Day 20 of Lent 11 March 2010 (Thursday)
Meditation> Story of the Poor
Bangladesh is experiencing a major change in both weather and climate over the last 10–15 years, such as repeated flooding and drought, and frequent advance of monsoon and heavy rainfall for long periods. These changes, like most changes, affect and impact the lives of the poor.
'Our fields are dying because of the salty water… It is impossible to grow anything in them any more,’ lamented Abbasuddin Mollah, a 60-year-old farmer from the coastal district in Bangladesh.
'We are fighting climate change on the front line.’ said a Bangladesh’s environmentalist.Crop failures, loss of capital investment, failure to replenish the inputs essential for recovery not only increases food insecurity, but also loss of household assets. These events increase not only vulnerability but push more people into the vicious cycle of poverty.
(Sources:
1. Rachel Roach, Dried Up, Drowned Out -- Voices from the Developing World on a Changing Climate, London: Tearfund UK, 2005
2. http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=87611)
Carbon Fast
> Pray for the Poor
Pray that God will remember the poor families in Bangladesh and let them have enough resources and assistance to cope with the repeated drought, flood and winter cold. Also pray for God’s protection to their farmlands and water resources, so that they can continue to earn their living by farming.
> ‘Say “No”’
Living with high consumption not only consume a lot of the earth’s resources, but also produce a large amount of rubbish, polluting the environment. In addition, high consumption also encourages exploitation of natural resources in impoverished regions to produce goods for people in high consumption regions, neglecting the needs of local households. Please rethink the meaning of Easter and Christmas and reject blind festival consumption.
For details of the Carbon Fast, please visit CEDAR 'I Love, I Reflect' Carbon Fast.
大齋期第20日 2010年3月11日（星期四）
默想＞貧窮人的故事
過去十至十五年，孟加拉正經歷天氣和氣候的主要改變，例如不斷反覆出現的旱澇兩災，與及為時數月的季候風和暴雨，持續影響及改變貧窮人的生活。
「我們的田被鹹水淹浸，不能再種東西了。」居於孟加拉沿海地區的60歲老農
Abbasuddin Mollah悲嘆著。
孟加拉一名環境專家表示：「我們正在前線與氣候變化搏鬥。」穀物失收、投資損失和復元補給困難，不但增加糧食供應危機，更造成住戶財產虧損，令更多人陷入更艱辛的境況。
（資料來源：
1. Rachel Roach, Dried Up, Drowned Out -- Voices from the Developing World on a Changing Climate, London: Tearfund UK, 2005
2. http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=87611）
減碳行動
＞代求
求神記念孟加拉的貧窮家庭，獲得足夠資源及援助，應付連年出現的旱澇及寒流；又為他們保存土地和水源，得以繼續依賴耕種維持生計。
＞「堅決說『不』」
高消費的生活方式不僅耗用地球資源，還製造大量垃圾，污染環境；同時亦變相強奪貧窮地區資源，漠視當地社群的生活需要。建議你再思復活節及聖誕節的意義，拒絕盲目的節日消費。
關於大齋期減碳行動詳情，請參閱施達「我愛‧我省察」大齋期減碳行動。
