Since immemorial times in cultures across the world musical instruments like bells and drums have been used to warn people of imminent danger – but also to call people to religious service, marking important moments in worship and seeking to connect to God.
Sunday 13 December 2009 marks the height of the talks at United Nations climate negotiations in Copenhagen.
At 3 p.m. – marking the end of a high profile ecumenical celebration at the Lutheran Cathedral in Copenhagen, the Church of Our Lady – the churches in Denmark will ring their bells, and Christians around the world are invited to echo them by sounding their own bells, shells, drums, gongs or horns 350 times.
We envisage a chain of chimes and prayers stretching in a time-line from the Fiji Islands in the South Pacific – where the day first begins and where the effects of climate change are already felt today – to northern Europe and across the globe.
350 refers to 350 parts per million: This is the safe upper limit for CO2 in our atmosphere according to many scientists, climate experts, and progressive national governments. For all of human history until about 200 years ago, our atmosphere contained 275 ppm of CO2, but now the concentration stands at 390 ppm. Unless we are able to rapidly reduce CO2 levels again, we risk reaching tipping points and irreversible impacts such as the melting of the Greenland ice sheet and major methane releases from increased permafrost melt.
Learn more about the scientific background and about the "Interfaith Call for 350" at 350.org
Thousands of congregations and groups from many different countries and Christian traditions: click here to learn more.
How can your church or group join in?
By joining hands with Christians around the world we can have a greater impact in order to stop the destruction of God's creation and of human livelihoods. If your group or parish wants to join:
- please let us know by sending an email to the WCC climate change desk;
- spread the message: you can use the WCC climate change info brochure (printed copies can be requested from the WCC climate change desk); you can also tape a video message (take inspiration from the filming guidelines created by CIDSE)
- download the campaign logo to create your own posters etc. for the event:
- for web use: jpg file (630 KB)
- for print: eps file (473 KB)
- invite other religious communities, including brothers and sisters from other faiths, to join;
- you may also wish to create your own celebration or worship service: Take inspiration from the liturgies prepared by the NCC Denmark and by the worship committee at the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva. More ideas can be found on the website of the Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance.
"Bells of the World" was composed by Torsten Borbye Nielsen for 13 December 2009 - honouring a Danish tradition to compose particular songs for special events. The song, which has 7 verses with 50 notes each, can be sung by congregations or played by church bells, for those who have a carillon able to play tunes. With the alternative lyrics "First was God's Word", it can also be used in other climate-related services.
| Download mp3 | Download scores | ||
| Bells of the World |  |  |
For bell ringers in the British tradition of changeringing suitable "touches" for 350 chimes have been selected by Operation Noah.
- In Danish: Lad alle klokkerne ringe mod sky
- In Czech: Nechte zvony znít
- In Dutch: Klimaat-klokkenluiden
- In Finnish: Tule ja tuo seurakuntasi mukaan hälyttämään ihmiskuntaa!
- In French: Sonnez les cloches pour la justice climatique!
- In German: 350 Glockenschläge für Klimagerechtigkeit
- In Icelandic: 350 klukknaslög
- In Indonesian: Keprihatinan untuk Segenap Ciptaan dan Tanggapan untuk Perubahan Iklim
- In Italian: Chiese contro il riscaldamento climatico
- In Spanish: Toque de campanas por la justicia climática
- In Swedish: Slå 350 slag för klimaträttvisa
