Tag Archives: Global Warming

Fred Hiltz to protest climate change

Posted on by
1

By burning jet fuel.

From here:

The United Nations climate change conference – Cop21 – begins next week in Paris, and there will be a large Anglican and ecumenical presence at the two-week event to lobby for a fair deal for the world’s poorest people – those most affected by catastrophic changes in the world’s climate……..

The Anglican presence will be headed by two primates: Archbishop Thabo Makgoba from the Anglican Church of Southern Africa; and Archbishop Fred Hiltz, Archbishop of the Anglican Church of Canada.

A global warming Advent

Posted on by
Reply

For those who think that Advent is a time of preparation for the coming of Jesus, the Canadian Council of Churches has news for you: the real Advent is all about global warming.

The CCC has even prepared a climate change sermon for Advent 1.

Read it all here:

A Sermon for Preachers Preparing for the First Sunday of Advent
“There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves. People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.” (Luke 21.25-26)

This prophecy could easily be a description of our times.

You see there was once a time when we had to argue about the reality of climate change.

There was once a time when the interesting debate to be had was whether our actions as human beings could have an impact on the climate.

However, I think, as a global culture, that time has passed.

Climate change is a reality.

In fact it’s so dominant a reality that even the world’s central banks, global investment funds, and military powers are making plans on how to adapt to it.

In other words, we have moved from the place of trying to understand what is happening in the world, to the stage of “fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world”.

The Diocese of Huron hates fossil fuels

Posted on by
3

Cheap energy produced by fossil fuels has given us better medicines, cleaner water, warmer homes, cheaper and more plentiful food, more leisure time and a longer lifespan. It also provided the means of producing the clothes and glasses the young ladies below are wearing, the sign that they are holding and the dentistry that permits them to display their toothy grins with such aplomb.

The Diocese of Huron wants to divest from fossil fuels; Canon Linda Nixon from that diocese is the one on the left brandishing the sign.

Climate-justice-march-FB-BB

The sign isn’t completely inaccurate: if she had her way it certainly would endanger our grandchildren.

Anglican bishop likens global warming to atomic bombing of Hiroshima

Posted on by
11

Canadian bishop Mark MacDonald reckons the same forces that were responsible for bombing Hiroshima are now at work wreaking climatic havoc.

To the best of my knowledge, MacDonald is not an expert on the Second World War, a nuclear scientist or a climatologist. Nevertheless, he is a bishop so we can expect – even forgive, perhaps – an unending stream of advice on matters of which he is entirely ignorant; since he is an Anglican bishop that would usually include theology.

From here:

The nuclear attack on Hiroshima, Japan in 1945 revealed the brutality and dangerous logic of war, money and power, according to an Indigenous Anglican bishop from Canada.

“That such a thing can make sense in any universe gives insight into what is happening in the world today,” says Bishop Mark MacDonald of the Anglican Church in Canada. “The forces that led to the bombing of Hiroshima are at work now in the destruction of the climate.”

[…..]

“The role of the church today is to confront the destructive gods of greed and power. We Christians need to return to our roots, proclaim the truth of God and challenge these powers,” the bishop states.

I was under the impression that the role of the church is to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

Anglican bishops, living down to expectations, hijack Holy Week to denounce global warming

Posted on by
12

From here:

We, a group of Anglican Bishops from dioceses across our global Communion greet our sisters and brothers in Christ throughout the Anglican Communion on this most Holy Day, Good Friday. On this day, when our Saviour poured out his very life for the world, we share the following statement in a spirit of sacrificial and reconciling love.

“The covetous desires of people and nations to possess what is not their own, Father, forgive. The greed which exploits the work of human hands and lays waste the earth, Father, forgive.”

At this time of unprecedented climate crisis, we call all our brothers and sisters in the Anglican Communion to join us in prayer and in pastoral, priestly and prophetic action.

This bit is interesting (my emphasis):

We believe that the problem is spiritual as well as economic, scientific and political, because the roadblock to effective action relates to basic existential issues of how human life is framed and valued: including the competing moral claims of present and future generations, human versus non-human interests, and how the lifestyle of wealthy countries is to be balanced against the basic needs of the developing world.

Setting non-human interests above or equal to human interests is typical of the green movement. Animal life, plant life and the earth itself are valued above mankind. Since the villain is fossil fuels and since fossil fuels are largely responsible for most of the benefits of civilisation enjoyed by those, including the bishops, in developed and developing countries, I am convinced that at its root, this is a death-wish neurosis, a lemming-like suicide impulse, the ultimate sacrifice to a Gaia god. In other words, Western Anglicanism at its worst. 

 Canada was represented at these neo-druid deliberations by Earth Mother Bishop Jane Alexander and Smudging Bishop Mark MacDonald.

Climate scientist delivers message of doom to Anglican Cathedral

Posted on by
4

I know this isn’t particularly surprising – to really shock I’d need news that someone preached the Gospel in an Anglican cathedral – but here it is anyway:

In a winter when much of Canada has endured frigid temperatures and heavy snowfall, it may be hard for some to take climate change seriously.

But the deep freeze many of us have experienced this winter, said renowned climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe, is actually connected to the overall warming of the planet.

“Massive snows are a symptom of climate change. A warmer planet increases the risk of heavy snowfall too,” Hayhoe told about 140 people who gathered on Feb. 19 to hear her speak at St. George’s Cathedral in Kingston, Ont. The diocese of Ontario’s Green Group, with support from the Sisters of Providence of Saint Vincent de Paul organized the event.

