"Carbon Fast" for Lent

Today is the first day of Lent. The Bishop of Liverpool, the Rt Rev James Jones and the Bishop of London, the Rt Rev Richard Chartres, are joing with Tearfund to encourage Christians to reduce carbon usage for the forty days of Lent by following a Carbon Fast.

According to an article in The Telegraph, "Lent is the time when Christians traditionally give up such things as sweets, chocolate or alcohol in recognition of the 40 days Christ spent fasting in the desert to prepare for his ministry. This year they will be asked to think about their own carbon footprint and follow a few simple steps designed to help cut CO2 emissions."

"Those taking part in the Carbon Fast will be asked to remove one lightbulb from a prominent place in the home and live without it for 40 days. On the final days of the Fast they will be asked to replace it with a low-energy bulb which over its lifetime will save 60kg of carbon dioxide per year and up to £60," states The Telegraph.

The Carbon Fast outlines 40 actions you can take, one for each day of Lent. Other suggested actions throughout Lent include recycling, unplug your phone charger when it's not charging, turn off electronics instead of using the standby mode, and turning off lights when you leave the room.

According to Tearfund, "climate change is already hitting places like Bangladesh, Ethiopia and Niger hard. Climate change shows us that our energy-hungry lifestyles are harming our poorer neighbours across the world, now. The moral imperative for us to act is unquestionable and inescapable."

Tearfund also has a website section with resources to help you and your church get involved with the Carbon Fast. The resources include a PowerPoint presentation, sermon notes, and other materials.

You can visit the following websites to find out more: Tearfund, Carbon Fast website, Carbon Fast plan, the press release, article in The Telegraph.