Warning bells at St Ignatius
On Sunday last, in conjunction with a worldwide ringing of bells, St. Ignatius Church in Galway rang out its bells 350 times to signify the number of parts per million of CO2 in the atmosphere, a 35% increase since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. It also marked the urgency of the Copenhagen conference which took place between 7-18 December. Five other Galway churches chimed in to mark the ’emergency’. Mr. Ulick McInerny, the chief bell-ringer was aided by Conall O’Cuinn SJ, a strenuous effort which left both a little breathless. Two neighbours independently turned up to enquire if was an emergency. “Yes, there is,” was the response, “not just at St. Ignatius Church but in the whole world: we stand in great danger from the consequences of global warming!”