidency from 2019-2023, environmental policies were dismantled and deforestation surged by around 60 per cent, with more than 45,000 square kilometres cleared. Under Lula, deforestation has fallen 71 per cent below its 2022 level. Greenpeace Brazil said the 2026 election result “is a win for democracy and maintains the commitment to protecting the Amazon and fighting climate change”.
Thursday 26th November
Forest and peatland wildfires continue to burn across the island of Borneo, endangering the air quality for both humans and wildlife—and torching the food supply for critically endangered orangutans. Fortunately, thanks to an 18-year nonprofit that focuses on primate rescue and conservation in Indonesia, a total of 53 orangutans have been rescued from the fires, with many rewilded to other forest preserves in the country. Since August, the YIARI team has raced to respond to a string of urgent cases, including animals stranded, rewilding others to the Gunung Palung National Park five hours away, and saving several mothers and infants—all rescued in critical condition.
https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/53-orangutans-rescued-from-fires-in-borneo/
Friday 27th November
Businesses, campaign groups and trade unions are among the 32 organisations that [wrote to the] Prime Minister [in October], urging his government to adopt a long-overdue law to prevent corporate harm. It comes as two government reviews that could recommend such legislation are soon expected to be published (see notes for details). The letter, coordinated by the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI), British Retail Consortium (BRC) and Corporate Justice Coalition (CJC) – the latter an alliance of over 70 organisations including Friends of the Earth, ActionAid and the TUC – calls on the government to introduce mandatory human rights and environmental due diligence (mHREDD) legislation as a matter of priority this Parliament. The letter’s backing by some of the biggest names in British business, including ASOS, Marks & Spencer and Asda, shows there is a broad and growing alliance of organisations that are now pushing for stronger measures to hold companies to higher ethical standards in how they operate. These must come in place of the current patchwork of ineffective laws and weak voluntary regimes that have held businesses back and have therefore been unable to stem the problem, argue the letter’s signatories.
Saturday 28th November
The uneven distribution of oil extraction's impacts and benefits helps explain why some Indigenous communities accept it, newly published research shows. Brendan Montague continues his report: Dr Julie Dayot spent eight months with Quichua communities along the Lower Napo River in the Ecuadorian Amazon during the expansion of a major oil project. Dr Dayot found many communities accept new extraction – despite anticipating ecological damage and impacts on their livelihoods. The research shows that their decisions cannot be viewed in isolation. Instead, environmental damage extends beyond individual oil projects. River pollution, for instance, can reach communities downstream long before oil extraction enters their own territories. However, the benefits offered by oil companies only come to communities where oil projects take place. That means the impacts come before, and potentially without, the benefits intended to offset them, from the point of view of a specific community. “When I first met people from Quichua communities, I was surprised that many wanted the oil company to come,” said Dr Dayot, who began the research during a PhD at the University of Oxford and is now at the University of Exeter. “I wanted to understand why. Over time, I saw how the costs and benefits of oil extraction are spread unevenly over space and time. “One particularly striking example is drinking water. The river that communities depend on was already widely polluted, partly due to earlier oil extraction upstream. “Several communities therefore asked the oil company for drinking water systems – both to address an existing problem and because they expected the new extraction to further contaminate the river.” Dr Dayot said this is how oil comes to be seen locally as both a source of environmental harm and a means of addressing some of its expected impacts, as well as existing problems.
https://theecologist.org/2026/oct/21/oil-and-indigenous-communities
Sunday 29th November
Advent Sunday
God of hope,
we cling to you,
for you renew the face of the earth.
Through the gift of your Son,
our Lord Jesus,
we follow you on the path of dawn.
Enlightened by your love and wisdom,
help us to lead each other
and all creatures
back to your open arms.
Amen.
Rachel McCarthy/CAFOD
https://cafod.org.uk/pray/prayer-resources/god-of-hope
Monday 30th November
Heavy rainfall during the cacao flowering season is a major driver of Ghana’s recent harvest fluctuations, new research finds. Victoria Schneider continues: A study published in September by researchers at the Harvard University Center for the Environment in the U.S. found that heavy rainfall during cacao’s flowering and early pod development is linked to significant yield decreases. The researchers described how short, untypical rains during the flowering season, together with dry-season drought, is a major reason for recent fluctuations in Ghana’s cacao production. Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire together account for about 60% of global cocoa production, making West Africa central to the world’s chocolate supply. Cacao seeds are the primary ingredient in chocolate.
Sources:
Text and links compiled by Emma King. Links accessed October 27th 2026.
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