Synod to be asked to go carbon neutral on Vicarages?

Today I gave a presentation with some personal views and thoughts on climate change to clergy and others from the Diocese Environmental and Justice forum at Saint Aldate's Vicarage, Finlay Road, Gloucester (see photos with appropriate words above the altar).

I was invited after making some suggestions re the Churchs' Environment policy (see earlier blogs by clicking the 'Diocese' Label below) and challenging the Diocese re the lack of energy efficiency of their new housing developments - particularly the Vicarage in Cashes Green (again click on 'Diocese' for previous blogs). To me this was a great opportunity to make new links with others concerned about our future and also see if we can support the Church to become more of a leader in this issue.

Here are some of my notes below from the talk which followed on from a talk by Jonathan Whittaker from Traffic Lights for Peace - he gave more info on this project and an intro re the need to act and also talked about the local Save Our Planet Day on 7th July

Introductory points:
- Awareness growing re climate change but 10 years of rising emissions, £30 bn road building and doubling of airport capacity indicate little sense of urgency
- FoE Scotland note none of 3 main parties have policies to tackle climate change
- IPCC note 8 years or less to act
- 60% cut by 2050 planned but some scientists now saying need that by as early as 2020
- Greens have been seen as being too much doom and gloom and have failed to get across message that a greener lifestyle is in many ways better - greater employment, healthier local food, stronger communities, warmer homes from better insulation and a future where, instead of hours in traffic jams, we have clean, safe, reliable public transport. A future self-sufficient in energy: a safer world where foreign policy isn't about securing fossil fuels in unstable parts of the world.
- it is a serious challenge to get across urgency but at the same time bearing in mind the need to be positive to engage and empower people.

Cashes Green, Vicarage:
- the Diocese has with developers pulled down the Vicarage and plans 6 houses (including a new Vicarage) in it's place.
- two key issues;
(i) Loss of building liked by community: not a 'listed' building but few buildings of any distinction in that area and many memories of gardens being used for community events. Parish and community objected strongly to plans and seeming lack of willingness to consider alternative plans.
(ii) Pulling down building is not usually environmentally friendly and the replacement homes are not much above current minimum standards.
- reasons for energy efficiency standards given rather than carbon neutral include need to meet 'best value' practice, Church commissioners requirements and no requirement by Stroud District Council to meet higher standards.
- development is clearly not 'best value': we will be embarrassed by the standards of homes built now. Scandinavia much better and other parts of country.
- oil is running out - we need to build houses for at least the next 50 years not houses that are not even fit for the next 20.
- International author Richard Heinberg is in Stroud on Weds 30th May at Subscription rooms for a talk re Peak Oil
- Climate change - those energy leaky homes are contributing to climate change: the average Somali is about 100 times more likely to die from events caused by climate change than the average American, despite emitting roughly 16,000 times less carbon.

Churchs' role:
- Church could be leader
- Dr Rowan Williams (April edition of The Ecologist) calls for Church to take responsibility for Climate Change. Archbishop Rowan Williams: ‘For the Church of the 21st Century, good ecology is not an optional extra but a matter of justice. It is therefore central to what it means to be a Christian.’
- need for spiritual dimension to development process
- Shrinking the Footprint is excellent start
- 'We're in this together' campaign involving Church, Tony Blair and 8 corporations could divert attention away from what is really needed. The suggested actions are small but important but washing clothes at 30 degrees (one of the key pledges) is only a v small part of the answer. See their website and my previous blog comment by clicking on 'Diocese' below).

Discussion points:
- need annual CO2 target reductions to increase urgency and actions. Friends of the Earth has for example called for the Government to set an annual target of 3% reduction in CO2 emissions.
- Church to work towards carbon neutral. Many Councils and corporations are developing strategies to become Carbon neutral. Milton Keynes has a carbon neutrality on all new developments exceeding five homes.
- Engage with exciting new local grassroot projects to tackle climate change and Peak Oil - like Transition Towns - new group in Stroud
- New developments such as Vicarages by the Diocese to be carbon neutral and improvements to existing vicarages in terms of insulation/energy efficiencies. A couple of those present will be putting a question to Synod in June around this issue.

Other related news:

Sat 23rd June - Gloucester Climate Change March organised by Christian Aid - meet North Warehouse Gloucester Docks at 11am - march ends at Cathedral Green for picnic.

Weds 12th Sept and Thurs 13th Sept - Cut the Carbon march from Chepstow to Chipping Sodbury with events on route incl breakfast at Lynch Knoll - Christian Aid organising

Sat 15th Sept - West Regional event re Climate cHange in Bristol

Tues 2nd Oct - Climate March in London - coaches from Glos