One of the ‘kafka-esque’ features of this wonderful, ecologically-minded country the hospitality of which we enjoy is the country’s president who thinks that the talk of climate change is one big ‘hysteria.’ (You can watch his speech before the UN Climate Change Conference here, or see his notes here.)
In an interview yesterday given to one of the Czech news websites Mr Václav Klaus said that the reaction of the world’s leaders to the current economic crisis was ‘populist’ and that it would have been prevented in time had the leaders not trifled their efforts away in ‘fighting against climate’. Klaus is an economist of laissez-faire persuation: “Human wants are unlimited and should stay so.”
No further comment!..
Meanwhile, IBTS is commencing its annual Environment month. Here are the themes our Environment Management and Protection Team (EMPTy) envisioned for the following four weeks:
Week 1 (27 October – 2 November): Setting the scene
During this week, CAT students will have special lectures and activities on Creation care. We will also have the Revd Peter Pavlovic from the European Christian Environmental Network with us for a day and on another day, will watch and discuss Al Gore’s movie An Inconvenient Truth.
Week 2 (3 November – 9 November): New life
During this week, there will be an opportunity to plant some more bushes on the Mikulov Way – our main campus road. Each bush was planted by a different member of the community in honour of their organisation, country, county, town or city. Not all have survived, so we need to replant ‘the gaps’.
Week 3 (10 November – 16 November): Restoring creation
During this week, all will be invited to help sort out the ‘Goat garden’ (the area next to the metal garage close to the goat hotel – at the moment an overgrown and messy area, though much enjoyed by Fossil, Fuel, Abigail and Alice!)
Week 4 (17 November – 23 November): Sustainable development in the wider world
Both staff and students will have the opportunity to raise money for enabling some gifts organised by Christian Aid by either working extra hours around campus, or contributing money. We will also feature other micro-lending organisations and the possibilities to help those who have much less than we (however little we may think we have!).
So if you’re with us some time during the next month, perhaps you will join us for some of these activities! Otherwise, we will always be glad to have your good wishes until ‘haste ye back’ becomes a reality.
– Lina