current campaigns
climate change
left: Stop Climate Chaos members meet to say no to new coal
centre: Stop Climate Chaos rally
right: giant carbon footprint raises awareness of climate change at Methodist Conference
Yes to renewables - No to coal
MRDF has joined other members of the Stop Climate Change coalition in calling upon the Prime Minister to say yes to renewables and no to coal.
In the coming months our Government will decide whether a new coal-fired power station at Kingsnorth is to get the go-ahead. We have joined other agencies including Friends of the Earth and Oxfam in asking Gordon Brown to scale up green energy and give a red light to the Kingsnorth project. You too can add your name to the campaign.
New report leaves the lights on
The lights won't go out if the government fulfils its promises on renewable energy and energy efficiency, according to a new report produced by independent energy experts Pöyry and commissioned by WWF and Greenpeace. The report considers scenarios for meeting Government targets under various levels of electricity demand and concludes that neither major new coal nor gas power stations are needed to meet electricity requirements up to at least 2020. Read the report.
Do it now! Switch your energy suppy
With Good Energy you can reduce your carbon footprint and raise money for MRDF.
Find out more about:
Climate change - what’s going wrong?
- The Earth is warming faster than at any time in the past 10,000 years. By 2100, its overall temperature could rise by as much as 6ºC.
- If the Earth’s temperature rises by just 3°C, between 150 and 550 million more people worldwide will be at risk of hunger, 1 – 3 million more of whom will die each year due to malnutrition.
Climate change has a disproportionate impact on poor countries. The same countries who have contributed least to the carbon emissions that cause global warming, suffer most from its effects.
Effect of climate change on MRDF partners
Climate change is already affecting the work of MRDF’s overseas partners, through increased likelihood of drought, changes in rainfall patterns or vulnerability to hurricanes and other extreme weather.
Stories and examples from Kenya, El Salvador and Ghana.
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"Climate change is an issue for us. The rains are now lasting longer. Normally they finish by the end of October, but in 2006, heavy rain continued for weeks afterwards. Farmers see the changes brought about by climate change, but have no idea why these are happening. No one is talking about it. But just because people are poor, it doesn’t mean that they can’t learn about and respond to climate change." Karen Inwood, Director of MRDF partner Permaculture Institute of El Salvador |
Climate change - What can we do?
Carbon dioxide (CO2) accounts for over 80% of global warming pollution. By reducing or cleaning up our energy use, and lobbying government to do the same, we can all take steps to reduce the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere.
Support MRDF agricultural partners - especially at Harvest time. Harvest materials are now available to download which focus on harvest against the odds in El Salvador.
Show that you count - sign up to take simple regular actions to stop climate chaos.
Calculate your carbon footprint - find out how much carbon you use and how to cut down.
Call on the UK government to take strong action to cut carbon emissions with MRDF partner the World Development Movement.
This year's Methodist Conference passed a resolution on climate change which includes a call to local Districts, Circuits and Churches to monitor and reduce their carbon emissions. Find out more.
Operation Noah's Cool Church Toolkit has bright ideas for Churches who want to save energy.
Help your Church become more environmentally aware by aiming for an Eco-Congregation award
MRDF's Lent Bible Study Pack for small groups will focus on responding to climate change (available end 2007).
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Clun Methodist Church received an Eco-Congregation award in 2006. This small rural Church has installed energy-saving light bulbs, draught-proofed its building, focused on care for creation in worship, hosted environmental events in the Church and taken the message out to the wider community. Organiser Elizabeth Newman explained some of the unexpected benefits: “We make contact with people who wouldn’t normally go to Church, making links with other local community organisations and shops, it’s a form of outreach. I’d advise other Churches just to have a go – what works for one Church might be different to what works for another, but have a go and see what happens.” |
