''Sir David Attenborough issued a warning ahead of the UN climate summit in Glasgow in 2021 that leaders must act now or “it’ll be too late” for the planet.
Cop26 was billed as the last best chance to keep global temperature rises to no more than 1.5C, with Sir David critical of those who deny the climate crisis. In conversation with BBC science editor David Shukman, the naturalist and broadcaster said: “Every month that passes, it becomes more and more incontrovertible, the changes to the planet that we are responsible for that are having these devastating effects.” He added: “If we don’t act now, it will be too late. We have to do it now.”'
There is a narrow window in which we can change. The time is short, and the gate is narrow, as Jesus said to his disciples in our Gospel reading ((Luke 13.22-30).
When he spoke those words, Jesus knew his time was limited. He knew Jerusalem and death was fast approaching. He knew that through his ministry in Israel God's people were being given an opportunity to respond in a new way, yet the opportunity would not be there for long. Therefore, he and his disciples travelled the length and breadth of Israel in the three years before his crucifixion to share the good news of the opportunity that was before the people but only for a short time.
They went with the message that ‘The Kingdom of God is near you now.’ Now was the time when the Kingdom of God could be seen and touched and experienced because now was the time that God himself was with them. He sent his disciples ahead of him to say that the Kingdom of God was coming near, that it would be experienced in the time when he arrived. So, the time to respond and experience and join was now.
The Gospels, therefore, are full of urgency. Jesus' parables are stories of decision, stories in which people find out that time has beaten them and the moment for response has passed. Are we like, the wise or foolish bridesmaids? Those that were ready for the coming of the bridegroom, or not? Are we like, the farmer who built his big barns planning to eat, drink and be merry but whose life was demanded of him that night? Or will we be like the Prodigal Son who realised change was possible and seized the moment by returning to his father and being reconciled.
Life consistently challenges us to decide in the moment. If there is one thing that the pandemic taught us, it is that life is short, and we do not know what is around the corner. Therefore, we should not put off what we know we should do today. Our time is short, the gate is narrow, the time for decision is now.
That's certainly the case in regard to the climate emergency. Global efforts to tackle climate change currently are wildly off track the UN has said, as new data shows that warming gases are accumulating faster than at any time in human existence.
UN Climate Change, the UN agency tasked with addressing the issue, carried out an analysis on the carbon cutting plans that have been submitted by close to 200 countries. The UN wanted to see how much progress is being made in driving down emissions that are threatening to push global temperatures well above 1.5C this century, a level beyond which scientists say extremely damaging impacts will occur.
Right now, when the plans are added up, they indicate that emissions will likely fall by just 2.6% by 2030 compared to 2019. This is far short of the 43% reduction that scientists say will be needed by the end of this decade to keep the world on track for net-zero carbon by 2050.
“The report’s findings are stark but not surprising,” said Simon Stiell, executive secretary of UN Climate Change. “Current national climate plans fall miles short of what’s needed to stop global heating from crippling every economy, and wrecking billions of lives and livelihoods across every country.”
“The climate is changing fast," says Marina Romanello, executive director of the Lancet Countdown. “At the moment, we are still in a position to just about adapt to the changes in the climate. But it is going to get to a point where we will reach the limit of our capacity. Then we will see a lot of unavoidable impacts.” "The higher we allow the global temperature to go, the worse things are going to be”.
We are still in the narrow window of time available to us in relation to the climate emergency, although Cop26 and subsequent conferences have clearly not yet delivered the scale or urgency of action required. In the words of the singer-songwriter Lou Reed:
'This is no time to ignore Warnings
This is no time to clear the Plate
Let's not be sorry after the fact
And let the past become our fate
This is no time for phony Rhetoric
This is no time for political Speech
This is a time for action
Because the future's within Reach'
So, just as Jesus stated in relation to his own mission, we too need to strive to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able because by then it will be too late. In our current situation, that prediction would be a disaster for the generations that follow us. Amen.
'This is no time to ignore Warnings
This is no time to clear the Plate
Let's not be sorry after the fact
And let the past become our fate
This is no time for phony Rhetoric
This is no time for political Speech
This is a time for action
Because the future's within Reach'
So, just as Jesus stated in relation to his own mission, we too need to strive to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able because by then it will be too late. In our current situation, that prediction would be a disaster for the generations that follow us. Amen.
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Lou Reed - There Is No Time.
