THE Bishop of Liverpool has said inner-city youngsters have inspired him to go green and ask his flock to go on a carbon fast for lent.

The Rt Rv James Jones hopes instead of giving up the traditional chocolates or booze, fasters will curb their environmental impact and consider the effect of climate change on the developing world.

He will team up with the Bishop of London, the Rt Rv Dr Richard Chartres, and humanitarian agency Tearfund to launch the initiative in London today.

Bishop Jones, who is vice president of Tearfund, said: “Young people from the inner city of Liverpool influenced my thinking.

“They said protecting the earth was the top priority and it nearly made me cry to hear of their passion.”

Tearfund and the Bishops have launched the fast to protect impoverished communities around the world who are already suffering from the ravages of climate change.

Bishop Jones added: “The tragedy is that those with the power to do something about it are least affected, whilst those who are most affected are powerless to bring about change.

“There’s a moral imperative on those of us who emit more than our fair share of carbon to rein in our consumption.”

Participants are asked to begin the carbon fast by removing one light bulb from a prominent place in the home and live without it for 40 days.

On the final day of the fast, fasters should replace the missing bulb with an energy saving device.

The fast is described as “a 40 day journey through lent, towards a lighter carbon footprint” and fasters should do one thing to reduce their environmental impact each day.

Tearfund say fasters can reduce their carbon footprint by taking out a lightbulb, giving the dishwasher a day off, insulating the hot water tank and checking for drafts with a ribbon and buying draught excluders.

Bishop Jones says he first became passionate about climate change on a Tearfund visit to Northern Bihar in India.

He said: “For me it went from theory to reality when I sat with village elders whose village had flooded and I saw that people’s lives had been totally devastated.

“It is right to be concerned about aid, trade and debt, but it is no use if you negatively impact the climate and then do nothing about it. It is like giving with the one hand, and punching with the other. You might as well not give at all.”

According to Tearfund figures, the UK emits 9.5 tonnes of CO2 per person per year but for Ethiopia that figure is 0.067 tonnes and in Bangladesh 0.24 tonnes.

To find out more about carbon fasting click on www.tearfund.org.

benschofield