On Wednesday 1 November 2023, Witness Ministry’s AGM was privileged to have had Rev. Shaun Cozett as one of our guest speakers. He presented to us an introduction to climate change.
Rev. Cozett is the rector of St Paul’s Breë Street in the Anglican Diocese of Cape Town, where he also serves as the coordinator of the Diocesan Environment Resource Team. He is a founding member of the Southern African Faith Communities’ Environment Institute and until recently served on the board of directors. He serves on the boards of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa’s Environment Network, the College of the Transfiguration in Makhanda and represents the Bishop of Table Bay on the executive of the South African Council of Churches (SACC) in the Western Cape.
Before pursuing ordination, he worked as a partnership coordinator in the National Government’s Environmental Programmes, implementing various projects to create jobs through the management of invasive alien plants. His work includes the award-winning eco-coffins project. Currently he is a PhD candidate at the Environmental Humanities South Research Center at the University of Cape Town.
Rev. Cozett’s presentation kicked off with the topic, What is meant by climate change? He started by explaining the difference between weather and climate. During these discussions we realised that weather refers to the atmospheric conditions we experience on a daily basis. It is localized and is short term or immediate. Climate, on the other hand, refers to the long-term trends in atmospheric conditions, usually over thirty years.
Rev. Cozett then emphasized why climate trends are important. It guides us in terms of food production (when to sow seeds, the best time to harvest, what crops would do well with this level of rainfall, etc.) It also helps us to locate where we can or can’t live and how to construct our dwellings (do we get hurricanes, how do we prepare for fire season and how often should we expect extreme events?).
The importance of climate change was then explained. Changes in the long-term trends can be caused either by natural processes or by human activity. Since the 1800s, human activities have been the main driver of climate change, primarily due to the burning of fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas. Read more about this here.
In March 2023 the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released the following report of which the following important facts have to be taken note of:
“Human activities, principally through emissions of greenhouse gases, have unequivocally caused global warming, with global surface temperature reaching above 1.1°C (1850–1900 and in 2011–2020).”
“Widespread and rapid changes in the atmosphere, ocean, cryosphere and biosphere have occurred. Human-caused climate change is already affecting many weather and climate extremes in every region across the globe. This has led to widespread adverse impacts and related losses and damages to nature and people.”
“Some future changes are unavoidable and/or irreversible but can be limited by deep, rapid and sustained global greenhouse gas emissions reduction.”
“There is a rapidly closing window of opportunity to secure a liveable and sustainable future for all.”
Rev. Cozett then highlighted a few effects of climate change, namely rising temperatures, rising sea levels and warmer oceans, melting of ice caps, loss of biodiversity and habitat, the increase in the number and intensity of extreme natural events, increased food insecurity, increase in vector-borne diseases and increase in refugees.
Secondly, Rev. Cozett talked about the topic, What can we do to reduce our carbon footprints? Eco theologians, such as dr Ernst Conradie, wrote in his book, The Church and Climate Change (2008, Pietermaritzburg, RSA: Cluster Publications) about some negative types of responses on this. Firstly you get the mastery theology claiming that God has given us dominion over all things. Secondly there is the escapist theology believing that this earth doesn’t matter; our home is in heaven. Thirdly there is the enculturation theology proclaiming that their culture requires them to do this, no matter what. Then there is the fourth one, namely the blaming theology, believing “They are creating the problem, not us”, and lastly the prosperity Gospel theology who believes God wants us to flourish and prosper, we are blessed.
Positive ways in which Christians respond though, are to take stewardship (to believe that God calls us to care for what He has created), to follow the ubuntu lifestyle (“I am because we are”), to follow the theology of the oikos (“The earth is our home, we have to share resources and care for each other”), and to follow the olive agenda (bringing together the needs of the poor and care for creation).
The presentation ended with the question, What messages should our faith community share about climate change? Here you can have a look at our website at https://witnessministry.christians.co.za/ecology/