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CLIMATE CHANGE: HOW ‘LIVING THE CHANGE’ AIMS TO CREATE A NEW “NORM” IN THE BID FOR MORE SUSTAINABLE LIFESTYLES

Vegetarian Cooking Workshop

DAVID ADAMS reports on how Australia is taking part in the global ‘Living the Change’ initiative…

Reduce the use of fossil fuel-powered transportation.  Use energy more efficiently. Eat less red meat.

These are among a series of commitments Christians and people of other faiths are being asked to consider signing up to under a new global initiative aimed at addressing the issue of climate change in our daily lives.

Known as ‘Living the Change‘, the concept was initiated by US-based interfaith environmental organisation, GreenFaith, in 2017 and is being adopted and spread by religious groups, including Christian organisations, around the world.

Among those involved are the Global Catholic Climate Movement, the World Council of Churches and the World Evangelical Alliance as well as Jewish, Hindu, Muslim, and Buddhist groups – a gathering which Caroline Bader, Berlin-based director of Living the Change, says represents the “first time in history that such a broad coalition of religious organisations from around the world is cooperating to promote sustainable lifestyles and behaviour change.”

Living the Change logo

 

In Australia, the multi-faith group, the Australian Religious Response to Climate Change, is spear-heading the initiative.

Thea Ormerod, president at the ARRCC, says the concept aims to take the idea of caring for environment beyond periodic initiatives like a carbon fast and “changing the norm” of our daily lives.

“This is actually, in a sense, trying to drive cultural change. We [aim to] get religious leaders more active in promoting sustainable lifestyles, actual changes – not just like doing something for Lent, [but] something which is a little more of a commitment and which is more public.”

– Thea Ormerod, president of the Australian Religious Response to Climate Change

“There’s been lots of attempts to encourage people to live more sustainably,” she says. “This is actually, in a sense, trying to drive cultural change. We [aim to] get religious leaders more active in promoting sustainable lifestyles, actual changes – not just like doing something for Lent, [but] something which is a little more of a commitment and which is more public.”

Ms Ormerod believes that the community aspect is important and that it’s through the support and encouragement of others in a community that people will be encouraged to make permanent changes to their lifestyle choices.

She says the initiative also recognises that it’s the world’s wealthy countries which contribute most to the problem of climate change.

“It’s us in wealthy countries, switching on air conditioners, jumping into planes at the drop of a hat, [driving] cars, eating red meat – that’s what’s driving climate change,” she says. “The very small percentage of the world’s population which is wealthy is actually creating the problem…The gauntlet’s being thrown down to wealthy people more than anyone else.”

Ms Ormerod says this is no more so than in Australia which has one of the highest carbon footprints at 23 tonnes per person a year, a lot of which is driven by consumerism.

“All our faiths have teaching about being content with enough – like Jesus talks about ‘If you’ve got two coats, give one away’…I’m not suggesting we have one piece of clothing. but there is that principle of ‘Look how your Father feeds the birds of the air and clothes the flowers in the field’. A lot of these ’needs’ are fabricated; we’ve been sucked in…”

Ms Ormerod says religious leaders can play an important role in encouraging people to take part.

“We’re all looking for moral leadership so when a bishop or a Christian minister or a Buddhist monk do say things that are really good, people really appreciate it and are really inspired by it…People are happy to have good, solid moral leadership so yes, I think it is important that religious leaders speak up.”

Vegetarian Cooking Workshop

 Vegetarian cooking workshop with Buddhist demonstrator Ling Halbert. PICTURE: Thea Ormerod

Based on research showing that if the world’s top 10 per cent of carbon dioxide emitters were to cut their emissions to the level of the average European Union citizen global emissions would decline by 33 per cent, Living the Change asks people to consider adapting their lifestyles in three main areas – through minimising car and air travel, reducing energy use in the home and moving towards “green” energy, and adopting more of a plant-based diet as well as reducing food waste.

Individuals taking part are asked to consider making a public pledge – which they will make by signing an agreement placed on the website – in a bid to create accountability around their actions. Some sample pledges are already on the site.

“We’re trying to buttress people’s decisions with practical…ways people can actually live out their values.”

– Thea Ormerod.

Ms Ormerod says it’s hoped that people will experiment with what they can do to make a difference – eating just one meal of red meat a week, for example – to see how sustainable it is before making the pledge. “So that it’s something that they feel confident they can do long term.”

To help people create change, a number of tools – including a carbon footprint calculator, tips on how to reduce energy use and vegetarian recipes – are also being provided via the website for people to use in considering how they can best respond.

In terms of communities taking part, Ms Ormerod says one of the most effective things communities can do as a body is to switch to solar energy. To that end, the ARRCC is partnering with organisations including The Community Buying Group and the Moreland Energy Foundation to provide solar panels to religious communities at discounted prices.

“We’re trying to buttress people’s decisions with practical…ways people can actually live out their values,” says Ms Ormerod.

Celebrating the changes is also an important part of the initiative and in October, there will be some 100 events taking place across the world – including in several Australian capital cities – which will bring those involved in the initiative together to mark what has been achieved.

Ms Ormerod says the ARRCC was excited to be promoting the initiative in Australia.

“Everywhere people are feeling the impacts of climate disruption, and time is running out for effective action to put the brakes on,” she says. “While we do need to keep up the pressure for structural change, we are not restricted to helplessly waiting for politicians to act. Ordinary people and communities have the power to do something about their own carbon footprint and thereby help to protect our common home.”

 

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