14 December 2009
Methodist Climate Cyclist arrives in Copenhagen
Ben Bradley has cycled 140 miles to the United Nations climate
change summit at Copenhagen, with a group organised by Christian
Aid.
Ben, Events Coordinator for the Methodist Church, has spent the
last three days travelling with a team of 28 Christian Aid cyclists
to bring a simple message to world leaders in Copenhagen: It's not
raining, it's pouring - time to act on climate change.
Last month, a survey conducted by YouGov on behalf of the Methodist
Church showed that around 1 in 5 people are using cars less in
favour of other forms of transport such as cycling. It also showed
that around one in 20 people are flying less.
On arriving in Copenhagen, Ben said: "We may all be tired from
cycling, but in an important sense, the real journey starts here.
It's make or break time - at Copenhagen it is essential that our
leaders make some hard choices and decide on real action for the
future of our planet." People can find out more about Ben's journey
by visiting his blog: www.climatecycleride.blogspot.com.
The cyclists will join a mass rally in Copenhagen today, lobbying
world leaders to take bold action and make real commitments to
tackle climate change. While in Copenhagen, Ben also plans to
deliver a letter of solidarity from the President of the British
Methodist Conference to a church representative from
Bangladesh.
The Methodist Church, the Baptist Union of Great Britain and the
United Reformed Church have urged the European Union to agree cuts
of at least 40% below 1990 levels by 2020 and for these cuts to be
made without extensive use of carbon offsets. The three churches
have produced a report and study guide called Hope in God's Future.
The booklet, available from Methodist Publishing (www.mph.org.uk), takes the reader
on a journey using the changing mood of a worship service as a
framework for considering climate change and our impact on the
planet.