‘The Wave’, prior to the UN Climate Conference at Copenhagen.

On Saturday December 5th (2009) we, 2 Sisters and 3 Associates, set out from Manchester for London, to attend ‘The Wave’, the UK’s biggest ever Climate Rally organised by the Stop Climate Chaos Coalition.  Over 100 Organisations are members of this coalition, including CAFOD, the group we travelled with.

We left home at 5.30 am; had planned to be in the Methodist Central Hall, Westminster, for the Service led be the Archbishop of Westminster the Most Rev. Vincent Nichols and Dr. Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, but, due to traffic and road works we arrived late and missed it.

When we arrived at Russell Square, the place was thronged with people wearing blue, the colour designated for the occasion, carrying placards of their various organisations, with young people very much in evidence.  There was a wonderful atmosphere throughout the day.

It is estimated that between 40,000 and 50,000 people marched.  We started walking at 1.00 and by 3.00 when the Wave took place (we were waving Gordon Brown, Ed. Milliband and others off to Copenhagen!) we were still a long way from the Houses of Parliament, but we waved, nonetheless, with our blue gloved hands.

10 Presentation Sisters attended, including Sisters Joan and Nuala from the Leadership Team, and many Associates.  The crowds were so great that we didn’t meet as a group.  Sister Catherine O’Neill and her 2 young friends from Nechells, joined us.

We had 3 essential aims to put before the representatives of the 192 different countries meeting in Copenhagen:

1. to limit global warming to 2 degree Celsius

2. make finance available to developing countries to help them engage in reducing their emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change.

3. ensure proper management and transparency of the above money.

With hindsight, cutting carbon emissions and limiting global warming to this extent was too much to expect where so many countries had different starting points and so, the much-anticipated Conference didn’t meet our expectations.  After much talking, wrangling, blame, no deal was signed; only the future will tell what positive outcomes have come from it.

Sister Carmel Clancy,  Livesey St., Manchester.