for tomorrow too

8/8/2019 For Tomorrow Too

1/15

FOR

TOMORROWTOO

JUSTICE IN A CHANGING CLIMATE

BE PART OF A MIRACLE

FOURTH EDITION


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minister, asking for action toreduce greenhouse gas emissionsand help poor countries cope withclimate change. Please send this and sign up to receive our new ActFast campaigns postcards four

times a year.

Remember to pray too for theworlds leaders, for the poor peoplewho suffer most from climatechange, and for the church world-wide as it reaches out to themwith Gods love.

Posting a card, switching off alight, changing energy supplier all simple actions we can take, butwhen we do it as part of a world-wide movement of Christians, theresult could be good news for achange.

Climate change is headline news.The world has woken up to thethreat but what can we do asindividuals? The answer is: plenty.

Every action we take is worth-while. Tearfunds local church part-ners in poor communities aroundthe world tell us that climatechange is hitting the poorest hard-est. Every decision we take toreduce our personal contributionto global warming is a step in theright direction.

That isnt enough, of course. Weneed international action at thehighest level for justice in a chang-ing climate. Thats why campaign-ing with Tearfund is so importanttoo. This booklet includes a post-card you can send to the prime

WELCOME


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BIBLICAL

BASELINE


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SEVERE WEATHER WARNING

We in the West tend to think of

climate change as a threat to our

future but communities in

developing countries are feeling its

effects now. Rising global temperature

means more frequent and intense

floods, storms and droughts, changes

in rainfall patterns and dangerous

rises in sea levels.

06

Poor people are not the cause

of climate change, but they are

the ones hit first and hardest

by its devastating effects.

MOST VULNERABLE

Poor people are most vulnerable tothese changes. Many live in fragile

housing on marginal land, rely heavily

on agriculture, and lack savings or

insurance to recover from a disaster.

As the climate changes, poor people

face water and food shortages. They

risk losing their livelihoods, homes,

even their lives.

WITHERED HARVEST

In the developing world, almost 70 per

cent of people rely on agriculture to

live. If rains dont come at the right

time the effect can be devastating.

Andrew Maglasey, who lives in

Malawi, says: These days, because of

the droughts and floods we never

harvest enough for the whole year.The climate has changed.

CHAIN REACTION


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08

WHEN THE

CLIMATECHANGES

THE PROBLEM

Its true that average globaltemperature has risen and fallen and carbon dioxide (CO2) has been

released into the atmosphere across thousands of years. But whatcauses climatologists concern is therate of recent temperature rises.Concentrations of CO2 in theatmosphere are higher and risingfaster than ever before. Globalaverage surface temperaturesincreased by 0.76C in the last

century alone.

Our world is warming.We need urgent international

action to curb increases in

global temperatures.


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Whats more, the IPCC predicts thatover the 21st century global average

temperature will rise by between 1.8Cand 4C and perhaps even as much as6.4C the greatest increase for10,000 years. The climatic changes wehave witnessed to date are thus smallcompared with what lies ahead.

The impacts of such temperature riseare difficult to predict, but many will

be irreversible such as the melting ofice caps and rise in sea levels. Certainly,adapting wont be easy for eitherhumans or ecosystems.6

THE POLLUTERS

Historically, industrialised countries arethe earths biggest polluters, withabout 95 per cent of fossil fuel-burningin the northern hemisphere. Richnations produce about 25 times moreCO2 per head of population than poorcountries.7 Indeed, the US alone emitsjust over one-quarter of the globaltotal, while the entire continent of

Africa contributes just 2.5 per cent.

8

THE FUTURE

Present trends, however, predict adoubling of global energy demands by2020, when the least developedcountries will require more than half ofthe worlds energy production.Countries such as China, India andBrazil are already rapidly increasing

their energy consumption.

THE TIPPING POINT

If the global average temperature risestwo degrees or more above pre-industrial levels, the effects anddestructive potential will become far

6 Sir John Houghton, 2005.7 Practical Action.8 Atlas of Climate Change, Kirstin Dow and Thomas

Downing (2006), Earthscan Publications Ltd.

10


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A BRIGHT IDEA

Energy-saving light bulbs use 80 percent less electricity than standardbulbs and can last up to 12 timeslonger. Theyre available from mostsupermarkets, and some councils offerthem free to people on incomesupport. Check with your council

how to dispose of energy-savingbulbs safely.

CONDENSING COSTS

When replacing any electricalappliance, make sure you buy the most

energy-efficient model. Energy-efficient washing machines, forexample, use a third of the energy ofsome standard models and cut waterconsumption considerably.9 Boilers areamong the worst energy offenders inour homes, accounting for a third ofdomestic CO2 emissions. Condensingboilers use less fuel than conventionalboilers to produce the same amount ofheat and can save 32 per cent on fuelbills. Also, check out Combined Heatand Power systems (see page 19).

