St Luke’s, Kew held their second ‘Climate Chat’ on Tuesday 19th March, with a fascinating line-up:
Leo Murray director of innovation and co-founder of climate charity Possible talked about an alternative car-free vision for the future of Hammersmith Bridge.
Kevin Martin, head of tree collections at Kew Gardens, gave a fascinating and sobering presentation on the impact climate change is having on Britain’s native trees.
The panel was completed by Lisa McGovern from Mary’s Living and Giving shop in Kew, who spoke about the impact of fast fashion and the crucial role of second-hand clothes.
Congratulations to St Mary Magdalene, Richmond, for receiving their Bronze Eco Award. All three churches in Richmond Team Ministry have now received bronze and will work towards silver. They have also launched a quarterly GreenTips newsletter. Click on picture below for the latest issue:
Holy Trinity, Barnes, want to develop the land around their church as a place of sanctuary and hospitality for both local people and nature.
They are working to turn their memorial garden into a welcoming green space, rich in natural biodiversity. They have also created a community garden, where they grow organic vegetables together, using no-dig methods, to supply the local foodbank. In their first season, they have harvested nearly 40kg of veg from their raised beds to date. They work with other growers in the area too, to get their surplus produce to those who need it most.
They also run a microbakery, which operates as a separate social enterprise. The income from sales of bread supports their work supplying the foodbank with fresh loaves each a week and our community garden.
We are holding quarterly Webinars or Zoom meetings open to everyone in who is interested in caring for God’s creation and especially those who are involved with their Church’s Eco journey. Speakers will be invited and different topics focussed on so that churches in the deanery can benefit from each other’s experiences and learn together.
The first webinar was on Monday 11th September at 6pm. The speakers were Toby Costin from Crew Energy and Jack Edwards, the Diocesan Environmental Officer. The webinar was well attended with 12 churches represented, clearly showing the commitment by this deanery to caring for God’s creation. See below for presentation slides and to listen to Toby’s talk with Q&A.
“Richmond and Barnes Deanery is one of the most active deaneries in terms of the environment in the Diocese. Keep doing what you’re doing and share best practice.” – Jack Edwards
People of all faiths and none were invited to join Christian Climate Action members on a pilgrimage along different sections of the Thames Path.
These London-based pilgrimages were part of a nationwide weekend of walking and prayer that was been organised by CCA. Each one represented and reflected the growing number of people, from all walks of life, who have a passion for justice and peace in their own locality and across the world as together we face the challenge of the climate crisis.
The final leg was on Sunday 10th September from Putney to Richmond
Judith Russenberger writes:
Out of thirteen pilgrimages organised by Christian Climate Action across the country, four took place along the Thames including the one from Putney to Richmond. Our small band of pilgrims were sent off with a blessing and prayers led by John Whitaker, vicar of St Mary’s Putney. As we followed the Thames Path upstream we paused to give thanks for the beauty and benefits of the river and its environment, as well as lament our shortcomings in caring for both its vitality and for our failure to ensure justice for the vulnerable in our local and global communities.
Our recurring refrain was Let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never failing stream (Amos 5:24) and one of this year’s tag lines for creation-tide. Halfway we benefited from the welcomed hospitality offered by St Mary’s Mortlake as especially with the heat we needed to refill water bottles and enjoy the cool of the church. Exhausted (slightly fewer in number) but exultant we finally reached Richmond Bridge closing with a modern Franciscan blessing:
May God bless us with discomfort at easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships, so that we may live deep within our hearts. May God bless us with anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people, so that we may work for justice, freedom, and peace. May God bless us with tears to shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, hunger, and war, so that we may reach out our hands to comfort them and turn their pain into joy. And may God bless us with enough foolishness to believe that we can make a difference in this world, so that we can do what others claim cannot be done, to bring justice and kindness to all our children and the poor. Amen.
For more information about Christian Climate Action visit https://christianclimateaction.org/ where similar events in the future will be advertised.
This summer, the children of St Anne’s Junior Church have been busy building a bug hotel – “The Roach and Horses”! It was formally opened and blessed at the Harvest Festival service at the end of August. Judges at the Kew Horticultural Show were so impressed that it won first prize in the Group Craft category. Well done, Little Annies!
Click here to listen to the vicar of St Anne’s, Rev Dr Giles Fraser, talk about the bug hotel and the importance of caring for God’s creation.
Heat pumps – are highly efficient use of the energy they consume. Best suited to churches in frequent use. Air to air heat pumps are easier to install, ground to air are more efficient. The hot water for heating runs at a lower temperature compared with a gas/ oil boiler, so adjustments to radiator numbers may be needed. Alternatively works well via an underfloor heating installation. Further reading – https://cofeportsmouth.contentfiles.net/media/assets/file/Heat_Pumps_and_Churches.pdf
Infra-red/ radiant heaters – these heat bodies rather than the air they are in, so there is no need to preheat the space: the heating can be turned on and off with the lights. They can be presented visually in different forms so that they are not intrusive – eg as white panels that blend into the ceiling, or as part of a chandelier light fitting Improvements in design mean the heat is felt as a gentle warmth rather than a burning heat of old models. eg. https://www.herschel-infrared.co.uk/churches/ https://flexel.co.uk/shop/infrared-heating/church-heating/ecofilm-raised-platform/ – shows an interesting approach for installing underfloor heating.
