en expert warns on climate

The latest international report on global climate change is ‘a stark warning of the crisis facing the planet,’ according to an expert who writes for Evangelicals Now.

Simon Marsh (see photo), who has expertise in geography, environmental assessment and regional planning, and who works for the RSPB, was speaking after the release of the news delivered by the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a group of scientists whose findings are endorsed by the world’s governments.

Nature expert Marsh, who writes en’s monthly Earth Watch column, said: ‘The latest update of global climate science presents a stark warning of the crisis facing the planet. It’s hard to ignore such a comprehensive review of 14,000 scientific studies. To call it alarmist would be to deny what we are already observing in the world around us.’

He added: ‘Some secular voices are calling for repentance, and evangelical Christians in the West should be the first to repent: of our complacency and of our lifestyles which disregard vulnerable people and creation. From recycling to using renewable energy, we can all play our part in caring for creation. Pray too for wise decisions to be made by governments that will care for creation’s future.’

The director of advocacy and influencing at Tearfund, Ruth Valerio, said: ‘The IPCC report makes it painfully clear that we are in a fight for survival and can’t afford distant promises of action. The door is still open on limiting warming to 1.5ºC – but only if world leaders make swift cuts to emissions.’