climate change Archives - Page 12 of 13

One Climate One World: Why I marched for action on climate change

March 9, 2015

Sarah Croft is CAFOD’s campaigns officer. She joined thousands of others in London on Saturday to campaign for action on climate change.

Find out how you can take action on climate change with CAFOD

I love the first really sunny day of the year. The kind of day when you can go out without a coat for the first time, feeling the heat on your skin and seeing spring flowers starting to poke their heads through the grass.

On Saturday I was delighted to see that this day had finally arrived! I admit, the first thing that popped into my mind wasn’t ‘This is the ideal day for a protest’. Instead, pictures of BBQs, picnics in the park, bike rides, and ice creams started to flash before my eyes. Continue reading “One Climate One World: Why I marched for action on climate change”

Election 2015: questions to ask your candidates

March 6, 2015

Dom Goggins works in the Government Relations team at CAFOD. He looks back at political progress made on climate change and looks forward to a busy general election period.

With so much at stake in the next few months – a general election focusing on vital issues around the economy, the NHS and the UK’s role in Europe among other things – climate change can sometimes feel like a distant challenge – something we can put to one side for now and deal with in the future.

That might even be the case for many of us in the UK, but climate change already has a devastating impact on many of the poor communities we work with around the world; amplifying existing social, political and economic inequalities and pushing people over the edge. Ultimately, as the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has said, “if we don’t confront climate change we won’t end poverty”.

Find out about CAFOD’s One Climate, One World campaign

2014 Progress

Important progress was made in 2014. CAFOD’s MP Correspondents* played a key part by asking the Prime Minister to show his commitment to climate change by attending a special UN summit hosted by the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon – and he did! At the summit he echoed CAFOD’s call that the UK should “help those who need it, particularly the poorest and most vulnerable”. Continue reading “Election 2015: questions to ask your candidates”

Cutting out petrol for Lent: Father David’s electric car challenge for CAFOD

March 5, 2015

Father David with a Nissan Leaf — Father David will by driving an electric Nissan Leaf during Lent 2015

Father David Osbourne is the Parish priest of Cranleigh and Bramley. This Lent he’s cutting out petrol and will be donating all of the money saved to the CAFOD Lent Appeal. The help complete his petrol-free Lent challenge, Crawley Nissan have allowed him to borrow a new Nissan Leaf car.

For me, this Lent, ‘Cut it Out!’ means trying to cut out some use of fossil fuels used in motoring and thus call attention to alternative power sources and uses. This may highlight our almost total dependence on fossil fuels which are not only irreplaceable but are contributing to the largest contemporary threat to civilization – global warming.

Find ideas for how you can reduce your carbon footprint this Lent

I have been loaned an electric car by Nissan to experience whether battery powered vehicles are an alternative not only for the “keenies” but a viable alternative for mass transport.

I’m not sure that’s possible either!

Continue reading “Cutting out petrol for Lent: Father David’s electric car challenge for CAFOD”

Lent 2015: Giving up is hard to do (especially when it comes to tea)

March 2, 2015

Giving up tea for CAFOD for Lent — Enjoying my last cup of tea until Easter

Sarah works in CAFOD’s campaigns team.

It’s been nearly two weeks since I starting cutting out tea for Lent, in a quest to raise money for CAFOD’s Lent appeal and gain support for our One Climate, One World campaign.

Progress so far

Money raised: £326.76 (you can still sponsor me!)

Petition signatures reported: 10 (you can still sign our climate petition!)

Cups of tea not drunk: approx 60

Lessons learnt from this challenge: 6 – and here they are….

Lesson one: Giving up is hard to do.

This challenge has renewed my respect for the all the ex-smokers, the non-drinkers and the vegetarians who have said goodbye to bacon butties for the sake of the planet. I know that by Easter I’ll have a steaming cup of tea in my hand again, but to give up something forever, wow, that takes commitment. Continue reading “Lent 2015: Giving up is hard to do (especially when it comes to tea)”

Lent 2015: Cutting out my cuppas

February 16, 2015

Sarah Hagger-Holt, CAFOD’s Campaign Engagement Manager, is cutting out one of her favourite habits for CAFOD this Lent. Here she explains why she’s giving up tea – and what you can do to help her cope.

It’s what I have first thing in the morning, often just before bed at night, and four or five times throughout each day.

It’s what I prepare to show someone they are welcome in my house, and what I use to break up a boring day.

It’s my small treat after a cold bike ride or a difficult meeting or to give us all a reason for a rest as I drag my kids round the shops.

I’ve had it in an Indian village – syrupy and sweet – and – full of sugar – on the morning of my wedding to calm my nerves.

Tea. I’m cutting it out this Lent.

Please sponsor me now and add to my tea-total.

Why tea?

