Faith Communities Rising Again on Climate Change

FAITH COMMUNITIES ORGANISING MORE THAN 120 ACTIONS IN 35 COUNTRIES WORLDWIDE, TO DEMAND GOVERNMENTS ACCELERATE CLIMATE ACTION TO LIMIT WARMING TO 1.5°C. On June 12, six months after the Paris Climate Talks, faith communities globally will come together for a day of celebration of the earth and action on climate change called - Sacred Earth, Sacred Trust (http://sacredearth2016.org). More than 120 actions and events in 35 countries are currently planned including Green Iftars, Solidarity fasts, mobilisations, meditation sit-ins, climate services and many others. The past 12 months have been the hottest consecutive 12 month period in recorded history [1], and the 1.5°C  goal agreed upon in the Paris Agreement is looking ever more difficult to achieve. Faith communities taking part in Sacred Earth, Sacred Trust are calling for the acceleration of climate action from countries, businesses and communities globally, in order to keep global temperature rise below 1.5°C [2] and protect the lives of millions of people. Sacred Earth is part of an escalating wave of climate action from faith communities and follows the Interfaith Climate Change Statement [3] which was handed over to the President of the United Nations General Assembly in New York in April 2016, and was signed by 270 religious leaders from around the world. Rev. Fletcher Harper, Executive Director of GreenFaith, one of the organisations involved said; 'The earth is an incredible gift, and people of diverse faiths realize that it's our shared moral responsibility to protect it. On June 12 around the world, representatives of the faiths will show that we want our leaders to restore balance to our precious planet, and to protect our children's future.' Diverse actions and events include: Green Ifars - As Sacred Earth falls within the holy fasting month of Ramadan, the muslim community will be joining in by hosting 'Green Iftars', which is the breaking of the fast. The Iftars will focus around the 'Prophetic Diet' focusing on local and sustainable foods. Encyclical Anniversary - Pope Francis' Encyclical on the environment 'Laudato Si' was released almost a year ago, and starting on June 12, the Catholic community worldwide will be celebrating its anniversary in order to remind communities and governments of its vital message (http://laudatosiweek.org/). Global Solidarity Fast - Organised by Fast for the Climate (http://fastfortheclimate.org/en/fast-for-our-sacred-earth-12-june-2016/) day long fast with those vulnerable to climate change, special climate focused services and prayers in faith communities globally. Meditation Actions - Taking place at key locations and online. They are being held on the Mall in Washington DC and outside Shell's London HQ, as well as an online meditation being organised by the Buddhist group One Earth Sangha Mobilisations across Latin America - Being organised in Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Honduras, Colombia, Chile and others. These include a major multifaith action in Santiago's main square, and a mobilisation bringing together religious leaders, scientists and school children on Guanabara Bay in Rio de Janeiro. You can find out about these and many other actions and events on the website at: http://sacredearth2016.org/#worldmap NOTES: Sacred Earth, Sacred Trust is being organised by faith groups from across every major faith and from around the world, a list of some of the organisations and communities involved can be found here: http://sacredearth2016.org/partners [1] 'April 2016 Was 12th Consecutive Warmest Month on Record, NOAA Says' https://weather.com/news/climate/news/record-warmest-april-earth-2016 [2] '1.5°C Key Facts' http://climateanalytics.org/hot-topics/1-5c-key-facts.html [3] 'Interfaith Climate Change Statement' http://www.interfaithstatement2016.org/

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