A SERVICE FOR GOD'S CREATION (16 November 2007)

PRESS RELEASE 16 NOVEMBER 2007

For immediate release; photos of last year service and demonstration available (1)

CHRISTIANS OF ALL DENOMINATIONS WILL SHARE A SERVICE OF WORSHIP AND WILL DEMONSTRATE AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE IN LONDON ON 8 DECEMBER

An ecumenical service to highlight the dangers posed by climate change to the whole of Creation, and our duty as Christians to act in hope, will take place in St Matthew's Church, Great Peter Street, Westminster on 8 December, at 11 o' clock (2).

The service will be part of the London Campaign against Climate Change rally and March. Ann Pettifor, Campaign Director of Operation Noah (3), will deliver a keynote speech about the threat posed by Climate Change. Following the service, Christians from all walks of life will join other faith groups and march from Westminster to the American Embassy in Grosvenor Square. They will demand that British and world leaders take the urgent action needed to prevent catastrophic climate change. The National Demonstration in London will be one of many demonstrations on climate change taking place all around the world on the same day, midway through the United Nations Climate Talks in Bali, where world leaders will be discussing the threat from global warming and how the world can respond to it (4).
Operation Noah, Christian Ecology Link, EcoCongregation and the Student Christian Movement, joint organisers of the Service, encourage all their supporters (and all Christians concerned about climate change) to join in the service and the march. Operation Noah's co-chair, Reggie Norton, says:

"Leaders in Britain and across the world have not yet faced up to the gravity of the threat from climate change. By coming together on 8th December, we can all help build the momentum to pressure politicians for bold, meaningful action on climate change through legislation to regulate, equitably share and ration carbon emissions."

Last year, several hundred Christians attended a crowded church service prior to the start of the climate change rally at Grosvenor Chapel in Central London. The service was organized by members of Christian Ecology Link in co-operation with Operation Noah and Churches Together in Britain and Ireland. Richard Chartres, Bishop of London, gave a challenging sermon and Fr Joe Ryan, Chair of Westminster Roman Catholic Diocese Justice & Peace Commission, and Dudley Coates, Vice President of Methodist Conference, each contributed to the service (5).

ENDS

NOTES FOR EDITORS
(1) Contact for more information Jean-Francois Mouhot, Campaigns and Communication Officer, Operation Noah. Tel: 020 7324 4761 mob. 07858 157839; email: campaigns@operationnoah.org

(2) December 8th Climate Service. The Climate Service will take place before the London Campaign Against Climate Change March and Rally: Saturday 8th December, 11 am, St Matthew’s Church, 20 Great Peter Street, London SW1P 2BU. Church open for coffee 10am onwards. Organised by Operation Noah, Christian Ecology Link, the Student Christian Movement and EcoCongregation. For a poster to download and more information go to
www.operationnoah.org/node/213
www.christian-ecology.org.uk/c
www.movement.org.uk
www.ecocongregation.org

(3) Operation Noah was founded as a joint project of two Christian organisations - Christian Ecology Link (CEL) - http://www.christian-ecology.org.uk/ - and the Environmental Issues Network of Churches Together in Britain and Ireland(CTBI) - http://www.ctbi.org.uk/

(4) Campaign against Climate Change March and Rally:
12 noon Assemble Millbank for main march (Great Peter Street runs into Millbank).
1 pm March sets off.
2.30 pm Rally at US embassy. Speakers include Chris Huhne MP, Michael Meacher MP, Caroline Lucas MEP, Zac Goldsmith, George Monbiot. See more info at: www.campaigncc.org

(5) More information from the Christian Ecology Link website: ttp://www.christian-ecology.org.uk/scc-pictures.htm