WRAPPING UP

Around 50 per cent of heat lost in homesis through the walls and loft. Insulatingwall cavities and your loft helps to keepheat in. Double glazing cuts heat loss

through windows by 50 per cent, andfitting aluminium foil behind radiatorscould save 10 a year per radiator.10

Insulate windows, doors, radiators andhot water tank contact the EnergySaving Trust to find out more.11

12

HOME

COMFORTS

Around 28 per cent of the UKs

CO2 emissions come from the

energy used to run our homes.

We could cut that by up to

one-third by becoming more

energy-efficient.


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14

EASY ENERGY SAVERS

G Dont fill the kettle full unlessyou need to. If everyone boiledjust enough water for their cuppa,the energy saved could powerover three-quarters of the UKsstreet lights.

G Stay cosy: drawing the curtains atdusk keeps the cold out and heat in.

G Turn off the lights when you leave

a room.G Turn down your central heating

thermostat: lowering thetemperature by just a degree can cutten per cent off energy bills.13

G Put lids on pans when cooking toconserve heat and cook food faster.

G Wash up by hand, or use thedishwasher only when it is full and

on the economy setting.G Close the fridge door: for every

minute left open it takes three timesas long to cool down.14

G Defrost your fridge and freezerregularly to maintain efficiency.Allowing space for air to circulate

will also help them to runmore efficiently.

G Unplug mobile phone chargers whennot in use 95 per cent of the

energy they use is when the phoneisnt plugged in.15

G Turn electrical appliances off at themains rather than leaving them onstandby. Eight per cent of electricityconsumed at home is from appliancesthat we arent even using.16

G Wash your clothes at lowertemperatures (30C or below), andalways ensure you have a full load.

G Use hot water sparingly: taking ashower (not a power shower) usesless energy than running a bath.

13 WWF.14 Energy Saving Trust.15 BBC.16 Climate Care (www.climatecare.org).


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There are concerns, however, regarding

growing crops to be used solely asbiofuels. These can be unsustainable,displacing food crops or leading toforest destruction.

SOLAR POWER

Sunlight offers enormous potential.Domestic photovoltaic systems (PVpanels) are becoming cheaper andmore viable as a power source and

could supply up to half your annualenergy needs.

HYDROELECTRICITY

One of the oldest methods ofharnessing carbon-free electricity,hydro power creates electricity by

passing water through a turbine. Microhydro schemes remain popular, thoughlarger turbines are more problematicfor flora, fauna and farmlandsettlements in view of reportednegative impacts for local climates.

WAVE AND TIDAL POWER

Tidal power could yield around 20per cent of UK electricity demand.20

Tidal may rival wind power in future,as ocean currents are more reliableand the turbines less intrusive.Theworlds first offshore tidal energyturbine was launched off the Devoncoast, and the island of Islay claimsthe first commercially operationalwave-power station.

NUCLEAR

Some governments are consideringinvesting in nuclear power as analternative to reliance on fossil fuels. Ifthe UK does expand its nuclear energycapability, however, even optimistic

estimates suggest it will achieve only afour per cent reduction in the countrysCO2 emissions by 2024.

21 This is toolittle and too late to be a solution toclimate change.

20 Friends of the Earth.21 Greenpeace.

16


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Using renewable energy

technologies in your home

can help you reduce or even

eliminate your reliance on the

national grid.

GENERATE

YOUR OWN

ENERGY


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20

THINK BEFORE YOU DRIVE

Within the transport sector, carsaccount for around half of all CO2emitted; they also cause pollution, noiseand accidents.Add running costs andthe destruction of land for road

23 Friends of the Earth.24 Cutting Your Car Use, Anna Semlyen (2001), Green Books Ltd.25 Living Streets campaign, the Pedestrians Association.26 Visit www.walkingbus.com to find out more.

Transport is the fastest-

growing source of CO2 in theUK road transport alone is

responsible for 22 per cent of

emissions.23

building, and its worth rethinking howmuch we depend on our cars. If youtravel less than 8,000 miles a year,being car-free can be cheaper.24 If goingcar-free simply isnt possible, our simplefuel savers on page 22 offer ideas toincrease your vehicles fuel efficiency.

USE YOUR LEGSOne in four car journeys is less thantwo miles. Could you sometimes walkor cycle instead? Why not challengeyour friends and family to have a car-free fortnight, or to walk every otherday for journeys under two miles? Theschool run forms 20 per cent ofmorning urban congestion.25 Could youorganise a walking bus instead? Theseare supervised walking routes thatcollect children from designated busstops along the route to school.26

TRAVELLING

LIGHT


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22

SIMPLE FUEL SAVERS

G Avoid short trips: a cold engine produces60 per cent more fumes and uses morefuel than when warm.28

G Drive in the highest gear you can withoutlabouring the engine.A vehicle travelling

at 37 mph in third gear uses 25 per centmore fuel than in fifth.29

G Slow down! At 70 mph you use up to 30per cent more fuel than at 50 mph, soobeying the speed limit isnt just good forpublic safety, its fuel-efficient too.30 Themost economical speed is 40-55 mph.

G Drive carefully: by applying light throttleand avoiding heavy braking you canreduce fuel use.

G

Remove roof racks and any otherunnecessary weight from the car.

