Making Peace With Our Planet

Henley Quakers are asking our government to lead the way on the Climate Crisis.

“Everyone will lose unless humanity makes peace with the planet,” declared Antonio Guterres, the Secretary General of the United Nations in May 2021.  Henley Quakers took the phrase ‘Making Peace with the Planet’ as the title for their recent stall at the Great Big Green Bazaar.

They offered the public an opportunity to post a card to Alok Sharma M.P. who is President of the UN Conference on Climate Change otherwise known as COP 26 being held next month. The simple message on the card sets out demands we need to be acted upon for humanity to survive this climate and environmental crisis.  With strong leadership Mr Sharma through his Presidency must insist that all parties stick to their earlier promises and begin acting to reverse the worst of the climatic and ecological catastrophes that are already happening throughout the world.

The U.K. government chairing the Summit has to take real leadership and action. To put it simply Henley Quakers are asking all nations to:

• Set out more ambitious targets to reduce their carbon output and act upon them.
• To take note of the climate disasters globally showing that time is running out.

This summit has to succeed: we want the planet to remain habitable in our grandchildren’s lifetime.

A typical personal message written by a visitor to the Quaker stall echoes what a lot of the older generation are feeling: “As a grandmother I want to see changes now.  I want a world that is safe for my grandchildren.”

Henley Quakers have a bundle of over 200 postcards that they are delivering by hand to Mr. Sharma.  If anyone feels they would like to write or email their own message of encouragement to COP 26 participants to do the right thing by our planet and everything that dwells on it, there are still a couple of weeks to go before the commencement of the summit.

Quakers in Henley are now writing to their MPs to pass on their concerns, their requests and their hopes for the future. They are saying:  “The climate crisis is a threat to all of life on our planet, as we know it. Please do all you can to save it. There is still time if you act now!”