I have never been one to want to reinvent the wheel, as the saying goes and so I include the following article from the Guardian Newspaper which I think is excellent .......
The chances are, if you are reading this, that you might also have seen either The Age of Stupid or An Inconvenient Truth. To those who fight to get climate change to the top of the agenda, these two movies are essential campaigning tools. Now I don't dispute their power and Messrs Gore and Postlethwaite are to be credited for sticking their heads above the parapet, but I have a problem with them: they left me feeling numb and overwhelmed. Gore stacks up the evidence of the momentum towards dangerous tipping points so effectively that by the time he gets on to "solutions" very near the end of his hundred minute presentation, you feel you are about to be demolished by a juggernaut.
I had a similar reaction when I first saw The Age of Stupid. At the end of a packed screening earlier in the year, one of my Operation Noah colleagues stood up and bluntly asked the audience: "So having seen that, who wants to get involved in campaigning?" There was a chilled and muted response. It may be me, but a very large amount of the film left me thinking that all the images of flooding, drought and destruction which Postlethwaite uncovers in his film archives are inevitable. From his futuristic vantage point of 2055, he shows a world that, in a mere 40 to 50 years, has gone to the dogs. And in a world where denial is still very much a factor, it's amazing how quickly people switch from denying the scientific evidence for human-induced global warming, to embracing the view that it's all too late and we're all doomed. Of course, that "flip" still allows you to go on behaving as before. "Eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die."
Which raises all sorts of questions that lobbyists and campaigners have been grappling with for years now on all this: what is the best way to engage the human imagination on the issue of our time? Guilt and fear are very limited in their appeal and, more often than not, only induce a greater desire to turn away and carry on as before. What's encouraging is to come across so many schoolchildren who are getting more and more familiar with the notion of stewardship. It's a term that has both appeal to religious and secular mindsets: namely that because of our lofty status in terms of biological and intellectual complexity compared to other species, this carries with it a responsibility to cherish our surroundings. Man's intelligence, as we have seen from history, can be put to a variety of creative and destructive uses: compare lunar landings and the discovery of penicillin with war and genocide. Ahead of December's UN climate summit in Copenhagen, we are now facing an epic collective decision as a species: business as usual and sleepwalking towards all sorts of potential horrors, or reverting back an understanding that sees ourselves not as usurpers of nature as a commodity, but as protective guardians of a wondrous world that is threatened – uniquely, by its own most intelligent life form. Fossil fuels which took millions and million of years to be formed by slow natural processes are being released into the biosphere at a dizzying rate with destabilising consequences which are there for all to see.
I believe virtue and example are contagious. Look at what happened recently with the launch of the 10:10 campaign, which the Guardian is backing. No sooner had Ed Miliband signed up to cut his own carbon emissions by 10%, than we were being told the whole Tory front bench were getting ready to endorse the pledge. Within 24 hours, the entire cabinet had also jumped on board and Liberal Democrats announced they were looking at moves to make this a resolution which would bind the whole party. Cynical politicking? Maybe in part, but this is all about momentum and taking the notion of stewardship beyond the perceived domain of the elite middle classes into society as a whole.
We are gnawing away at the very womb that sustains us. Reversing that trend needs as big an army of stewards as we can possibly muster.
Thursday 10 September 2009
Sunday 6 September 2009
More from Paul Elrich
Dear Friends,
There is growing consensus among environmental scientists that the scholarly community has adequately detailed how to deal with the major issues of the human predicament caused by our success as a species – climate disruption, loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services, toxification of the planet, the deterioration of the epidemiological environment, the potential impacts of nuclear war, racism, sexism, economic inequity, and on and on. I and my colleagues believe humanity must take rapid steps to ameliorate them. But, in essence, nothing serious is being done – as exemplified by the “much talk and no action” on climate change. The central problem is clearly not a need for more natural science (although in many areas it would be very helpful) but rather a need for better understanding of human behaviors and how they can be altered to direct humanity toward a sustainable society before it is to late.
