Giving Up Carbon for Lent

For many Christians, Ash Wednesday on February 6 commenced forty days of fasting and prayer. Some people try to give up sweets, snacks, or meat on Fridays. Two Church of England Bishops are encouraging people to reduce their carbon footprint this Lent in an effort they’ve dubbed the “<a title=”Carbon Fast” href=”http://www.tearfund.org/Churches/Carbon+fast+new/” target=”_blank”>Carbon Fast</a>.” The British Bishops teamed up with Tearfund, an organization that works with local churches to reduce poverty, to push people to turn down their heat, shop locally, and unplug electronics <a title=”among other energy-saving actions” href=”http://www.tearfund.org/webdocs/Website/Churches/Carbon%20Fast.pdf” target=”_blank”>among other energy-saving actions</a> (pdf).
The fast may sound like a good idea to call attention to climate change, but some people are skeptical. Michael Cook <a title=”writes for Spiked” href=”http://www.spiked-online.com/index.php?/site/article/4485/” target=”_blank”>writes for Spiked
</a> that the Carbon Fast isn’t asking enough from participants, arguing that it signifies “the slow extinction of Christianity in England.”
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Sarah Pumroy
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