This report considers in detail the churches’ programme on climate change, Operation Noah. It suggests how the programme may be presented to the church, and also how we can respond as a church in the way we use energy. It should be read in connection with the leaflet Let’s Build the Ark

Presenting Operation Noah to the church

The programme is best presented to church members in the context of Sunday worship. The purpose of worship is to offer ourselves in discipleship, so worship has practical implications for the way we choose to live. Operation Noah draws some of these implications out.

Individuals are invited to:

  • sign the Climate Covenant, for the sake of those most at risk - the poor, future generations and endangered species.
  • take action themselves to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. One-third of emissions are from domestic energy use. The most effective action we can take is to convert to a less-polluting electricity supply.
  • pass the message on to others about what they have done.

Operation Noah has an ‘ethical energy partnership’ with the two of the top suppliers on the green electricity league table compiled by Friends of the Earth – Good Energy and Green Energy. They generate electricity only from hydro, wind and solar installations. Many other companies supply ‘green’ electricity – including most regional suppliers. But it is important to check their credentials.

If someone chooses to switch to either of the two top-ranking companies as a result of their participation in Operation Noah, the company pays £7 a year towards the costs of the campaign.

Participants are offered a choice of what to do to fulfil ‘their bit’ of the Climate Covenant once they have sent in their signature. But switching to clean energy is specifically mentioned in the introductory leaflet, both because of its long-term effectiveness in reducing carbon dioxide emissions, and because the campaign otherwise relies entirely on donations.

The presentation will take 10-15 minutes, and can be delivered in a range of formats. You are invited to choose from among these options for our church’s Operation Noah programme.

  • a talk for an all-age congregation
  • address for an adult congregation
  • a drama sketch followed by short talk
  • a children’s activity followed by short talk

The programme offers a range of supporting material:

  • leaflets for church members to take away
  • display materials which will be presented for a period up to five months
  • a selection of appropriate Scripture readings, hymns and a prayer.

In addition, the following materials are available:

  • Bible Studies suitable for use by a study group
  • a Powerpoint presentation
  • a wide range of briefings from authoritative sources such as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the Red Cross. By this means, CEL aims to ensure that the presenter uses verifiable data from the most robust scientific sources, and does not make statements which are misleading or exaggerated
  • clip-art, magazine articles and newsletter notices.

You are invited to identify a suitable date for presenting the campaign three to four months ahead. In the run up to that date, a number of other activities can take place: the children’s activity, newsletter and magazine articles, Bible Studies, presentations to interested groups and so on.

This church’s corporate response

Churches are invited to lead by example in caring for the climate, by participating themselves as corporate bodies.

Signing the Climate Covenant: The church can adopt the Climate Covenant corporately, by making a simple resolution using the words of the Climate Covenant

Taking action ourselves: There are many ways we can take action to protect the climate. Many will also save us money, because we will be using less fuel. All of the following can be implemented in all premises owned or managed by the church.

  • Switch to clean electricity: The products listed on the leaflet Let’s Build and Ark are all available to business as well as domestic consumers. Some churches are being sold electricity at very poor value for money, and would save money even with the cleanest tariff. As with fair trade tea and coffee, however, we church should decide whether cheapness is the only criterion for choosing electricity, or whether humanitarian risks from climate change should also be taken into account.
  • Reduce energy wastage: What proportion of our light bulbs are low-energy fluorescent bulbs? Whilst they are more expensive than tungsten bulbs, they last much longer, and cost a fraction to run. Savings can be realised within a few years. How well insulated are the roofs and windows? Conservation regulations can mean that installing insulation is not feasible. But other premises are likely to have no such restrictions. We could ask the local Energy Efficiency Advice Centre for a free survey visit and advice. They are in the phone book under Energy Efficiency. Do we floodlight our church? Floodlighting uses an enormous amount of energy making it very costly both financially and to the earth.
  • Become a powerhouse! "Become a powerhouse! Subject to conservation rules, we could even produce our own energy. Underthe Government-funded Solar Grants programme ( we could be entitled to grantsto install photo-voltaic panels, which can be fitted unobtrusively on roofs. When the electricity is not being used by the church it will feed back intothe National Grid, over time refunding our church for the initial cost ofthe system.

To begin with, however, the most effective step we can take towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions is to consider changing to a cleaner electricity product. So it is recommended that we explore the costs and benefits of changing to the suppliers recommended by Operation Noah.

Recommendations

You are invited to:

  • decide when an Operation Noah presentation could take place in the church, in what context, and what activities you would like to see
  • propose that we endorse the Climate Covenant corporately as a church
  • explore further the costs and benefits of changing to clean electricity with Operation Noah, and any other energy-saving measures which might be relevant.