Climate concerned? Join the Carbon Fast

Fast > verb: abstain from all or some kinds of food or drink, especially as a religious observance.

Carbon Fast > noun: fast and pray with Tearfund to cut your carbon use and help protect poor people from climate change.

We’re on a mission this Lent not only to add Carbon Fast to your vocabulary but to get you putting these two little words into practice as well.

Each day from Wednesday 25 February until Saturday 11 April, we have daily actions to help you reduce your carbon footprint.

For example, why not give up keeping electrical appliances on standby? Eight per cent of the electricity we consume in our homes is by appliances we’re not even using, wasting money as well as causing emissions.

Junk the mail

Or de-register from receiving junk mail. Four billion direct mail items are sent annually, with a third going unread.

All you need to do to join the Carbon Fast is sign up to receive a daily email. Easy. Together the global church can make a big difference.

But don’t just take our word for how good the Carbon Fast is; here’s an endorsement from Marion de Quidt from Guildford, one of thousands who took part in last year’s.

Marion said, ‘The Carbon Fast is much more interesting and relevant than other things we have done for Lent before. The ideas were engaging, simple, practical and easy to achieve, giving a sense of success and contribution.’

Creation care

By taking part in our actions you’ll undoubtedly save yourself money but vitally, you’ll also be helping to address an injustice, namely that desperately poor communities in developing countries who do the least polluting damage are hit hardest by climate change.

You’ll also be sending a message on behalf of the global church that we care about creation.

The Bishop of Liverpool, the Rt. Revd. James Jones, who came up with the Carbon Fast idea, said, `As we pray daily for God’s will to be done on earth, as it is done in heaven, the Carbon Fast is a practical step towards a fairer world, a sustainable planet and the earthing of heaven.’

Building on 2008, this year the Carbon Fast is going global. Our colleagues at TEAR Australia will be asking the local church down under to change its lifestyle and to lobby the government there to do more.

Tearfund website