Bells toll for the future of the Earth
Across Australia, many NCCA Members rang their Church bells 12 times for the 12 years that the Earth has left until catastrophic harm is done to the environment.
Monday July 29 marked the day that we have collectively used up the Earth’s resources for the remainder of this year. Effectively, we have exceeded what the Earth can renew in a year. Many Churches marked this significant day in various ways including: liturgy, prayer, reflection and in the case of several Australian Churches, rang bells at midday to raise awareness of the urgency of re-evaluating our excessive lifestyles.
In a Media Release made by the Anglican Church of Southern Queensland (ACSQ), The Very Reverend Dr Peter Catt, Dean of St John’s Cathedral, states “It’s absolutely critical that people realise that the bells are tolling for the planet and that they signal the potential destruction of Earth as we know it." Rev Dr Catt adds; “It’s not impossible to change course however it needs leadership by governments and conscious choices by individuals in our everyday lives.
Read the Anglican Church of Southern Queensland Media Release here
ACSQ also encouraged Christian churches to take the following actions on Monday 29 July:
- Toll their Church bells or light a candle from 11.48am, for the 12 minutes until midday, marking the 12 years that the IPCC has foreshadowed as a critical tipping point.
- Pray for people to see the ecological crises in our midst and for “ecological conversion”.
- Tell others in their church and online communities about this day, and why they are marking it.
- Act as people of faith by making a commitment to Live the Change: livingthechange.net
- Organise their own Earth Overshoot Day event and share the event on Facebook with the help of these liturgical and social media resources found stored at: bit.ly/OvershootAus
Read the Media Release from the Anglican Church of Southern Queensland to find tips on how to change behaviour and reduce consumption.
Further reading on the topic
In October 2018 the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warned that we have just 12 years to avoid catastrophic climate change.
Earth Overshoot Day prayer by Jason John on the Commongrace website https://www.commongrace.org.au/here_it_comes
In the Media
ABC article How many humans can Earth sustain? And what does it mean if we’ve already passed it? https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2019-07-25/population-growth-world-overshoot-day/11320990
The West Australian - Bells to chime in awareness of change - South Western Times https://thewest.com.au/news/south-western-times/bells-to-chime-in-awareness-of-change-ng-b881269926z
The Daily Examiner - Bells toll for our earth in Grafton https://www.pressreader.com/australia/the-daily-examiner/20190729/281642486776182
