Religious march on Parliament to encourage climate change fight

Published: 2008-04-24

LONDON (CNS) -- Almost 300 Catholic priests, nuns and monks marched on Britain's Parliament to demand stronger measures to tackle global warming. The group assembled outside Parliament April 23 before expressing its concerns to politicians, including Hilary Benn, secretary of state for the environment and rural affairs. The demonstrators held up banners bearing the slogans "Kick the Carbon Habit" and "Stop Climate Chaos." Among the organizers of the event were the English and Welsh bishops' Catholic Agency for Overseas Development and the Conference of Religious. Demonstrators hoped to persuade the government to agree to amendments to the Climate Change Bill that is passing through Parliament and is scheduled to become law later this year. They want the carbon-emissions-reduction target to be increased from at least 60 percent to at least 80 percent by 2050. They also want the United Kingdom's share of emissions from aviation and shipping to be included in the reduction.

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