There’s nothing wrong with tea. Many of my fellow CAFOD cut-it-outers are doing without things that have a direct impact on the carbon emissions that cause climate change, like eating meat, or taking up environmentally friendly activities like cycling. Tea, apart from the inevitable air miles to get it here, is a fairly minor vice. Especially as I always drink Fairtrade.

I’m cutting out tea because it’s a habit, even an addiction, and habits are hard to break. Continue reading “Lent 2015: Cutting out my cuppas”

Show the love for…water

February 13, 2015

Libby Abbott, Campaigns Coalition Manager at CAFOD, tells us why – for the love of water and communities facing drought – she is excited about CAFOD participating in the Climate Coalition’s ‘Show the love’ campaign this February.

I grew up in Texas which, despite what many people have told me, is not a desert – at least, not all desert. It has grassy plains, rolling hills, forests, swamps, beaches and even a few mountains tucked away (and, yes, there is desert).

That said, even in the wetter regions of Texas, we would experience the occasional drought. People easily got by with watering lawns less or only washing cars in the evening. Hosepipe bans weren’t uncommon, but the droughts never lasted very long.

Find out more about our climate change campaign, One Climate, One World

Continue reading “Show the love for…water”

“Don’t use your hairdryers!” ‒ Our young climate bloggers’ training weekend

February 9, 2015

Young climate bloggers from St James’ Catholic High School tell the story of their CAFOD training weekend ‒ the fun, the challenges and the inspiration.

“Don’t use your hairdryers …” was one of the first pieces of advice we were given on arrival at the Othona Community in Bradwell on Sea “Hairdryers use more electricity than all the ovens, lights, fridges and freezers in our community joined together. If you use a hairdryer it could overload the system.” As the Orthona Community was off the main grid, frizzy hair it was to be. This was the first of many lessons learnt whilst experiencing sustainable living. The hard work and fun was about to begin.

Keep up with the CAFOD young climate bloggers during 2015.

Continue reading ““Don’t use your hairdryers!” ‒ Our young climate bloggers’ training weekend”

Cutting out chocolate for Lent: this year I have a plan

February 6, 2015

Lent fundraising 50p chocolate — Jo is cutting out chocolate and donating the money she saves to CAFOD.

Jo De Paula works in CAFOD’s schools fundraising team. Her work involves encouraging children to take part in Lent Fast Day, but here she tells us how she’s planning on personally making a difference this Lent. Lent is coming soon! Every year I plan to do many things for Lent that will bring me closer to God and challenge myself to be a better person. This year I have chosen to give up chocolate. So right now I have the overwhelming urge to eat as much sugar as I can before I give it up for 40 days. But so often after I share my #ashtag Ash Wednesday Selfie with the world, my good intentions never materialise. This year will be different. This year I have a plan:

I’ve used these Cut it Out collection labels to create my own donation pot. And each time I drop in 50p from the bar of chocolate I never bought, I will see my pot fill with spare change. I will also be reminded that the UK Government will match all of my donations to CAFOD this Lent, so my 50p is suddenly worth £1! Continue reading “Cutting out chocolate for Lent: this year I have a plan”

Introducing our new CAFOD young climate bloggers!

January 23, 2015

CAFOD's new young climate bloggers! — Some of CAFOD’s new young climate bloggers!

Our 25 new CAFOD young climate bloggers are launching One Climate, One World for children and young people today at Brentwood Cathedral. They have been training with CAFOD in media and campaigning at the Othona Community in Essex. They will be blogging on climate and environment issues throughout 2015. Here are their very first blogs: Continue reading “Introducing our new CAFOD young climate bloggers!”

Water shortages in Peru: why we should all care for God’s creation

January 16, 2015

By Jesy Romero, Water Resources Coordinator for CAFOD’s Church partner CEAS

I have seen first-hand the marginalisation and exclusion of the poor communities we work with, who are constantly defending their lands. My Christian vocation compels me to speak the truth and nothing but the truth for the common good. This is why I travelled thousands of miles from my home in Peru to visit CAFOD supporters and campaigners in London last October for the launch of their campaign, One Climate, One World. I wanted to explain the impact climate change is having in Peru and the conflicts occurring because of water shortages, so that people will better understand the importance of caring for God’s creation.

Water shortages and flooding in Peru

Latin America is one of the regions most vulnerable to climate change, yet some people don’t know about the scarcity of water in Peru. My country has 70% of the world’s tropical glaciers, and in the region where I work I can see how they are melting at an alarming rate. The statistics are catastrophic; the Peruvian government says that by 2030, all the glaciers below 5,000 metres will have melted completely.

Stand in solidarity with climate campaigners like Jesy and sign CAFOD’s climate petition today >>

In addition to the water shortages, which come about because of the disappearing glaciers, there is also an increased risk of flooding, because the displaced ice from the mountains can crash into the lakes. We fear that at any moment there could be another avalanche, like the one in 1970 that killed many thousands of people in my area. Continue reading “Water shortages in Peru: why we should all care for God’s creation”