Â鶹Éç

Available for over a year

Good morning. No previous generation has been able to see images of life on this planet in all the richness and diversity we can today. Equally, no previous generation has been made aware of just how fragile our world’s ecosystem is. Today, Earth Day, owes no allegiance to religion. However, since 1970 it has worked with the grain of many faiths and beliefs. From small beginnings, April 22nd has become a day that regularly inspires over a billion individuals, plus numerous organisations and communities, spanning over 190 countries, to acknowledge the responsibility we share for our planet, and to act. Acknowledging our responsibilities forms a golden thread through the Hebrew Scriptures, from the Book of Genesis, where humanity is given the duty to tend God’s creation, through to the charging of judges and kings with an especial responsibility to guard the poor and weak. The prophets reiterate it repeatedly, challenging rulers and priests who, reneging on their responsibilities, choose instead to favour their own wellbeing and that of their kith, kin and entourage. The crucifixion of Jesus Christ is itself a story of God in action, taking responsibility for human salvation, as Archbishop Justin Welby declared in his Easter sermon, contrasting that with what he saw as politicians’ attempts to outsource responsibility for many refugees to Rwanda. The questions as to who holds responsibility, and what redress is required for failure, run through many of this week’s biggest news stories. From a cricket captain resigning after a run of poor results, to continuing parliamentary efforts to craft the Building Safety Bill into a form that will remove the financial burden of fire safety improvements from innocent leaseholders living in tall buildings. It’s there in the ongoing debate as to whether the payment of fines and issuing of apologies constitutes a sufficient acknowledgement of responsibility for the rule-breaking Downing Street parties. Earth Day brings responsible action particularly into focus. As I see it, wise stewardship of creation, so that our grandchildren and beyond can enjoy the earth’s bounty and beauty, requires both that we take responsibility to reduce our personal carbon footprint and, as voters, purchasers and investors, holding accountable those with responsibilities in boardrooms and governments. Picking up on that biblical challenge to protect the poorest, means I take responsibility to press for ways to decarbonise that do not load the bulk of the burden onto those least able to bear it, here or overseas. Today, on Earth Day, I’ll recommit myself not just to act, but to act responsibly, recognising that both the verb and the adverb matter.