The international climate change talks are currently taking place in Copenhagen, and the Earth’s future is at stake. It’s time for us to do everything we can to ensure that Canada takes a progressive stance at these negotiations, and that the world community emerges from Copenhagen with a just, binding, science-based climate treaty.
Brothers and sisters around the globe are already experiencing the devastating effects of climate injustice, and we are invited to show our solidarity with God’s peoples and the Earth!
KAIROS is asking every church in Canada to ring its church bells 350 times for climate justice on Sunday, December 13th.
Why 350 times? Because according to climate experts, 350 parts per million (ppm) is the upper limit for carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration in our atmosphere. Until about 200 years ago, our atmosphere contained 275 ppm of CO2, but now the concentration stands at 390 ppm. Unless we are able to rapidly reduce, we risk irreversible impacts on all of Creation.
Sunday December 13 is a day of action for churches around the world. A global bell ringing action is timed to coincide with an ecumenical service that the World Council of Churches is coordinating at the height of the talks in Copenhagen. When it ends at 3:00 pm, churches all over Denmark will ring their bells.
Why church bells? Because for thousands of years, they’ve been used to warn people of imminent danger… and also to call people to action.
We don’t have any church bells at St. Andrew’s, but we can still participate. When you come to worship on Sunday, bring any bells you have at home (little bells, big bells, cow bells, or any other noise makers that you can bring along) and we will close our worship service with bell ringing for 350 seconds.
We’ll begin inside the sanctuary, and those who are able can march out onto 20th street to make a little noise in the neighbourhood.
KAIROS staff and partners are on the ground in Copenhagen. Check out their up-to-date reports from Copenhagen on the KAIROS website and through Facebook and Twitter.