That’s why a group of natural scientists, social scientists, and scholars from the humanities decided to inaugurate a Millennium Assessment of Human Behavior (MAHB — pronounced “mob”). It was so named to emphasize that it is human behavior, toward one another and toward the planet that sustains all of us, that requires rapid modification. The idea is that the MAHB might become a basic mechanism to expose society to the full range of population-environment-resource-ethics-equity-power
There is growing consensus among environmental scientists that the scholarly community has adequately detailed how to deal with the major issues of the human predicament caused by our success as a species – climate disruption, loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services, toxification of the planet, the deterioration of the epidemiological environment, the potential impacts of nuclear war, racism, sexism, economic inequity, and on and on. I and my colleagues believe humanity must take rapid steps to ameliorate them. But, in essence, nothing serious is being done – as exemplified by the “much talk and no action” on climate change. The central problem is clearly not a need for more natural science (although in many areas it would be very helpful) but rather a need for better understanding of human behaviors and how they can be altered to direct humanity toward a sustainable society before it is to late.
That’s why a group of natural scientists, social scientists, and scholars from the humanities decided to inaugurate a Millennium Assessment of Human Behavior (MAHB — pronounced “mob”). It was so named to emphasize that it is human behavior, toward one another and toward the planet that sustains all of us, that requires rapid modification. The idea is that the MAHB might become a basic mechanism to expose society to the full range of population-environment-resource-ethics-equity-power
humanity's collision with the natural world
Paul Ehrlich, citing 'humanity's collision with the natural world,' launches a new forum to direct human activity toward a more sustainable future.
5 September 2009
By Douglas Fischer
Daily Climate Editor
Frustrated by society's inability to tackle pressing environmental dilemmas, Stanford University ecologist Paul Ehrlich on Friday announced a new endeavor aimed at rapidly turning human behavior toward a more sustainable future.
In essence, nothing serious is being done – as exemplified by the 'much talk and no action' on climate change.
- Paul Ehrlich, Stanford University
Called the Millennium Assessment of Human Behavior, or MAHB (pronounced "mob"), the venture seeks to link a broad array of seemingly unrelated human activities that endanger humanity's future - from racism to climate change, loss of biological diversity, water shortages, declining food security, economic justice and pollution.
The hope, Ehrlich said, is that by making these larger connections, more effective solutions can be found.
"Basically, absolutely nothing is happening," he said. "We don't need more scientific evidence that we're screwing ourselves. We need to get beyond the cultural discussions we're having now."
The problem, Ehrlich said, is clearly not a need for more natural science. Rather, it is the need for a better understanding of "human behaviors and how they can be altered to direct humanity toward a sustainable society before it is too late."
Organizers envision the MAHB as a global conference, involving scholars, politicians and a diverse spectrum of stakeholders – from media and industry to religious communities and foundations. Organizers also hope to encourage a "global discussion" about human goals and to explore ways to steer cultural change toward creation of a more sustainable society.
Ehrlich said he would partially model the MAHB after the Nobel-winning Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, where hundreds of scientists from nearly every nation and representing diverse disciplines sort the scientific validity of claims and attempt to find equitable solutions.
Another model is the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, developed by environmental and social scientists to assess the condition of Earth's life-support systems, he said.
But the IPCC derives its power and authority from its governmental mandate, noted Saleemul Huq, head of the climate change group at the London-based International Institute for Environment and Development.
Governments signing on to the United Nations' climate framework have asked the scientific community to provide a clear consensus on the science and then endorse those findings via policy, said Huq, lead author of the adaptation and mitigation chapter in the IPCC's most recent assessment.
It's not clear - yet - who the MAHB is meant to inform.
For the IPCC, "the governments are the ones who have asked for the information, and they are the ones who endorse the information," Huq said. "If scientists just produce a report, and ... there isn't really anyone in a position to take it up, nothing happens to it."
"We are just preaching."
Still, Huq agreed with the premise, adding that the endeavor is something "we certainly need."
But for now, the MAHB is just 10 big thinkers, among them Stanford climatologist Steve Schneider, Science editor and Stanford president emeritus Donald Kennedy, Washington State University sociologist Eugene Rosa and University of Oslo philosopher Nina Witoszek.