G Switch off your engine whenever its safeto do so, especially if stuck in traffic formore than two minutes.

G Use air conditioning sparingly.

G Consider a car share scheme or sharinglifts with friends or colleagues.

G If you have a diesel car you couldconsider running it partly on vegetable

oil, which produces fewer emissions.However, there are some environmentalconcerns around growing crops for fuelrather than food.

REPLACING YOUR CAR

G Purchase the smallest, most fuel-efficientmodel for your needs and budget.

G Avoid automatics: they use 10-15 percent more fuel.31

G Check the vehicles CO2 level: visit

www.vcacarfueldata.org.uk for new cars,www.smmt.co.uk/co2/co2search.cfmfor older ones. Aim to get a car withCO2 emissions as close to 120g/kmas possible.

G Consider buying a green car or convertyour car to cleaner fuel. Green carsinclude electric or hybrid models (runningon fossil fuel and electricity), or modelsthat use liquefied petroleum gas (LPG),

natural gas and LPG, and bio-diesel.G If possible, buy nearly new.Try not to buy

a new car unless you absolutely have to,but bear in mind that newer vehiclespollute less and tend to be moreenvironmentally efficient.

G Diesel cars tend to have much loweremissions than those with petrol engines.If you live in an urban area, diesel maynot be the best option, as it containsother pollutants which can affect airquality but otherwise consider goingfor diesel.

28 Energy Saving Trust.29 RAC.30 Cutting Your Car Use.31 RAC.


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24

While failing to recycle is wasteful and poor stewardship of the earthsresources it also damages theclimate.Why? Because 62 per cent ofour rubbish goes straight into landfillsites, which emit CO2 and methane.

34

A staggering 70 per cent of

the waste in our dustbinscould be reused, yet only

around 26 per cent of UK

household waste is recycled.

Landfills are the second largest source

of methane emission in the UK. Yet byreusing and recycling our waste we canreduce the rubbish destined forlandfills and incineration, and thegreenhouse gases they emit.

REDUCE

Every year we produce 272 milliontonnes of waste in the UK.35

Fact: We use around 150 million plasticbags every week in the UK most of whichend up in landfill sites and take 500 years todecompose.36

Tip: Reduce the number of plastic bags youuse get a fabric or reusable bag.

Fact: Eight million nappies are thrown awayevery day in the UK, making up four percent of landfill waste.37

Tip: Investigate using a nappy laundryservice rather than disposable ones.

Fact: UK consumers spend up to 15 billionper year on food packaging.38

WASTE NOT

34,36 Waste Watch.35 DEFRA.37 Recycle Now (www.recyclenow.com).38 How green is your supermarket? Liberal Democratic Party, 2004.


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OVER TO

YOU

26

Please sign our climate pledge card to

let us know what youre doing to

change your lifestyle and to ask the

prime minister to play his part.

Returned pledges will be sent to theprime minister, calling for urgent action

on climate change.

We invite you to join a movement of

Christians taking action against poverty,

Changing your lifestyle is

crucial now join thousandsof Christians in pressing the

government for action.

but we recognise that your time is

limited so were offering you a choice:

Act Fast - a new rapid

response postcard with

one urgent action and

prayer points, four

times a year. If youre

pressed for time,

choose Act Fast.

Global Action magazine simplecampaigns actions, ideas for ethical

living, prayer points, news and biblical

reflection. Four free copies a year,

usually including an Act Fast postcard.

Global Action emails one short action

and the latest prayer points, whenever

its urgent. Plus online links to

everything in Global Action magazine.

To sign up to campaign with us on

climate change simply tick the relevant

box when returning your climate pledge.


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Please print this postcard, fill in

your details and return it to

Freepost RLZR-RHCK-RAGB

Tearfund (Campaigns)100 Church RoadTEDDINGTONTW11 8QE

Dear Prime Minister,

The UK government must play its part tostop climate chaos. I urge you to:

do all you can to ensure global greenhouse gas

emissions are falling by 2015 by using your influ-

ence to negotiate for a tough new internationaldeal on emissions cuts

ensure UK greenhouse gas emissions fall by at least

three per cent year on year from now with targets

for overall cuts of at least 80 per cent by 2050

help poor countries adapt to climate change and

cope with climate-related disasters

ensure poor countries get access to clean energy to

help eliminate poverty

I am making changes to

my lifestyle by:

using energy-saving light-

bulbs, saving around 230kg

of CO2 a yearwalking or cycling short

journeys instead of driving

wherever possible, saving

around 380kg of CO2 a year

switching to a 100 per cent

green energy supplier,

saving around 1300kg

of CO2 a year

A message for Tearfund to read before this postcard is delivered.

Id like to receive

Act Fast - postcard action,

four times a year.

Global Action magazine

four free copies a year.

Global Action email updates

whenever its urgent.

Tearfunds youth publications. Choose from:

Activist for teenagers Uncoveredfor students

Network for youth leaders

Extra copies of For tomorrow too:

one copy ten copies 50 copies

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for tomorrow too

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