November 10th, 2022

Climate Change Action
On 7th October Swindon Quakers and members of Swindon Climate Action Network met with Swindon South MP, Sir Robert Buckland, to make the case for a stronger government response to the Climate Emergency. Quakers are especially concerned with Climate Justice and the need to set up a global Loss and Damage fund for the many countries badly affected by climate change.  Countries such as Pakistan and Somalia have done little to create the Climate Emergency, but are amongst the worst affected. We also referenced the June report of the House of Commons Committee on Climate Change, to highlight the areas where the UK government plans to reach net zero by 2050 are weakest (energy efficiency of buildings, agriculture and the environment, cutting emissions from carbon intensive industries such as steel and cement manufacture).
We noted the injustice in the way that climate change will disproportionately affect young people.  Our current addiction to fossil fuels risks making the planet they will inherit a hostile place.
The next day a group of us went up to London to express our support for Just Stop Oil protesters. Quakers are using a variety of approaches to pressure our government to take action to cut carbon emissions and keep global warming within the 1.5 degree target. Some of us feel impelled to engage in non-violent civil disobedience to draw attention to the urgency of the climate crisis. 
The House of Lords has pointed out that 1/3 of the cuts in UK carbon emissions will require lifestyle changes by us. Quakers in Britain are working towards this.  We have a historic commitment to living simply and in 2011 made a corporate commitment to becoming a low-carbon, sustainable community.  In Swindon, we have insulated our Meeting House and installed solar panels; many of us have reduced meat-eating or are vegetarian; we car-share, cycle and use public transport; we recycle where we can - but there is a way to go, and we can encourage each other as we seek new ways to tread more lightly on our planet.
Caption: Quakers supporting Just Stop Oil protesters in Whitehall