Ehrlich, president of Stanford's Center for Conservation Biology, is considered a pioneer in the study of popoulation science. He was one of the first scholars to alert the public to the problems of overpopulation and to raise issues of population, resources and the environment as matters of public policy.
Ehrlich has floated earlier visions of this venture before, losing funding at Stanford for what he described as a "short try-out." He's thinking bigger this time: He hopes to officially kick-off the MAHB in 2011 with a "world mega conference" akin to the 1992 United Nations "Earth Summit" in Rio de Janeiro.
That 1992 summit remains the UN's largest environmental gathering, with 172 governments, 108 heads of states, 2,400 representatives of non-governmental organizations and another 17,000 attendees at a parallel global forum. It led to the adoption of a wide-ranging blueprint for action on sustainable development worldwide. The Kyoto Protocol and the upcoming Copenhagen negotiations in December are two products.
It is unclear whether the MAHB will achieve such a level of success or is destined to the same obscurity as earlier efforts. For now it is little more than a website with a mission statement and a blog.
But finding a way to make climate science more relevant to policy makers has become an increasingly pressing question in academia, and Ehrlich is pressing forward.
"A global consensus on the most crucial behavioral issues is unlikely to emerge promptly from the MAHB – or any other international forum," he said. But "if the scientific diagnosis of humanity's collision with the natural world is accurate ... what alternative is there to trying?"
5 September 2009
By Douglas Fischer
Daily Climate Editor
Frustrated by society's inability to tackle pressing environmental dilemmas, Stanford University ecologist Paul Ehrlich on Friday announced a new endeavor aimed at rapidly turning human behavior toward a more sustainable future.
In essence, nothing serious is being done – as exemplified by the 'much talk and no action' on climate change.
- Paul Ehrlich, Stanford University
Called the Millennium Assessment of Human Behavior, or MAHB (pronounced "mob"), the venture seeks to link a broad array of seemingly unrelated human activities that endanger humanity's future - from racism to climate change, loss of biological diversity, water shortages, declining food security, economic justice and pollution.
The hope, Ehrlich said, is that by making these larger connections, more effective solutions can be found.
"Basically, absolutely nothing is happening," he said. "We don't need more scientific evidence that we're screwing ourselves. We need to get beyond the cultural discussions we're having now."
The problem, Ehrlich said, is clearly not a need for more natural science. Rather, it is the need for a better understanding of "human behaviors and how they can be altered to direct humanity toward a sustainable society before it is too late."
Organizers envision the MAHB as a global conference, involving scholars, politicians and a diverse spectrum of stakeholders – from media and industry to religious communities and foundations. Organizers also hope to encourage a "global discussion" about human goals and to explore ways to steer cultural change toward creation of a more sustainable society.
Ehrlich said he would partially model the MAHB after the Nobel-winning Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, where hundreds of scientists from nearly every nation and representing diverse disciplines sort the scientific validity of claims and attempt to find equitable solutions.
Another model is the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, developed by environmental and social scientists to assess the condition of Earth's life-support systems, he said.
But the IPCC derives its power and authority from its governmental mandate, noted Saleemul Huq, head of the climate change group at the London-based International Institute for Environment and Development.
Governments signing on to the United Nations' climate framework have asked the scientific community to provide a clear consensus on the science and then endorse those findings via policy, said Huq, lead author of the adaptation and mitigation chapter in the IPCC's most recent assessment.
It's not clear - yet - who the MAHB is meant to inform.
For the IPCC, "the governments are the ones who have asked for the information, and they are the ones who endorse the information," Huq said. "If scientists just produce a report, and ... there isn't really anyone in a position to take it up, nothing happens to it."
"We are just preaching."
Still, Huq agreed with the premise, adding that the endeavor is something "we certainly need."
But for now, the MAHB is just 10 big thinkers, among them Stanford climatologist Steve Schneider, Science editor and Stanford president emeritus Donald Kennedy, Washington State University sociologist Eugene Rosa and University of Oslo philosopher Nina Witoszek.
Ehrlich, president of Stanford's Center for Conservation Biology, is considered a pioneer in the study of popoulation science. He was one of the first scholars to alert the public to the problems of overpopulation and to raise issues of population, resources and the environment as matters of public policy.