In the year 2000, before global warming was surreptitiously renamed “climate change”, in the halcyon days before climategate, Dr David Viner, a senior research scientist at the climatic research unit of the University of East Anglia, said:

within a few years winter snowfall will become “a very rare and exciting event”

He was speaking of Britain which has been buried in winter snow ever since.

Still, as I remind myself every time I step outside and my nose hairs frost over, even though the science was settled  in 2000, it has now resettled and, in its resettling, is telling us that a warming planet is actually making it colder. What could be more obvious: you just have to have faith in the climate scientists. Particularly the ones who lecture in Anglican cathedrals.

What, according to Katharine Hayhoe, must we do?

A small and personal starting point is to measure our carbon footprint and see what changes we can make to reduce it.

Hayhoe flew from Texas to St. George’s Cathedral in Kingston Ontario to deliver that pietism, on an aeroplane that burns four litres of jet fuel per second, placing around two tons of CO2 into the atmosphere per person. And if, as we can only hope, she returns, she will do it all again.

So why should we listen to her?

March 5th is climate fast day

Posted on by
1

On March the fifth, luminaries from Canadian Anglican and Lutheran churches, along with green politicians and assorted Gaia hangers on, will fast for climate change. The fasters include well known climatologists, Bishop Fred Hiltz and Bishop Susan Johnson. I hope they are successful because the climate needs to change: it was -24C in Oakville yesterday. Personally, I have set aside March 5th to have dinner at the local Mandarin where I will eat as much as possible.

The organiser of this worthy venture is Jennifer Henry from Kairos Canada. She reckons that the justice we most desperately need is not justice for the unborn who are routinely murdered in their thousands or for the increasing number of Christians who are being beheaded, tortured or displaced in so many places but climate justice, a incoherence which has no discernible meaning since climate is an inanimate phenomenon to which it is no more possible to act unjustly than to a bowl of porridge.

Still, to look on the bright side, Bishops not eating for a whole day will considerably reduce global flatulence; now if only they could be persuaded to stop talking.

From here:

“Fasting has long roots in our faith tradition,” says Henry. “The fast that God requires is justice and the justice we most desperately need is climate justice for all people who have been impacted, and will be impacted, by the current ecological catastrophe. Fasting for one day is a small gesture of solidarity for the hardship so many now face. Each and every one of our voices is essential to demand of the federal government an effective strategy to meet science-based emissions reductions targets in the lead up to the climate conference in Paris later this year.”

February and March are assigned to North Americans who are hungry for action on climate change. Notable leaders who agreed to fast one day during this period include the Rev. Fred Hiltz, Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada (March 6); Rev. Susan Johnson, National Bishop, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (February 14); Rev. Mark MacDonald, the National Indigenous Bishop, Anglican Church of Canada (March 16); Mardi Tindal, Immediate Past Moderator, The United Church of Canada (March 19); Joe Gunn, Executive Director, Citizens for Public Justice (February 1); Elizabeth May, Leader of the Green Party of Canada (March 12); and Bill McKibben, author and co-founder of 350.org (March 30). Connie Sorio, KAIROS’ Ecological Justice Partnership Coordinator, will join the fast on February 28.

Eco Bishops burn jet fuel to bemoan carbon emissions

Posted on by
6

Various bishops – they call themselves “Eco Bishops” – are going to meet in Cape Town next week to commiserate together on how everyone else is causing global warming by producing too much carbon dioxide.

Canada has its very own Eco Bishops – I feel so proud; among them are: Jane Alexander, bishop of Edmonton and Mark MacDonald, National Indigenous Bishop.

My favourite sentence from the ACNS article is:

The goal is to strategise together in order strategies for raising the issue of climate change and environmental degradation throughout the global Anglican Church.

Only the Anglican News Service could come up with such a lucid definition of what this is all about. I have to admit, though, they have one thing right: there really is “environmental degradation throughout the global Anglican Church”; although, the global Anglican Church is more disintegrating than degrading.

Bishops worldwide pray and fast for the climate

Posted on by
5

Just as shamans used to prance around to induce rain, so the modern equivalent – Anglican Bishops – are fasting to induce cooling. Even granting the truth of anthropogenic global warming, since China’s production of one new coal-fired power plant per week is unlikely to be slowed by a few fasting bishops – many of whom are secret admirers of the socialist paradise – I am confident that the new shamans will be as effective as their progenitors.

From here:

The Bishop of Salisbury is praying and fasting today, and on the first day of every month, for a meaningful and fair agreement at next year’s UN climate talks.

[….]

“Christians in this country have been encouraged to join in by Operation Noah. At this time next year, negotiators from around the world will gather for another round of UN climate talks in Paris, at which it is vital to make progress. That’s why I’m asking people to join in praying and fasting about climate change.”

Diocese of Montreal marches to preserve the climate

Posted on by
3

Other than dressing up in long robes and aspiring to the elevated career apex where the wearing of comical hats is permitted, there is nothing that interests Anglican clergy more than climate change.

It isn’t much of a testimony to the persuasive powers of Diocese of Montreal clerics, then, that only 15 congregants could be convinced to march to “Preserve the Climate”. Only one priest seems to be present; it was raining, of course, and high humidity does make one’s robes cling so.