On Thursday 15th June, St Luke’s played host to ‘Climate Chat in the Church’, as part of Richmond Council’s Big Green Week. Continuing the momentum from March’s successful EcoFair, we held an informal panel-style event in the Marwood Room with three speakers: Toby Costin from CREW Energy, Cllr Julia Neden-Watts, Environment Lead at Richmond Council and Rosa Appleby-Alis from campaign group Mums for Lungs.
Each speaker gave a 10 minute brief overview of their area of expertise. Toby focused on how to ‘green’ your home, urging the audience to just ‘do something’, even if that something was simply turning your boiler temperature down. He also talked about heat pumps and new home heating technology, as well as the impact of insulation. Cllr Neden-Watts focused on recycling, where residents’ waste goes, what we can all do to fight food waste and reuse more items. She also previewed some exciting new projects, including a planned Library of Things in Richmond. Finally, to mark Clean Air Day, Ealing resident Rosa Appleby-Alis, from campaign group Mums for Lungs, spoke movingly about her 5 year old son’s battle with asthma and the way he is impacted by air pollution. She advocated for attendees to support the ULEZ expansion, make an effort to drive less and stop woodburning in built-up areas.
After these brief overviews, panellists took questions from audience members. These focused on topics as diverse as the longevity of solar panels, whether Townmead Recycling Centre could have a reuse shop, which plastics are recyclable in Richmond and issues around food waste recycling in flats.
Attendees then headed out into the church garden to enjoy a glass of wine or sangria, some savoury snacks and homemade cake, carrying on the very interesting conversations that had been sparked by the main talk!
This photo is of a. group from Cambridge The screen prints were children’s art.
The Big One took place on the weekend beginning 21st April. For four days activists who were passionate about protecting the environment against the impact of human-driven climate change, filled the streets around Parliament Square. Some were first time activists, people for whom it was the first time that they had felt so passionate that they were willing to stand up and be counted.
On the Friday St John’s Waterloo hosted the No Faith in Fossil Fuels service – it was standing room only in the church with a couple more hundred in the garden and still people kept arriving. “Former Archbishop John Sentamu spoke passionately, naming the climate crisis “an offence against humanity”, and emphasising that we need to leave fossil fuels in the ground. The climate crisis is also a justice crisis in which those who contributed least are suffering the most! Our own new bishop of Kingston, Martin Gainsborough was also present and afterwards he spoke about the need for the bishops and the church take a lead on the climate crisis.
1400 pilgrims then marched to Parliament Square many carrying banners from the organisations they represented – Christian Aid, Cafod, Green Christian, the Iona Community, A Rocha – for many of these groups it was the first time they had joined a protest organised by XR – and this was in no small part due to the diligent effort of Christian Climate Action under the leadership of Melanie Compton.
Christian Climate Action hosted the Faith Hub – located on the pavement outside the Supreme Court – providing opportunities for worship in all shapes and traditions, and welcoming curious new comers and activists.
As well as worship, the Big One was four days of marches, workshops, training sessions, guest speakers, crafts and activities, organised picketing of government departments, music and dance. The busiest day was the Saturday with its focus on Biodiversity with about 60,000 attending including 5 from Christ Church, East Sheen. The march that day was so long it took well over an hour to get moving! It was full of people with banners, people in fancy dress, people with puppets and soft toys including penguins and leopards, trees and butterflies. Of course it was popular – what’s not to like about biodiversity? But why then is it that human activities are causing 6th mass destruction of wildlife on earth? Chris Packham spoke that day about this devastation being inflicted on the planet, and urged everyone who shared that same concern to sign up to Extinction Rebellion. I’m involved with Christian Climate Action which is a non-denominational Christian group that partners Extinction Rebellion. Click here to find out more about Christian Climate Action and to sign up for their newsletter.
The message of urgency was vocalised by the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in the most recent IPCC report: “Humanity is on thin ice – and that ice is melting fast. Our world needs climate action on all fronts: everything, everywhere, all at once.” This was the message of The Big One!
Judith Russenberger from Christ Church East Sheen.
Members of other Churches in the Deanery were also present, including Claudine McCreadie from St Anne’s who took the cover pic.
Southwark Diocese Eco Church Celebration Event
Over 70 churches were represented at the Eco Church Celebration event held in St John’s Church, Waterloo on Earth Day (Saturday, 22nd April). There were inspiring speakers, such as Andy Atkins, CEO of A Rocha, Deborah Colvin from St James’s Piccadilly – a Gold award church, The Rev Sharon Moughtin, Vicar of St. Mary’s Eco Church, Lambeth, whose ministry specialises in engaging children and young people in thinking about climate and the new Bishop of Kingston, Martin Gainsborough who led us in a Service of Thanksgiving for Eco Church.
There was also an opportunity to take part in workshops on each of the awards’ areas (Land, Buildings, Lifestyle, Community & global engagement), to share learning and connect. Jack Edwards, Diocesan Environmental Officer, also spoke about about central church funding and the support that is planned for distribution to the Dioceses as part of the common goal to reach Net Zero.
It provided a great opportunity for St Luke’s to get energised and networked as we embark on our work to achieve our Silver Eco Church award. A perfect way to spend Earth Day!
Suzie O’Brien, St Luke’s, Kew
praying together, learning together, working together