Ehrlich has floated earlier visions of this venture before, losing funding at Stanford for what he described as a "short try-out." He's thinking bigger this time: He hopes to officially kick-off the MAHB in 2011 with a "world mega conference" akin to the 1992 United Nations "Earth Summit" in Rio de Janeiro.
That 1992 summit remains the UN's largest environmental gathering, with 172 governments, 108 heads of states, 2,400 representatives of non-governmental organizations and another 17,000 attendees at a parallel global forum. It led to the adoption of a wide-ranging blueprint for action on sustainable development worldwide. The Kyoto Protocol and the upcoming Copenhagen negotiations in December are two products.
It is unclear whether the MAHB will achieve such a level of success or is destined to the same obscurity as earlier efforts. For now it is little more than a website with a mission statement and a blog.
But finding a way to make climate science more relevant to policy makers has become an increasingly pressing question in academia, and Ehrlich is pressing forward.
"A global consensus on the most crucial behavioral issues is unlikely to emerge promptly from the MAHB – or any other international forum," he said. But "if the scientific diagnosis of humanity's collision with the natural world is accurate ... what alternative is there to trying?"
Action all drivers can take
Last weekend I drove to Edinburgh and back - two in car - which is a 1.3 Vauxhall Corsa Diesel.
A round trip of over 160 miles which involved some rural driving, motorway driving, stop start around Dundee and similarly into the very centre of Edinburgh.
I used cruise control wherever possible and did not go above 60 on the motorway except on one occasion for safety reasons.
I returned 72 miles to the gallon!
It seems to me that a very first step that we could take to combat the impact of Climate Generations on the generations to come is set and rigorously enforce a 50 to 60 mph motorway speed limit!!!
A round trip of over 160 miles which involved some rural driving, motorway driving, stop start around Dundee and similarly into the very centre of Edinburgh.
I used cruise control wherever possible and did not go above 60 on the motorway except on one occasion for safety reasons.
I returned 72 miles to the gallon!
It seems to me that a very first step that we could take to combat the impact of Climate Generations on the generations to come is set and rigorously enforce a 50 to 60 mph motorway speed limit!!!
Tuesday 28 July 2009
A taste of what is in the Press
This week, after nine years of leading the Sustainable Development Commission, Jonathan Porritt left his post. So what now for Green party member and Treasury antagonist who was brought into government as a 'critical friend'?
* John Vidal
* The Guardian, Saturday 25 July 2009
Vestas dispute: Red and green coalition forms to fight wind plant closure
* Terry Macalister
* guardian.co.uk, Thursday 23 July 2009 20.32 BST
Who's behind the plan to pave Central Park and build an airport?
Is the hoax campaign to concrete over NYC's favourite green space and build an airport a satire on incompetent transport policy or another product viral? Watch this space
Posted by Leo Hickman Friday 24 July 2009 11.21 BST
Nature will never be spent if we act to save our countryside
An integrated world view sees the value in the natural world beyond its aesthetic beauty - it also has an economic value as a carbon store
* Nick Herbert
* guardian.co.uk, Friday 24 July 2009 14.39 BST
Bruce Parry: Your planet needs your film-making talents
'Anyone can deliver a short but powerful message to the world about the most important issue of the day,' says the Tribe presenter
* Bruce Parry
* guardian.co.uk, Friday 24 July 2009 07.00 BST
One minute to save the world competition
Have something to say about saving the environment? Then why not enter our One minute to save the world short film competition
* guardian.co.uk, Friday 24 July 2009 07.00 BST
Small-scale irrigation schemes are key to food security in Uganda
Irrigation seems to have been left off the agenda when it comes to discussing food security in Uganda. It needs to be added now, argues Richard M Kavuma
Posted by Richard M Kavuma Friday 24 July 2009 11.55 BST guardian.co.uk
Send a message to Copenhagen
Got something to say to those deciding the world's fate? Get your voice heard by sharing your message with our Flickr group, A Message to Copenhagen and we'll feature the best here
Posted by Adam Vaughan Wednesday 22 July 2009 13.17 BST guardian.co.uk
Meet Belcha - Europe's biggest carbon polluter (and it's about to get even bigger)
Polish facility pumps out 30m tonnes of CO2 a year
Activists say giant plants undermine climate fight
* Terry Macalister
* guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 22 July 2009 21.52 BST
Greenwash: easyJet's carbon claims written on the wind
EasyJet says its flights have a smaller carbon footprint than a Toyota Prius hybrid car. Let's do the maths:
* Fred Pearce
* guardian.co.uk, Thursday 23 July 2009 08.00 BST
Why Vestas closed Isle of Wight plant
* Letters, The Guardian, Friday 24 July 2009
Ed Miliband MP, Secretary of state for energy and climate change
A force of nature: our influential Anthropocene period
What humanity does has important consequences, so we must manage our global life-support system
o Simon Lewis
o guardian.co.uk, Thursday 23 July 2009 20.00 BST
Climate insurance: what kind of deal can be made in Copenhagen?
