NEWS RELEASE Tuesday 16 March 1999

CHURCH ENVIRONMENTAL AUDIT LAUNCHED

"God loved the cosmos. We must take this seriously and consider how to generate energy for change. We mustn't shrink from this task," said the Rt Rev and Rt Hon Richard Chartres, Bishop of London, at the House of Lords on Monday March 15. He was speaking at the launch of 'Caring for God's World', a new environmental audit for parishes, church schools and community projects.

"The audit is simplicity itself to complete in comparison to the self assessment tax form!" added the Rt Rev Hugh Montefiore, former Bishop of Birmingham and now an Assistant Bishop in Southwark. He has long pioneered work on environmental issues throughout the country. "There is much that we can do as individuals. But, before we can do this we need to know more about what we are doing now and how our actions affect the environment," he said. He is President of LondonSCARE (London and Southwark Churches Action Re the Environment), which produced the Audit, in association with the Conservation Foundation. The project was supported by Rio Tinto plc.

The Rt Rev Dr Tom Butler, Bishop of Southwark, said "It's vitally important that the people of the whole of London work together to ensure that we take proper responsibility for our environment. As we look forward to the election of the new Mayor of London we need to be involved in planning the strategy and implementation of all kinds of issues related to the way we live here in the capital."

The environmentalist Professor David Bellamy also spoke at the launch. He reminded his listeners that the earth has been caring for us for many millions of years and that we must care for it. He challenged people not to be frightened of the spirituality involved in caring for our earth. "Our being is a spiritual matter," he said. "The environment should not be a political issue. It is too important to be debated in either of the palaces of Westminster. We need to take the debate forward for ourselves. It's our world."

PHOTOGRAPHS of the principal speakers at the launch are available from: Libby Simon, The Conservation Foundation, 020-7591 3111. E-mail: conservef@gn.apc.org

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