I was out in the garden about 10 days ago digging up the gladioli which won’t survive the winter cold – but will we have winter cold? I usually have them out of the ground well before Halloween. With all the talk of COP26 at the time, I was wondering whether it was a sign of climate change. 

To be honest, if this is the worst effect that happens it’s pretty insignificant and easy to ignore.  

Then less than a week later, I woke to a Facebook post from my daughter-in-law offering beds to anyone from the Abbotsford area. That’s where she works. What on earth had happened. A most apt phrase. As the earth – in the form of mud – had slid through the townland of Abbotsford after torrential rain. A dyke beside the river – that I had walked along the last time I was there – had broken through and great expanses of land were flooded. It was hard to recognise in a photo I saw. The city of Vancouver and surrounding area were cut off from the rest of Canada. 

Now this is climate change and way more significant than my example above. But Canada is a wealthy country and they will recover from this. It’s far more frightening for people who live at sea level with the prospect of their land being inundated in the near future and little help being available. 

Sometimes it seems like there’s nothing I can do – the changes needed are so vast and the politicians are struggling so much to find consensus. The agreements made at COP26 – even though they are less than was hoped – will only be as good as the implementation of them and countries don’t have a good record on that. It’s all so over-whelming and in its scale disabling. 

But there must be something I can do to make a difference. Can I ……. 

• Walk or cycle to Ignite on a Sunday. That would be good for my waistline 
• Eat local food as much as possible to cut down on air miles. Good for us all and tasty 

• Turn the light off when I finish using a room. It would help my bank balance. 
• Plant a tree to absorb some carbon dioxide. That is also good for all of us. 
• Turn my heating down by 1 degree. That would help my bank balance 
• Use public transport some days in the week. Again, it will help my bank balance 
• Check the latest list of recyclable items that can be put in my green bin to make sure I am recycling absolutely everything I can. That would reduce toxins in the air. 

• Grow something to eat next summer in my garden, greenhouse or house. That would be tasty. 

Isn’t it funny how each one of these things that will help in the fight against climate change will also enhance my life one way or another? When we treat God’s world well, it gives back to us. What a generous Lord we have. 

If I can do one of these, it won’t make much difference but if we can all do one of these that will be a bigger difference and if we can encourage our friends and family to do one as well it could become meaningful. How about it? Are you on to make a difference? 

Theme photo by Matthew on Unsplash