One key challenge on the climate change agenda is a fairer system to protect the world's poorest farmers from failing crops and extreme weather variations. From Climate Feedback part of Guardian Environment Network
* From Climate Feedback part of Guardian Environment Network
* guardian.co.uk, Thursday 23 July 2009 11.32 BST
Outer-city, out of mind?
Ecotowns are all well and good, but we ignore the problem of suburban England at our peril
Peter Hetherington Posted by Peter Hetherington
Thursday 23 July 2009 10.59 BST guardian.co.uk
Great Western train line to be electrified
Electrification will reduce carbon dioxide emissions and will mean faster and more reliable services for millions of passengers
* Dan Milmo, transport correspondent
* guardian.co.uk, Thursday 23 July 2009 08.29 BST
Police at Kingsnorth: hiding badges, searching kids, blasting music and suffering bee stings
Catalogue of complaints over tactics used against both protesters and media
* Paul Lewis
* guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 22 July 2009 18.15 BST
LEDs and efficient TVs point the way towards my dream green home
It's the final push to bring our 1920s house into a modern, low-carbon age – this week, we focus on the last few touches - appliances and rare light bulbs
Posted by Andy Phipps Wednesday 22 July 2009 17.25 BST guardian.co.uk
* John Vidal
* The Guardian, Saturday 25 July 2009
Vestas dispute: Red and green coalition forms to fight wind plant closure
* Terry Macalister
* guardian.co.uk, Thursday 23 July 2009 20.32 BST
Who's behind the plan to pave Central Park and build an airport?
Is the hoax campaign to concrete over NYC's favourite green space and build an airport a satire on incompetent transport policy or another product viral? Watch this space
Posted by Leo Hickman Friday 24 July 2009 11.21 BST
Nature will never be spent if we act to save our countryside
An integrated world view sees the value in the natural world beyond its aesthetic beauty - it also has an economic value as a carbon store
* Nick Herbert
* guardian.co.uk, Friday 24 July 2009 14.39 BST
Bruce Parry: Your planet needs your film-making talents
'Anyone can deliver a short but powerful message to the world about the most important issue of the day,' says the Tribe presenter
* Bruce Parry
* guardian.co.uk, Friday 24 July 2009 07.00 BST
One minute to save the world competition
Have something to say about saving the environment? Then why not enter our One minute to save the world short film competition
* guardian.co.uk, Friday 24 July 2009 07.00 BST
Small-scale irrigation schemes are key to food security in Uganda
Irrigation seems to have been left off the agenda when it comes to discussing food security in Uganda. It needs to be added now, argues Richard M Kavuma
Posted by Richard M Kavuma Friday 24 July 2009 11.55 BST guardian.co.uk
Send a message to Copenhagen
Got something to say to those deciding the world's fate? Get your voice heard by sharing your message with our Flickr group, A Message to Copenhagen and we'll feature the best here
Posted by Adam Vaughan Wednesday 22 July 2009 13.17 BST guardian.co.uk
Meet Belcha - Europe's biggest carbon polluter (and it's about to get even bigger)
Polish facility pumps out 30m tonnes of CO2 a year
Activists say giant plants undermine climate fight
* Terry Macalister
* guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 22 July 2009 21.52 BST
Greenwash: easyJet's carbon claims written on the wind
EasyJet says its flights have a smaller carbon footprint than a Toyota Prius hybrid car. Let's do the maths:
* Fred Pearce
* guardian.co.uk, Thursday 23 July 2009 08.00 BST
Why Vestas closed Isle of Wight plant
* Letters, The Guardian, Friday 24 July 2009
Ed Miliband MP, Secretary of state for energy and climate change
A force of nature: our influential Anthropocene period
What humanity does has important consequences, so we must manage our global life-support system
o Simon Lewis
o guardian.co.uk, Thursday 23 July 2009 20.00 BST
Climate insurance: what kind of deal can be made in Copenhagen?
