Weekly Action - 2 January 2023 - 2022: The UK's Hottest Year
2022: The UK’s Hottest Year on Record
As 2022 came to a close, the Met Office announced that it had been the UK’s hottest year since records began in 1884, demonstrating once again how serious global climate change has become. [1] In July, temperatures reached above 40 degrees in the UK for the first time ever, with a peak of 40.3 degrees in Coningsby, Lincolnshire. The summer witnessed wildfires, schools closed, a massive surge in demand for water companies, buckled train rails, overhead wires failing, shops closed, flights diverted from airports because of the heat of the runways, and a plethora of other disruptions and health issues. And it wasn’t just the summer, every month except December was significantly milder than usual. Neither was it a one off. The top 10 warmest years in the UK have all occurred since 2003. Globally the last 8 years have been the hottest years on record.[2]
These hotter years are undeniably a result of global climate change. Arise’s 4 Shifts Report summarises how scientists from around the world have for decades predicted that climate change caused by greenhouse gas emissions from burning fossil fuels will result in a warmer climate. In recent years other impacts of climate change have included heat waves, droughts, floods, cyclones, wildfires, landslides, massive polar melting, the melting of the world’s glaciers, sea-level rise, the devastation of coral systems, mass food and fresh water shortages, ill health, huge negative economic impacts, conflicts over scarce resources, the creation of huge numbers of climate refugees, and much more. In the past 6 months, as well as record temperatures in the UK and Europe, we have seen a massive and tragic food crisis in East Africa and devastating floods in Pakistan as a result of global climate change. It is developing countries like Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya and Pakistan, whose greenhouse gas emissions are a fraction of those of more developed nations, that have done the least to cause climate change, but are now being hit first and hardest by a changing climate.
As Christians what should we do about it?
As Christians we know we are called both to care for God’s amazing creation, and to love our neighbours, especially the most vulnerable, as unpacked further in our Arise Manifesto report. We read in Genesis how humanity was instructed both to work God’s creation and to “take care of it” (Gen 2: 15). Later the book of Proverbs tells us “The righteous care about justice for the poor” (Prov 29: 7). We therefore need to meet immediate urgent needs for those whose lives have already been devastated by climate change. And we also need to tackle the long-term underlying causes, and urgently get out of fossil fuels which are driving global climate change, and instead shift to 100% clean renewable energy, which does not lead to climate change, and is cheaper as well.
Arise’s 4 Shifts Campaign calls for a rewiring of our global economy to be green and fair, so it still creates the jobs and wealth that lift people out of poverty, but does so without relying on fossil fuels and overconsumption which is wrecking our planet. As part of that campaign we need to transition as rapidly as possible to 100% clean renewable energy, whilst also supporting countries like Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya and Pakistan who are already feeling the impacts of climate change right now.
Will you take action as part of Arise’s 4 Shifts campaign this week, to meet the immediate needs of communities being impacted by climate change and to shift to a clean energy economy?
Take Action
Speak out in advocacy
Write to your MP in your own words asking them to take urgent action to:
1. Urge the government to bring forward and strengthen the UK’s plans to transition out of fossil fuels, so that we shift to zero emissions and 100% clean renewable energy, and ban the use of fossil fuels by 2030. Implement this in every sector (energy, transport, buildings, industry etc.)
2. Meet immediate needs of communities in developing countries who are being impacted by climate change, by urging the government to significantly increasing the UK’s contribution to the $100 billion in climate finance long promised to the world’s poorest nations.
Find your MP, and their contact details here
Pray
Pray for all those devastated by the impacts by the climate change, such as floods in Pakistan and drought in East Africa. Pray that their needs for food, water, shelter, clean toilets, medical supplies and new jobs and livelihoods are met. Pray too for those in the UK and Europe who will increasingly see their lives disrupted by warmer weather. Pray for action from the UK and other governments to rapidly shift their economies out of fossil fuels and into 100% clean renewable energy.
Give
Give to Christian organisations like Christian Aid, Cafod, Tearfund or World Vision who are supporting the poorest communities impacted by climate change around the world.
Practical Action
Reduce your own energy use by using cars less, and walking, cycling or using public transport more. If you fly, consider reducing or ending entirely the number of flights you take, and holidaying at home, not abroad.
Ethical Consumption
Speed the shift to a 100% clean energy economy by switching you electricity provider to a renewable energy company like Ecotricity or Good Energy.
Encourage us and others by letting us know what actions you have taken – message us at info@ariseuk.org, or via Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.
Find out more
It’s great to take this action as individual Christians, but even better to come together with others to pray, discuss, worship, learn, have fun and take action together. Contact Arise if you are interested in joining or starting a local Arise group in your church or area. If you are already in an Arise group, take this action to your wider church, and get them all to do it too.
Find out more about why the world needs 4 Shifts to transition to a green and fair global economy in Arise’s 4 Shifts Report, and how this forms part of God’s bigger vision for our world in the Arise Manifesto.
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[1] 2022 provisionally warmest year on record for UK, The Met Office, (28 Dec 2022), https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/about-us/press-office/news/weather-and-climate/2022/2022-provisionally-warmest-year-on-record-for-uk#:~:text=2022%20will%20also%20be%20the,longest%20instrumental%20record%20of%20temperature
[2] Eight warmest years on record witness upsurge in climate change impacts, World Meteorological Organization, (6 Nov 2022), https://public.wmo.int/en/media/press-release/eight-warmest-years-record-witness-upsurge-climate-change-impacts