Wednesday May 19th, 7.30 pm.
On Line Event – via Zoom
David Miller former Toronto Mayor, and author of Solved: How the World’s Great Cities Are Fixing the Climate Crisis, will discuss the climate crisis Wednesday May 19th in a conversation hosted on Zoom by St. Aidan’s Anglican and Beach United churches. Everyone is welcome.
Miller will talk about his book and his ideas for tackling climate at the city level with Rev. Canon Lucy Reid, incumbent at St. Aidan’s and Grace Rockett, a member of the parish and member of TCAN (Toronto Climate Action Network). Our area counselor, Brad Bradford, will have an opportunity to respond to Miller’s suggestions and there will also be time for questions from the zoom audience. Rev. Karen Dale of Beach United will offer her comments and reflections before the evening closes.
The idea of inviting Miller emerged from a meeting of Paul Dowling and Allan Baker of Beach United’s Environmental Action Group with John Brewin chair of St. Aidan’s Eco-Spirituality Group and Michael Van Dusen. Miller is committed to climate justice: after leaving the Mayor’s office in 2010, he served as CEO of World Wildlife Fund-Canada. He is currently the North American director for the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group.
The core idea of Solved, in Miller’s own words, is that “… by replicating the best and most effective ideas already implemented…. we can make a significant leap forward in mitigating greenhouse gas emissions and put the world on a path to 1.5 degrees. The ideas discussed in this book have all been implemented somewhere.”
When contacted, Miller was enthusiastic about the community-level response that the churches were looking for. He was also intrigued by the integration of ecology and spirituality that framed the invitation. For some, involving churches in climate change and the environmental concerns may seem remote from their traditional activities. But in the Anglican faith, Eco-spirituality is part of our baptismal promise to care for the earth. We share the view, articulated by Baker on the Beach United site, that, “… we believe that all of life on earth is inter-connected, and that God intended that all life is to thrive. For us, there is no division between the “spiritual” and the “material”: God is the Creator of all that exists. We are a part of the environment, and it is a part of us in this beautiful web of life.”
The similar theologies of Beach United and St. Aidan’s; along with a history of effective joint projects and combination of resources, encouraged the further development of this partnership into the area of Eco-spirituality. We hope you will join us and add your voice to this important conversation.
How to join the Zoom conversation with David Miller
Click on the zoom link below at 7.30 pm on Wednesday May 19th.
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88178295533?pwd=UzFKTFdOd1dWVXh5eEhVTkpzeHdxZz09
Phone: 647-374-4685
Meeting ID: 881 7829 5533
Passcode: 353016
David Miller will receive an honorarium, which he has asked go to his family foundation. If you are able to support Beach United Church to host events such as these, please make a donation using the link below and receive a tax receipt immediately.
https://beachunitedchurch.com/about-us/donate
Thank you for your generosity.