One key challenge on the climate change agenda is a fairer system to protect the world's poorest farmers from failing crops and extreme weather variations. From Climate Feedback part of Guardian Environment Network
* From Climate Feedback part of Guardian Environment Network
* guardian.co.uk, Thursday 23 July 2009 11.32 BST
Outer-city, out of mind?
Ecotowns are all well and good, but we ignore the problem of suburban England at our peril
Peter Hetherington Posted by Peter Hetherington
Thursday 23 July 2009 10.59 BST guardian.co.uk
Great Western train line to be electrified
Electrification will reduce carbon dioxide emissions and will mean faster and more reliable services for millions of passengers
* Dan Milmo, transport correspondent
* guardian.co.uk, Thursday 23 July 2009 08.29 BST
Police at Kingsnorth: hiding badges, searching kids, blasting music and suffering bee stings
Catalogue of complaints over tactics used against both protesters and media
* Paul Lewis
* guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 22 July 2009 18.15 BST
LEDs and efficient TVs point the way towards my dream green home
It's the final push to bring our 1920s house into a modern, low-carbon age – this week, we focus on the last few touches - appliances and rare light bulbs
Posted by Andy Phipps Wednesday 22 July 2009 17.25 BST guardian.co.uk
Monday 29 June 2009
Sermon from 28 June 2009
Sermon
It has been a momentous week, and I am not referring to the death of Michael Jackson - sad though that may be. And not even the bonus salary of the new head of RBS, although it does seem that altruism certainly does not exist in the higher echelons of banking management.
No, today I am referrering to the environmental legislation passed by the Scottish Parliament, announced by the UK Government and passed by the US House of Representatives, all within the space of one week. Legislation that is going to radically alter how we live. Legislation, that I believe, churches ~ schools ~ community organizations and communities themselves should begin to enact without delay.
This morning though, I want to move beyond the legislation and look for spiritual foundations for environmental care. We’ve just sung for the beauty of the earth
For the beauty of the earth
for the beauty of the skies
for the love which from our birth
over and around us lies
Christ, our God, to thee we raise
This our sacrifice of praise
We’ve just sung these words and I wonder as we did, did we sing them with integrity? Did we sing them as if we actually believed the words and the sentiments, or were we just muttering the sounds and thinking either what a pretty tune or the music of this jars?
The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. [Genesis 2]
And if your faith is traditional then this was an act of trust on the part of God. And if your faith is traditional then we are the inheritors of that trust. And if your faith is honest I think that you can only but conclude that we have squandered that inheritance - almost to the point of no return, but not quite yet. And that is why I believe that the churches must show the lead in welcoming, supporting and enacting the legislation and intention of the past week.
But there is another reason as well and that is where I want to go this morning. But for Church politics the Christian Church in Britain might have been radically different, and who knows, given the ability of Scots men and women to influence the developments of the past centuries, we might now be a completely different Church. I am of course referring to the marginalisation of the Celtic Church in the 7th Century at the Synod of Whitby and the subsequent rise of Catholicism and the hierarchical, religion focused, Church of Rome.
I believe that our attitudes to the environment need a spiritual foundation, as well as an ethical, practical and economic foundation. And I believe that that foundation is found in Celtic Christianity and Celtic Spirituality. And I want to remind you of the Celtic way to God. The way of our past. The way of our heritage.
But before I do, let me add another layer to what I am saying and this is from 21st Century Spirituality. Ken Wilber argues that human beings intrinsically possess 1st, 2nd, and 3rd person perspectives of the world, and that we possess those same perspectives in our experience of spirituality.
