I joined hundreds in the Cathedral of Copenhagen for an international ecumenical celebration of creation led by Archbishop of Cantebury Rowan Williams and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. Ministers of religion from Denmark, Tuvalu, Zambia, Greenland and Mexico took part along with the Secretaries General of the Nordic Conference of Catholic Bishops and the National Council of Churches in Denmark...Three symbols of clmate change were carried in the procession - glacier stones from Greenland, dried up maize from Africa and bleached corals from the Pacific Ocean.
I couldn't help pondering what symbol might represent Australia and felt sadly it might well be a lump of charcoal, as I hear distant reports of the fires contining to burn across the country in this early fierce fire season.
Rowan Williams was challenging and constructive - "Love casts out fear. A commitment to the environment is a recognition that we are both called upon and enabled to be in a place where god's love for the world comes through us, taking delght in the created world, seeing it not with anxiety but an excited and hopeful sense of understanding and cherishing its interdependent beauty."
Made firm friends with Danish Anna, who kindly took me out for hot cholcolate at one of Copenhagen's original teashops. Oh yes, and I've fallen head over heels in love with Danish bicycles...
A day for catching up on emails and washing. A day for preparing for the week ahead. Will be spending less time at the Bella Centre, as increasing numbers have led to a quota system so I will be sharing my pass with another two delegates.
Gregg Borschman has been breaking news on Australia's efforts to:
cook the books - http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/12/14/2770326.htm and use farm soil to offset Australian emissions - http://bit.ly/5JyyzR.
Good night.
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