Going Electric
We’ve gone electric! No, not Bob Dylan turning his back on his folk roots but an electric car. This was no snap decision. Months of research and agonising whether we should do it have finally led to what feels like the future. OK, we also still have the gas guzzler van (the one that keeps getting reported as suspicious on the village Facebook page). This helps for the longer journeys but 95% of the average Brit’s car journeys are less than 25 miles - perfect for electric vehicles.
Now, don’t get too starry-eyed. It costs up-front brass to buy this kind of kit, but even if you are skeptical about climate change, not choking our children to death must be a good idea. Some folk will give you a list of excuses to not do things. The trouble is, all of life is a bit like that isn’t it?
I’ve been impressed with ‘Extinction Rebellion’. With one in four species in danger of extinction and the obvious effects on health with asthma and heart conditions, I find it hard not to support the case for a speedy transition to a low carbon economy. If David Attenborough is saying we need to make big changes then it must be true! The UK leads the world in renewables. The opportunity to lead a new industrial and cultural revolution should excite our politicians and businesses. It is predicted that 70 per cent of our total energy will come from low-carbon sources by 2030.
One interesting aspect to the climate protests have been the number of Christians involved. This may surprise you. The Bible has some important things to say about our relationship to the planet. In Genesis, humankind, made in the image of God is charged with being stewards of the earth. Traditionally, Adam and Eve originally lived in harmony with nature in paradise, a garden. After greed and rebellion gripped humanity our relationship with nature took a sour turn. Adam was forced to scrape the earth in hard labour to grow food. With the Messiah came the promise of a restoration of relationship, not just between humans and God, but also with the natural world.
If you don’t believe me, pick up a spade and tend a garden! For so many of us it is the task of turning a patch of ground into something beautiful that is our soul food. Thanks to the hard working folk around our village, we get a little share of paradise. So plugging in and silently swooshing into the future in our little car is a small sign of our desire to be restored and enjoy our planet as God intended.
Revd Bob Bailey