Bishop of Birmingham David Urquhart spreads the 'green gospel'

Nov 24 2008 by Patrice John, Birmingham Post

There’s been a change in the tone of the messages delivered from Bishop David Urquhart’s lectern.

For the first time in history, city Christians are willing to think about everything from the coffee they drink to the gifts they consume – all in the name of the planet.

And the leader of Birmingham’s Anglican community thinks this is no bad thing as it’s important for everyone, no matter their faith, to address environmental issues.

“The health of the planet is of great importance to Christians and so is preserving the planet’s resources,” he says. “But the Church has also been a part of flourishing societies which in turn have generated great amounts of wealth in the industrial world.

“Unfortunately, some of the consequences of this success and wealth development are the environment has been damaged and this is something we must address.

“So we are now much more focused on the planet’s long-term sustainability, air quality, fuel resources and the packaging of consumer goods.

“The issues around sustainability are so big that I want us, in Birmingham, to start making a difference and begin to take action now.”

This call to action is something that enthuses Bishop David even when he is supposed to be relaxing in his Harborne home. He has begun to take steps to make sure he recycles, maintains a thriving compost heap in his garden and changes his shopping habits.

He believes that doing some of these things are key ways of making a difference to the planet.

“There are all kinds of ways to make a difference,” he says. “One simple thing is that one of my secretaries has asked me to keep the green plastic lids on milk cartons for one of her friends.

“They are using them to create recycled art and that’s just one thing we’ve helped with. I have also found a way to buy milk in plastic bags that can then be transferred into a jug once I’m at home. The producers claim this uses far less packaging compared to normal plastic milk containers.

“They sell for less than £2 and the milk is from a Welsh dairy farm.”

He tells me the Diocese of Birmingham have also signed up to the car sharing scheme Whizz Go to encourage ministers to car share instead of using their own cars.

Bishop David hasn’t made use of it just yet as his Harborne home is within walking distance of his local supermarket and he’s trying to make sure he walks there to pick up his food shopping.

“I have started experimenting with my shopping habits by visiting more frequently and buying less food than I would during a weekly shop,” he says. “Doing this allows me to carry home whatever I buy.

“I’ve found if I shop just once a week I have to take my car as I’ve overloaded myself with food shopping that is far too much to carry. This creates a need to drive it home but if I know I’m walking home, it makes me aware that I need to shop less in order for me to carry it.

“When travelling to the cathedral in town I also use tend to use public transport.

“The key to being greener is to embrace a different mindset as that is what makes all the difference. This is such a big problem that the only way we can make any kind of change is to start small and see just how we manage to get on.”

These little changes form a major part of his shopping routine as he is now opting for both seasonal and locally produced food and says: “I am very interested in the