The crises in a nutshell
The world is facing at least two basic environmental crises that threaten life on earth as we know it: climate and nature. These two crises are inextricably linked. As the climate crisis escalates natural habitats are being destroyed, this in turn exacerbates the climate crisis. The Diocesan strategy, in line with the national church, is formed as a reponse to these.
Climate crisis
The rapidly increasing level of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere causes the temperature to rise. Just as the human body has major reactions to a small change of our body's temperature, so the planet has major reactions to a small temperature rise, and critical reactions to a rise of even 2 degrees Centrigrade. Global emissions of greenhouse gasses have approximately doubled since the industrial revolution, and have increased at an ever accelerating rate, such that more than half of the emissions have come since 1990. While the focus is often on carbon dioxide, methane is also a powerful greenhouse gas and the amount in the atmosphere is about 2.5 times the level in pre-industrial times. Yet, on current trends, with global emissions continuing to increase, and fossil fuel production continuing to expand, we are heading into catastrophic territory, affecting everyone, but most of all today's young adults and, of course, children. Despite the goals agreed at Paris in 2015 to limit temperature rises "to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels and pursue efforts to limit it to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels", emissions have continued to increase, with global average temperatures in March 2024 1.63c above the pre-industrial figure. Such temperature rises were not expected to occur so quickly yet in 2023 not one of the G20 countries (who are responsible for 80% of global emissions and have 80% of global wealth) have policies in place that are consistent with the Paris agreements goals. The UK was rated "insufficient" by the Climate Action Tracker in 2023 and "highly insufficient" when historic emissions are taken into account. (https://climateactiontracker.org/countries/uk/)
Scientists are sure that a rise of 2 degrees will have massive consquences, and a rise of 3 degrees would be catastrophic. Such forecasts do not include what for some are the most alarming prospects of all: the various 'tipping point' scenarios, where a build up of stresses on the environment leads to a sudden colllapse. By their nature such tipping points are complex and cannot be precisely predicted, but the risks of one or more occuring are now high - for example, the collapse of the Amazon rain forest, the breakdown of the arctic/antarctic ice sheets, and the collapse of the Gulf Stream which could send Western Europe into Siberian conditions, or the melting of Siberian permafrosts and the resulting spiralling of methane emissions.
Nature Crisis
The destruction of habitats and the mass extinction of species is increasing. More frequent, widespread and uncontrollable wildfires, degraded ecosystems and increased heat kills wildlife and further destabilises climate systems. Up to 40% of land is now classed as degraded (with 50% of the world's population suffering the impacts (Global Land Outlook 2). Using a biodiversity intactness index (BII), which rates nations for how well their ecosystems have kept their natural diversity of animals, plants and fungi, the UK is assessed as one of the most nature depleted countries in the world. (The Natural History Museum has opened up the Biodiversity Intactness Index data through the Biodiversity Trends Explorer, which makes this data easy to find, understand, visualise, filter and download for anyone who wishes to use it.) The world’s overall biodiversity intactness is estimated at 75%, which is significantly lower than the 90% average considered to be a safe limit for ensuring the planet does not tip into an ecological recession that could result in widespread starvation. The UK’s index reading was 53%. Both in the UK and globally animal, plant, fungi and insect life is being devastated. The WWF Living Index Report finds that there has been a 70% decline across species in the last 50 years for all major groups (mammals, birds, fish, reptiles and amphibians). If that trend continues the consequences are unimaginable. Humankind dominates the planet with 96% of all mammals by mass being humans (36%) and their livestock (60%), this means that wild mammals account for just 4% the planet's mammalian biomass. Extinction is a timeless crime: once it happens it can never be reversed.
Climate change has measurably heated the ocean, increased its acidity, and decreased its oxygen content. This increase in water temperature is already affecting the oceans (for example the heat 'blob' that caused the die off of marine life in the Pacific ocean) and on the atmosphere (for example, greater frequency and strength of hurricanes. The acidification (from dissolved carbon dioxide) is dissolving shells of marine creatures, including plankton, the most basic food source for marine life. Pollution (plastics, forever chemicals etc) place further extreme stress on all life. The oceans have acted as a buffer to absorb carbon dioxide and atmospheric heating from fossil fuel emissions, but the resulting damage to these oceans is now becoming apparent.
Climate change is a justice matter.
The human cost of climate breakdown is already profound. Around 120 million people in the horn of Africa are gripped by drought and famine. Global food and water insecurity have tripled in the last decade. The UN estimates that 100 million people were displaced in 2022, the majority of these as a result of climate change and related factors (triple that of 2012). On current trends the IPCC estimate that 800 million people could be displaced in Africa alone by 2035 with perhaps a billion worldwide. Many more will be consigned to living in regions which will effectively be uninhabitable. Deaths from extreme heat are already happening and the predictions are for millions of deaths caused by extreme heat each year. Most of these will happen in the global south so those most affected by climate change are - and will be - those who are least responsible for causing it. According to an Oxfam report the richest 1% of the world’s population (77 million people) produced as much carbon pollution in 2019 as the five billion people who made up the poorest two-thirds of humanity. These emissions will cause 1.3 million heat-related excess deaths, with most of these deaths occurring between 2020 and 2030. The richest 1 per cent were responsible for 16% of global consumption emissions in 2019 —more than all car and road transport emissions. The richest 10 per cent accounted for 50% of emissions. It would take about 1,500 years for someone in the bottom 99 per cent to produce as much carbon as the richest billionaires do in a year.
The biblical prophets are adamant that the poor should not suffer for the crimes of the rich, yet by our actions and inactions this is what is happening globally. Such injustice, and our ignoring of it, is scandalous and an offence we must lament and do all in our power to change.