God is 1st person when we have direct experiences of God, mystical, I am moments. The times when we have felt touched by God. God is also 2nd person ~ the one to whom we talk. And God is 3rd person, the spirit of God in the great interconnected web of humanity. Wilber also argues that it is a human failing to focus on one perspective of God. That is our nature but our nature reduces our experiences of God. And so all three perspectives are important. Now I am saying this because if we think of Celtic Spirituality just in terms of looking after creation then important as that is, we miss the point ~ we miss the depth ~ we miss the potential.
So what is Celtic Spirituality, Celtic Christianity and why do I think it so important? What is the essence of Celtic Spirituality? Hilary Musgrave is an Irish Sister of Charity and she describes it as
• seeing the energy, the life and the flow of God’s love in all of creation
• seeing the potential of God in the earth, in the people,
• seeing God as all around, surrounding us and in us.
There is a focus on daily life in the prayers of Celtic Spirituality with these prayers rooted in the ordinary events of life ~ the everyday events that touch ordinary everyday people. There is a huge community focus in Celtic Spirituality. God was experienced in the community. And of course respect for the earth, humanity working in harmony with the earth.
Ray Simpson of the Northumbrian Community of Hilda and Aiden writes ….
'The essence of Celtic spirituality is a heart wide open to God in every person, in all the world. It is to do with crossing frontiers, not erecting barriers. It goes so deep that, without losing what is distinctive, it becomes universal.'
Closer to home Iain Bradley, from the University of St Andrew’s believes that Celtic Christianity does seem to speak with uncanny relevance to many of the concerns of our present age. It was environmentally friendly, embracing positive attitudes to nature and constantly celebrating the goodness of God’s creation. Like the religions of the Australian Aboriginees and the Native American Indians it takes us back to our roots and seems to speak with a primitive innocence and directness which has much appeal in our tired and cynical age.
Let me draw to a close by summarizing why I personally see the Celtic way to God as being so 21st century relevant.
Firstly, the focus on Community. We must maintain the sense of community in the congregation and in the parish. The sense of belonging that a sense of community can bring is a key building block for the next few decades of change.
Secondly, seeing the energy, the life and the flow of God’s love in all of creation, seeing the potential of God in the earth, in the people, If we see God in all of creation then we can only but want to nurture that Creation.
And of course thirdly, the sense of harmony with creation, its care and its stewardship.
If we can take, even these three reasons to heart then we will indeed turn the tide and honour the trust that God placed in us in the Garden of Eden. If we do not, then may God forgive us.
In God’s name
It has been a momentous week, and I am not referring to the death of Michael Jackson - sad though that may be. And not even the bonus salary of the new head of RBS, although it does seem that altruism certainly does not exist in the higher echelons of banking management.
No, today I am referrering to the environmental legislation passed by the Scottish Parliament, announced by the UK Government and passed by the US House of Representatives, all within the space of one week. Legislation that is going to radically alter how we live. Legislation, that I believe, churches ~ schools ~ community organizations and communities themselves should begin to enact without delay.
This morning though, I want to move beyond the legislation and look for spiritual foundations for environmental care. We’ve just sung for the beauty of the earth
For the beauty of the earth
for the beauty of the skies
for the love which from our birth
over and around us lies
Christ, our God, to thee we raise
This our sacrifice of praise
We’ve just sung these words and I wonder as we did, did we sing them with integrity? Did we sing them as if we actually believed the words and the sentiments, or were we just muttering the sounds and thinking either what a pretty tune or the music of this jars?
The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. [Genesis 2]
And if your faith is traditional then this was an act of trust on the part of God. And if your faith is traditional then we are the inheritors of that trust. And if your faith is honest I think that you can only but conclude that we have squandered that inheritance - almost to the point of no return, but not quite yet. And that is why I believe that the churches must show the lead in welcoming, supporting and enacting the legislation and intention of the past week.
