Trying to bring it all together...

I had a suspicion that these final two weeks of study and reflection would be a bit of a struggle, not least because there has been so much material to take on board, and so many open-ended questions. 


At the moment I am drawn to think about water as a commodity that we use and misuse, and as a significant part of the climate change picture. It has been raining heavily here in the cottage in the Midlands, and on today's news there has been a report on significant water problems in north east Scotland. What a contrast with Kenya, where the Guardian newspaper online (http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/sep/03/climate-change-kenya-10-10) reminds me of just what I have experienced barely 6 weeks back.

I look out of the window of my temporary first floor study and cannot avoid having to think about food and what we consume and how that has its environmental cost. 


A recently-concluded BBC 3-part documentary "The Future of Food" presented by George Alagiah (http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00m9xjc) is so up to date and relevant.

The more I think about the whole subject of Climate Change, the more I am coming to realise that to quote a passage from one of the books I am reading at present: "Climate Change is not one vast, impersonal challenge, but rather billions of tiny personal ones .. It is a thousand things we do without thinking: everyday behaviour that we assume, quite wrongly,is a normal part of life and therefore sustainable" ( Spencer P49)

Update on Care for Creation Kenya

URGENT PRAYER ALERT

/click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=13554290&msgid=178880&act=J170&c=219095&admin=0&destination=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.careofcreation.org
This is an urgent “Call to Prayer” going out to friends of Care of Creation around the world.

The Devastating Drought in East Africa.

Care of Creation Kenya has put a lot of work into developing an innovative program called “Farming God’s Way” and we have seen great success in increasing crop yield for ordinary farmers. Unfortunately, the best farming techniques cannot compensate when the rains fail – and once more, things are at a critical stage in Kenya and the surrounding countries.

This word from Francis at the CCK office in Limuru, Kenya came in just a few days ago: “Keep praying for Kenya - the drought situation is getting out of hand. Relief food is now being distributed almost in every part of the country including Ndeiya where my scheduled meeting with the local government administrator, the chief, could not take place as hundreds of men, women and children queued for food all day long on Monday…”

Francis’ front-line report is confirmed by a scan of headlines just from the last couple of days.
The World Food Programme is appealing for massive aid to compensate for what looks like a 50% shortfall in the maize harvest alone: "Red lights are flashing across the country," Burkard Oberle, WFP's Kenya country director said in a statement. "People are already going hungry, malnutrition is preying on more and more young children, cattle are dying -- we face a huge challenge and are urging the international community to provide us with the resources we need to get the job done." Many parts of the country have now suffered three or even four consecutive failed rainy seasons, WFP says, and conditions are expected to deteriorate further over the coming months. (Reuters)

These are our people – your brothers and sisters. Pray!

Ed Brown, for Care of Creation

Three weeks left

Just settling down to start 3rd module for Certificate in Christian Rural and Environmental Studies, focussing on the Physical Environment. Eldest son has just finalized his own undergraduate course options, which include Environmental Sciences - shame he is going to take three years to complete, when I want this module done in three weeks - finishing before he even starts. No doubt he will learn loads more.

This is going to be a highly relevant conclusion to my study leave, particularly as the environmental world is gearing up to the UN conference on Climate Change in Copenhagen at the end of this year.

The module will help me think about three specific areas - Pollution of Atmosphere, Shortage of Fresh Water and Soil Erosion, ( this image is of the distant banks of the Sabaki river in Kenya having collapsed because of soil erosion). The opportunity to find space for study at the cottage of some friends in the Peak District is real blessing.

But before then, a return to old haunts for a one-off concert in Cheltenham given by the British Light Music Society. Strange to think that when I was at the stage eldest son now is at, I had just completed 3 very happy and formative seasons with the Gloucestershire Youth Orchestra, where it could be said I was involved in climate change problems with both major and minor consequences: - polluting the atmosphere by blowing an inordinate amount of hot air, recycling water through condensation down a very long brass pipe, and erosion of the surface by tapping my foot to desparately keep time. Things haven't changed much - such is the lot of a French Horn Player!