Wednesday 26 June 2013

Climate change: what next? Melbourne, 17 August


This event was held at Trinity College on 17 August 2013.



Program

"Climate change: what next? Powerlessness, Faith and Movement-building" will include
  • Climate scientist Barrie Pittock as a keynote speaker, addressing themes including climate science; risks due to global warming; social responsibility; caring for nature and advocating for the rights and wellbeing of people, particularly Aboriginal communities in remote areas of Australia 
  • Cath James from the Uniting Church on "Signs of environmental hope in the church"
  • Worship and reflection with Sandy Yule
  • A speaker from the Australian Youth Climate Coalition on "how a movement can change climate change"
  • Jacques Boulet from Borderlands on the changes to our lifestyles that are needed to address climate change
  • Don McArthur, postgraduate student, on climate communication when “the facts” are not enough
  • Pat Long from Earthsong on what is going on when we risk destroying the very system on which we depend for survival: what is shaping our perception and behaviour, why change can be so difficult and how new awareness can be empowering.
  • Reflection on responding to climate change with Pat Long from Earthsong and Sandy Yule

Themes

Broad themes for the day include:


  • What is the current state of the climate debate in Australia?
  • Where do we find signs of hope?
  • What is happening in the climate movement?
  • What do faith perspectives have to say about how we respond to climate change?
  • What is the meaning of “repentance or atonement in relation to climate change?
  • What changes need to be made now to prevent catastrophic climate change? What would this roadmap include?
  • How does climate change link to the history of colonisation of Indigenous Peoples?
  • How do we respond as people of faith, Christian and otherwise? 

Background

Climate change is probably the most difficult issue confronting us, and especially young people. As people of faith we approach this challenge with humility and hope in God’s grace and love that we will be able to find solutions, large and small, to make our way forward.

This gathering seeks to bring together a community of people interested in addressing these issues.

In the space of a few hours, our hope is to study together, and explore the dimensions of this issue as it directly relates to our personal lives and God's role in it and also to itemise in some form what we need to do at a local, national and global level for future generations and for the Earth which is our home.











Images: NASA, theverb.org, RitaWilaert, Flickr

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