The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it;
(Psalm 24:1,2)
for he founded it on the seas and established it on the waters.
Looking after the world, in all the different forms that takes, is a core part of what it means to be a follower of Jesus – as a church and as individuals. St Catherine’s aims to fulfil that responsibility by playing our part in responding to the current challenge to reverse the rising global temperature, as conveyed so forcefully at the recent COP26 conference in Glasgow.
We have already taken steps to reduce carbon emissions
- For many years we have used Fairtrade drinks and collected rainwater for use in the churchyard
- We switched our electricity supply to be fully renewable in 2014
- As part of our recent building project in 2018, we now have: a porch to improve the insulation of the church building, low-cost heating, and LED lighting throughout.
- We will continue to reduce our carbon footprint as much as we can. In the meantime we offset our residual carbon emissions by donating to a Climate Stewards tree planting project being led by churches and schools near Kitui in Kenya.
Steps we encourage everyone to take as individuals and households
- Calculate your household carbon footprint
- Take steps to reduce or offset carbon emissions by donating to a Climate Stewards Project
- Limit waste by adhering to the principles of Reduce, Re-use, Recycle
- Use Fairtrade and/or ethically sourced goods wherever possible.
- Use food that is Locally grown, Organic, Animal-friendly, and Fairtrade (LOAF).
Find out more
More information about what we are doing and the project we are supporting is available on the church website: www.towerseychurch.org.uk/about/climate-challenge
More information about Thame’s response to the challenge is available on the Thame COP26 website. Do check it out and join in.