In August canaries appeared in St Peter’s churchyard decorating the railings. The canaries and yellow bunting have been handmade by people to share their concern about climate change. Inspiration has been taken from yellow canaries because they are small, sensitive little birds that were used in the past to warn miners of dangerous pollution such as carbon monoxide.
In the same way the Craftivists hope that their little canaries and images of them sitting quietly in small ‘flocks’ will gently warn and remind us and those in power about the urgent dangers of global warming. Belper is a wonderful community and together we can try to have an impact on our town and the wider world. This is our way of saying we want to live in a world where we take care of nature, wildlife, people and protect our environment from global warming. The ‘Canary Craftivists’ campaign is part of a nationwide initiative run by the Craftivist Collective, who use handicrafts as a form of quiet, kind and attractive activism that they call ‘gentle protest’.
This year the UK has a particularly important role to play to address climate change as it’s hosting the COP26 UN climate summit in November. This meeting, hosted and overseen by Boris Johnson and the UK Government, will be a key moment where world leaders negotiate how they will reduce emissions to protect the environment and stabilise the climate.
As the first country in the world to industrialise, the UK has pioneered and shaped the world as well as contributing to the creation of climate change. The UK Government has an important role in bringing world leaders together to agree a way forward that will help, not harm, the world.
In another initiative this year the Young Christian Climate Network has organised a relay route where young activists will each complete a stage. Instead of a physical baton, each relay group will carry the same message of crucial action needed to reverse climate change. The relay will move from Truro Cathedral, near to where the G7 met, to Glasgow where COP26 will be begin on October 31.
