Rise for Climate

Tomás Insua with Bishop Allwyn D'Silva

People in more than 90 countries marched at the weekend for the Rise for Climate global grassroots movement. There were more than 900 registered events and rallies in 95 countries, according to the organiser, US-based campaigning group 350.org.

Tomás Insua, Global Coordinator of the Global Catholic Climate Movement, was pictured in Rome alongside Indian bishop Allwyn D'Silva and other climate activists. They were there, "because we must respond to the #LaudatoSi appeal" said Tomás. The hashtag #RiseForClimate brought the national events together on twitter. In Britain, Barnet churches hosted a 'Rise for Climate' event on Saturday. There were talks, discussions, an 'any questions' and exhibits from nine environmental organisations, including Greenpeace and Arocha. Fossil Free West Yorkshire organised an event in Bradford, which members of local churches attended. In Durham, activists locked themselves onto mining machinery in a bid to close a pit which produces fossil fuels for the day.

Rise for Climate participants seek a fossil-free world powered by 100 percent renewable energy. They demanded bold action from policymakers ahead of the Global Action Climate Summit in San Francisco from 12-14 September, amid growing frustration at the lack of meaningful political action over the emerging climate crisis. In Sydney, Australia, they sailed a ship along the harbour flying banners with their message. A Rise for Climate banner was waved in Antarctica, where ice is melting rapidly. On Friday, Pacific island nations declared climate change to be the "single biggest threat" they face.

One huge protest was in Paris which 50,000 people attended. Events in other European cities included Copenhagen, Brussels and Lisbon. Protests against the Trump administration's environmental policies took place in cities across the US. Around 30,000 people took to the streets in the city of San Francisco in the largest climate march the West Coast has ever seen and it included the largest ever street mural.

People are rising to support urgent action before 2020 to accelerate the rapid phase out of fossil fuels and a just transition to clean energy systems. This year the world has experienced catastrophic heatwaves in North Africa, Europe, Japan, Pakistan, Australia and Argentina; deadly wildfires in Greece, Sweden, the US and Russia; drought in Kenya and Somalia; major water shortages in Afghanistan and South Africa; extreme storms and flooding in Hawaii, India, Oman and Yemen; record melting of the Bering Sea ice; and the 400th month in the row of above-average global temperatures.

This weekend Rise for Climate aimed to demonstrate the growing strength and diversity of the climate movement and the people who won't wait for governments to act, but will lead by example and hold them to account.

And this week James Buchanon of Operation Noah's Bright Now Campaign invited Christians to raise the issue of divestment from fossil fuels in parish council meetings/ church meetings during this season of CreationTime.