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In a letter to The Rt. Rev. Gregory H. Rickel, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Olympia, in September 2009, the Bishop of the Diocese of Southern Philippines [EDSP], the Rt. Rev. Danilo Bustamante, expressed interest in establishing a partnership relations with the said TEC diocese on the issue of climate change. The letter affirmed a previous exchange of communication between Bishop Rickel and the Church in the Philippines on the problem of global warming that has given rise to climate change and its adverse global effects.
Previously, in meetings with various partners, ECP bishops have expressed the collective anger of their people over the fact that while climate change is attributed to carbon and gaseous emissions the bulk of which are produced by the western developed countries, it is those in the so-called “developing countries” who are suffering most from its adverse effects. Educational campaigns on climate change in the ECP have been met with indifference by people who thought it was pointless to do anything in their backyards when the problem is brought about largely by acts of other people outside of their shores. One way by which ECP congregations can be motivated to do action is for them to be assured that those who are contributing most to the problem are likewise concerned and are actually doing something about it. Hence, the ECP was very much encouraged by the environmental action programs of various partners. In its particular case, the Diocese of Olympia has joined other TEC dioceses in launching the Genesis Covenant which challenges its parishes to reduce their carbon emissions by 50% in 10 years.
Inspired by this action, EDSP offered to complement the effort by linking it up with its own environmental stewardship campaign. EDSP seeks to join hands with Olympia’s congregations so that for every effort that the latter make towards reducing their emissions, its [EDSP’s] congregations will do a parallel initiative by planting one tree for every set valuation of the reduction. EDSP has passed a resolution in its 2009 convention constituting its congregations as “Green Churches”, obligated with several tasks intended to protect the environment.
Bishop Rickel responded positively to the EDSP letter. He said he was bringing up the matter to the Bishop’s Committee on Environment to begin the process of moving forward. The Bishop is a strong advocate of environmental stewardship and has been at the forefront in the campaign for the Genesis Covenant which was later on adopted by TEC’s 76th General Convention.
Michael Schut, TEC’s Economic and Environmental Officer whose office is in Seattle, Washington which is a part of the Diocese of Olympia, said he knows “that those with whom I have talked here in this diocese feel like having a partner relationship with you and your diocese would contribute a number of things to their efforts to reduce congregational carbon emissions: a sense of relationship, perspective and motivation; a deeper understanding of why we are doing what we are doing; an educational opportunity, and so on.” |