About

Anne Watson

Bio

Getting involved in climate activism has led me on a journey I never imagined I would take! I've never seen myself as a public speaker but the climate crisis has changed that. Over the last few years I've set up and chaired a staff climate group where I work and facilitated talks, lectures and events. I go into schools to teach year 5 and 6 pupils about climate change. And I give talks to churches and charities and help them to identify and reduce their climate impact.

I've been a Christian since I was 13, but for many years felt it was something 'in my head' not something I carried in my heart. I'd always been an environmentalist - but my faith and my love of nature existed in separate boxes. When I realised the sheer scale of the crisis it was a huge wake up call. I wanted to do something about it. I discovered Christian Climate Action - which started my journey of looking at the climate and biodiversity crises through the lens of faith and how my faith calls me to act to protect creation. So everything came alive again and I now feel that acting on these crises is fundamental to my Christian identity.

I live in the inner city and although I'm fortunate to have great parks on my doorstep, I do feel quite nature deprived. I love being in the natural world, rain or shine. I love exploring, learning about the wild things I see - from the 'weeds' (hero plants) in the pavement cracks, to the lifecycle of the swifts that nest under my roof. I love to hunt for signs of badgers on walks in the countryside, or do a bit of birdwatching or nature sketching. I think you need to know what you've got in order to really love it and protect it, so I recently did a beginners botany course and I read about nature a lot! When I'm in nature, I feel less stressed, less anxious, and totally at home.

The biodiversity and climate crises breaks my heart. The loss of so much beauty and diversity, and the suffering - so much of which could have been avoided had action been taken even 20 years ago. And I'm afraid for my son. What kind of life is he going to have? How do I explain that the world is no longer like the nature books he loves, which are so full of animals, fish and birds. How can I protect him from rising temperatures and food shortages? It's terrifying.

God created the earth and everything in it. Creation is an expression of God's love and in every creature we can see a little bit of who God is. Everything is valuable as it reflects God, and everything is valued by God, who loves and cares for it and has commanded us to do the same.

We humans aren't separate to Creation - we are part of it.

So if Christians accept that God created everything on earth and he knows and loves it all and it all reflects his glory and if we accept that everything was created by and for and through Christ, who is Lord of Creation and that we're made in God's image and are part of nature - then surely Christians have a unique role in caring for it and fighting for it. If not us, who believe all that - then who? If we love a God who loves Creation, how can we sit back and do nothing in the face of climate and ecological crisis? So our goal as Christians isn't to live the same way as everyone else with a bit of God tacked on, but to live radically different lives - and that includes living in right relationship with the rest of Creation.