Energy Bill is hotting-up – has your MP supported the amendment?

Many MPs are supporting the amendment to the Energy Bill, brought by Tim Yeo MP, to include a target to decarbonise our energy sector by 2030. Do you know if your MP has supported this yet? It is crucial that enough MPs vote for the amendment to give the green light for businesses to invest now in the UK's growing green economy. The Energy Bill is due to come back to the House of Commons for the Report Stage this Spring when the amendments may be adopted, before the Bill goes to the House of Lords. This is a once in a generation opportunity to influence energy policy that will set the UK firmly on the path to a low-carbon future. Without a clear target in the Bill now it will allow us to continue our dependence on fossil fuels and pave the way for an increase in gas-power technology and extraction. You can still take action through supporting the Green is Working campaign and writing to your MP or holding a local event. Further information and a church briefing is also available here.

Join our Carbon Exodus – communicating climate change effectively

Sharing the climate change message can be very challenging, but it also offers a positive opportunity to engage people in creative and inspiring solutions for a better future. Operation Noah has been preparing a collection of excellent materials and training to enable our supporters to communicate our message and campaigns with confidence and enthusiasm. The first training for any of our supporters who have signed up to become Ambassadors is taking place following our AGM on Saturday July 13th in central London. This training is also open to all our supporters (and we hope that some who attend may then sign up to become an Ambassador).

Communicating climate change effectively can be difficult when we are faced with a ‘climate sceptic’ viewpoint, or if other concerns, like debt and the economy, are more pressing, or if people think that governments are already dealing with the problem. Nobody wants to be the bearer of a bleak and startling message or be met with others' reluctance to respond to what is a serious issue. However, as we experience more extreme weather-related events linked to climate change and the overwhelming evidence of melting of the ice caps, more people are willing to take notice and recognise that not enough is being done. The next few years will be an extremely important time to be actively engaging with our local communities to galvanise effective action at the international, national and local political level, as well as what can be done by local churches and individuals.

Ambassadors will have a range of resources at their fingertips, such as quizzes, talks, powerpoints and film clips to help raise awareness, explore some of the difficult or confusing issues and inspire others. The training will also look at understanding the audience, their values and what motivates them.

Here’s a quick quiz to get you started:
• At which Pole is the ice melting at a faster rate?
• When was the original theory of greenhouse gases and global warming caused by industrial burning of coal first put forward?
• Who said the following: “We are seeing a vast increase in the amount of carbon dioxide reaching the atmosphere... The result is that change in future is likely to be more fundamental and more widespread than anything we have known hitherto.”

If you would like to attend the free training on 13th July, following our supporters' meeting, please email admin@operationnoah.org or phone 07804 059426. If you are unable to attend but would like to become an Operation Noah Ambassador please email ambassadors@operationnoah.org.

End Ecocide in Europe – sign the European Citizens Initiative!

A European Citizens Initiative (ECI) to make ecocide a crime in Europe was launched earlier this year. The ECI requires one million European citizens to sign it over the coming year to make it compulsory for the European Commission to start the legislative process of making ecocide a crime in Europe. Therefore, signing the ECI will have a big impact as it carries weight more like a vote, rather than a regular petition.

Ecocide is the extensive damage and destruction to ecosystems of a given territory, and would include ecocide occurring on EU territory (including maritime territories) and when EU companies are involved in ecocide occurring outside the EU. In addition, it would include market access in the EU for products based on ecocide as well as investment in activities causing ecocide. If ecocide were to be made a crime it could potentially have a far-reaching impact on halting the proliferation of fossil fuel extraction, especially in ecologically sensitive areas. Certain extreme methods such as drilling in the Arctic or Amazon, extraction of tar sands, shale gas and oil, large-scale deep-coal and opencast mining, coal bed methane and underground coal gasification could result in extreme pollution and damage to delicate ecosystems, which can be devastating to both communities and the environment.

If ecocide was made a crime it would add to the global action to halt dangerous climate change. Operation Noah supports this campaign as a call to Christians to protect God’s creation and to bring environmental justice to those affected by ecocide. If you are a European citizen you can sign the European Citizens Initiative here.