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By Mark Beach (*)

The international tug-of-war over carbon emission thresholds and other instruments meant to limit the deterioration of the earth's climate has caused a big stir in recent months, but yielded little results. Therefore the international community must now get ready to take care of those who will be forced from their homes by climate change.

In an ecumenical declaration to be presented at the final session of the World People's Conference on Climate Change and the Rights of Mother Earth, Christian organizations and individuals stress the positive role that religions and spirituality can play for a more harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature.

In an act of solidarity with the 2.5 billion people in the world who do not have access to safe, private and hygienic lavatories, staff members of a number of church-related organizations based at the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva, including the World Council of Churches (WCC), queued in front of a symbolic "toilet door" for ten minutes on World Water Day, 22 March.

The World Council of Churches (WCC) has called on the whole ecumenical family to keep pushing the international community for a "fair, ambitious and binding agreement" on climate change, in view of the UN climate summit to take place in Mexico in December.

"Holy Waters" is the theme of this year's Lenten reflections provided by the Ecumenical Water Network (EWN). Starting on Monday 15 February the weekly reflections will explore the connection between the way water is used in different liturgical practices and our "daily water".

The WCC general secretary paid tribute to Prof. Charles Birch, who recently died. Charles Birch was courageous and prophetic in using his knowledge and enormous gifts as an eminent biologist and a theologian.

By Juan Michel (*)

As the excitement of the Copenhagen climate change talks subsides, the time for matching reality with expectations has begun. From the perspective of the World Council of Churches (WCC) the outcome of the negotiations unfortunately did not match expectations.

"The present day reality shows that our sincere efforts have not been enough to bring in the age of social justice and peace," according to a statement delivered to the plenary of high-level segment of the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark on Friday, 18 December on behalf of the World Council of Churches (WCC) and its ecumenical partners.

With the climate change negotiations sputtering and showing signs of being less than legally binding, ambitious and fair, leaders of churches and international church organizations sent a message to negotiators Tuesday evening imploring them to "not be afraid." The letter, which was signed by Archbishop Desmond Tutu, the incoming and outgoing general secretaries of the World Council of Churches as well as church leaders from Europe, North America and the Pacific, says the negotiations are at a crucial stage and negotiators need to be steadfast to "act now."

By Mark Beach (*)

Half way through the UN climate summit in Copenhagen and after a week in which no breakthrough was achieved, ecumenical leaders have asked negotiators to be more ambitious.

"The global tourism industry is a significant contributor to climate change," the Ecumenical Coalition On Tourism (ECOT) has said in a statement calling for a paradigm shift in this "sprawling industry ever in search of new destinations, including some to replace those threatened or disappearing due to global warming".

As a wave of ringing bells embraced the globe, churches sent a strong message to world leaders gathered at the UN climate summit in Copenhagen: There is only one world and in order to preserve it, bold action needs to be taken now.

By Mark Beach (*)

As nations are spelling out their bargaining positions for the negotiations on a new international climate deal to take place in Copenhagen next month, churches around the world are trying to ring home the message that climate protection is an ethical and spiritual issue.

Church representatives from around the world will gather in New York City 15-20 November to press three issues within the agenda of the United Nations: peoples being displaced by climate change, indigenous people's rights and Colombia's protracted internal conflict.

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew has said "there are growing expectations that meaningful progress can be made as a result of the United Nations Climate Change Conference scheduled to take place in Copenhagen next month ", but "sacrifices will have to be made by all". The remarks were part of a speech on " Saving the Soul of the Planet " Bartholomew gave in Washington, D.C. as part of a two-and-a-half week visit to the United States.

As the United Nations hosts another round of preparatory climate change talks in Bangkok, faith leaders stress once more that religious values need to be voiced in the debate on how to address climate change.