Both the Church of England and the Diocese of Truro - as well as many church leaders - have given strong direction to parishes and individuals concerning the sacredness of creation and the absolute obligation on individuals to care for the whole creation.

Our Archbishop Rowan Williams has spoken loud (and long!) about the issues - here, for example, in Operation Noah's annual lecture, delivered on October 13th, 2009 to a packed Southwark Cathedral.

"For the Church of the 21st century, good ecology is not an optional extra but a matter of justice. It is therefore central to what it means to be a Christian"
                                                                             Dr Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury

This page includes just a few of the decisons and actions that the Church of England - nationally, in the dioceses and in parishes - has initiated, engaged with and in which she is active on a continuing, committed basis.

To be Christian, to be Church, to be human, is to be involved in continuing care for the sustainability of the creation with which God has blessed us.

in the Church of England
For more information about the Church of England's National Environmental Campaign (launched in June 2006) visit the website - Shrinking the Footprint

The Church of England's 'Shrinking the Footprint Campaign' has also enabled measurement of that Footprint: 'Measuring our Footprint' – The C of E National Energy Audit Questionnaire download

The Church of England's Seven Year Plan - CHURCH AND EARTH 2009-2016
The Church of England’s Seven-Year Plan on Climate Change and the Environment, October 2009 Download

in the Parish of St Gluvias with Penryn
Our Church Council (the 'PCC') has begun to address the issue of its carbon footprint. The PCC decided to assign the work to a sub-group. This sub-group met, did the calculations using a comprehensive Carbon Calculator developed by Bill Andrews at the request of the Diocese of Truro. They then presented their findings back to the PCC.

The PCC then decided to pass the work back to sub-group to consider how it can reduce its carbon footprint. That work is ongoing.

What is your contribution to climate change?
This question may have occurred to you but you would probably have passed it by as too difficult of the moment! Well, pass it by no longer! There is a very straight-forward individual self-assessment guide - a personal Carbon Calculator that you can use to find out how much Carbon you, personally, are emitting into the atmosphere of our planet Earth.

This personal Carbon Calculator has been distributed with the Parish Magazine (April 2010) and is being offered for use across all member churches of both Falmouth Churches Together and the Anglican Deanery of Carnmarth South.

Other Resources

'Walk Cheerfully, Step Lightly'
An excellent booklet in A5 format containg details of resources on [contents list:] transport, energy saving in the home, energy saving at work, food, biodiversity, minimising chemical pollution, water, use of money, in your Quaker meeting, communicating, finally, and a calculator: 'your contribution to climate change'; published 2008 by the Quaker Living Witness Project,

Available from Email: anne AT dorking DOT quaker DOT eu DOT org
[replace AT and DOT with ususal symbols in email address]
or from Quaker Bookshop - T: 020 7663 1030

Christian Ecology Link
'We are responsible for our impact on God's creation as a whole. CEL helps members to understand and relate these responsibilities to their faith. Members can then encourage others in their local church to think seriously about these issues.'

Operation Noah
'Operation Noah is informed by the science of climate change, motivated by our faith to care for creation and driven by the hope that our society can be transformed and enriched through radical change in lifestyles and patterns of consumption.

'Operation Noah is...

Rational: regarding scientific insights
Responsible: in addressing the long term consequences of today’s actions
Radical: about future lifestyles'