Editorials

Desmond Tutu in "Hopenhagen"

Bells peal out warning on climate change

December 14, 2009

"Hopenhagen" - harbor of hope - stands in giant letters over the stage, a message of hope echoed by Archbishop Desmond Tutu at noon on Sunday in the Danish capital. Thousands of climate protection advocates gathered in front of the town hall to witness the culmination of the church campaign "Countdown to Copenhagen." When God looks down on the world, when he sees Gaza, Zimbabwe and Afghanistan, he is crying, he told the crowd, "But then he sees you in Copenhagen and he begins to smile."

The archbishop gave United Nations Executive Secretary for Climate Change Ivo de Boer a petition signed by over half a million people. Faith-based development justice networks from throughout the world had gathered the signatures as a commitment in support of climate justice. "We want a legally binding agreement," Desmond Tutu told the representatives of the 192 countries who were in Copenhagen until the end of this week to negotiate an international climate agreement. "We call out to decision-makers: let us work together to make this world a better place for everybody."

During the ecumenical service of worship that followed, Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams challenged politicians to make courageous decisions. "Do not focus on the fear - act!" he said in the presence of Queen Margaret II of Denmark. Williams called for a radical shift of life style. Preserving creation required change now.

While Desmond Tutu was giving the final blessing in the cathedral, an impressive acoustic warning lasting seven minutes was sounded as bells rang 350 times, symbolizing the maximum acceptable level of CO2 emissions established by the UN. The World Council of Churches called upon churches throughout the world to ring their bells at 3 pm local time. The campaign began with churches in the Fiji Islands in the South Pacific. The pealing of bells then went on to span the entire globe. In the North Elbian church alone 280 congregations responded to the call. The regional churches of the Rhineland, Westphalia and Electoral Hesse-Waldeck had also called for prayers and worship services in solidarity with the world climate summit in Copenhagen.