The issue has drawn the concern of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, the leader of the 77 million-strong worldwide Anglican Communion. In July, Archbishop Williams championed new environmental initiatives in order to avert a global ecological crisis that could ultimately put “our viability as a species” at stake.
Archbishop Williams explained deeply Christian theology, that creation is an act of self-giving by God, which is a gift to be shared with joy, not exploited and manipulated for short term and selfish motives. However, currently, the wealthier countries have been over-consuming fossil fuels and become more and more dependent on oil production of poorer and less stable nations.
He concluded, “How supplies are to be secured at existing levels becomes a grave political and moral question for the wealthier states, and a destabiliser of international relations.” He backed a plan by the Global Commons Institute for fair shares of fossil fuel use between countries. At the same time, every person on the planet should have an equal right and quota to emit carbon dioxide.
The Operation Noah is a community climate change campaign. It invites everyone to put in their efforts to protect nature, upholding universal justice among human beings and nature.
As well as the Archbishop of Canterbury, the initiative is backed by the five Presidents of Churches Together in Britain and Ireland:
- The Most Revd Mario Conti (Roman Catholic Archbishop of Glasgow);
- The Most Revd and Rt Hon David Hope (Anglican Archbishop of York);
- Revd David Kerr (Methodist Superintendent of the Belfast Central Mission);
- Revd Nezlin Sterling (New Testament Assembly);
- Sister Eluned Williams (former President of Methodism in Wales).
The campaign will start from churches and individuals signing up to the Climate Covenant, which is a plea to the UK Government and world leaders to take action to avert dangerous climate changes, and to give everyone fair access to energy in a sustainable world economy.
The next stage consists of churches and individuals being invited to reduce greenhouse gas emission in different ways, for example, switching to the use of green electricity.
In addition, the 'Friends of the Earth' are entrusted with the commission to spread the message of environmental protection based on biblical truth. They proclaim that the Gospel calls us to care for creation and for each other:
“For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.” Romans 8: 20- 21
Recently, the Churches in England have also given various addresses on animal rights. There is increasing concern over natural preservation. Nature was destructed following the fall of man, but it is waiting to be recovered to its original condition as God’s beautiful creation. Operation Noah will become a very first step to waking up humans from their selfish selves, opening their eyes to see the salvation of the physical universe and the world of love to all creatures.