But there is another reason as well and that is where I want to go this morning. But for Church politics the Christian Church in Britain might have been radically different, and who knows, given the ability of Scots men and women to influence the developments of the past centuries, we might now be a completely different Church. I am of course referring to the marginalisation of the Celtic Church in the 7th Century at the Synod of Whitby and the subsequent rise of Catholicism and the hierarchical, religion focused, Church of Rome.
I believe that our attitudes to the environment need a spiritual foundation, as well as an ethical, practical and economic foundation. And I believe that that foundation is found in Celtic Christianity and Celtic Spirituality. And I want to remind you of the Celtic way to God. The way of our past. The way of our heritage.
But before I do, let me add another layer to what I am saying and this is from 21st Century Spirituality. Ken Wilber argues that human beings intrinsically possess 1st, 2nd, and 3rd person perspectives of the world, and that we possess those same perspectives in our experience of spirituality.
God is 1st person when we have direct experiences of God, mystical, I am moments. The times when we have felt touched by God. God is also 2nd person ~ the one to whom we talk. And God is 3rd person, the spirit of God in the great interconnected web of humanity. Wilber also argues that it is a human failing to focus on one perspective of God. That is our nature but our nature reduces our experiences of God. And so all three perspectives are important. Now I am saying this because if we think of Celtic Spirituality just in terms of looking after creation then important as that is, we miss the point ~ we miss the depth ~ we miss the potential.
So what is Celtic Spirituality, Celtic Christianity and why do I think it so important? What is the essence of Celtic Spirituality? Hilary Musgrave is an Irish Sister of Charity and she describes it as
• seeing the energy, the life and the flow of God’s love in all of creation
• seeing the potential of God in the earth, in the people,
• seeing God as all around, surrounding us and in us.
There is a focus on daily life in the prayers of Celtic Spirituality with these prayers rooted in the ordinary events of life ~ the everyday events that touch ordinary everyday people. There is a huge community focus in Celtic Spirituality. God was experienced in the community. And of course respect for the earth, humanity working in harmony with the earth.
Ray Simpson of the Northumbrian Community of Hilda and Aiden writes ….
'The essence of Celtic spirituality is a heart wide open to God in every person, in all the world. It is to do with crossing frontiers, not erecting barriers. It goes so deep that, without losing what is distinctive, it becomes universal.'
Closer to home Iain Bradley, from the University of St Andrew’s believes that Celtic Christianity does seem to speak with uncanny relevance to many of the concerns of our present age. It was environmentally friendly, embracing positive attitudes to nature and constantly celebrating the goodness of God’s creation. Like the religions of the Australian Aboriginees and the Native American Indians it takes us back to our roots and seems to speak with a primitive innocence and directness which has much appeal in our tired and cynical age.
Let me draw to a close by summarizing why I personally see the Celtic way to God as being so 21st century relevant.
Firstly, the focus on Community. We must maintain the sense of community in the congregation and in the parish. The sense of belonging that a sense of community can bring is a key building block for the next few decades of change.
Secondly, seeing the energy, the life and the flow of God’s love in all of creation, seeing the potential of God in the earth, in the people, If we see God in all of creation then we can only but want to nurture that Creation.
And of course thirdly, the sense of harmony with creation, its care and its stewardship.
If we can take, even these three reasons to heart then we will indeed turn the tide and honour the trust that God placed in us in the Garden of Eden. If we do not, then may God forgive us.
In God’s name
Unwanted mailing
Today I saved a leaf
It's an age thing but sadly I appear to be on the SAGA mailing list. I get monthly invitations to enquire about SAGA Motor Insurance and every month I shake my head, recycle the paper and put the envelop in the bin.
That is apart from this month when I decided that enough was enough and so I phoned SAGA and asked to be removed from their mailing list.
Result .... a gracious lady and no more motor insurance letters!
It's an age thing but sadly I appear to be on the SAGA mailing list. I get monthly invitations to enquire about SAGA Motor Insurance and every month I shake my head, recycle the paper and put the envelop in the bin.
That is apart from this month when I decided that enough was enough and so I phoned SAGA and asked to be removed from their mailing list.
Result .... a gracious lady and no more motor insurance letters!
Friday 29 May 2009
It can only get worse and it will be our fault!
Climate change is already responsible for 300,000 deaths a year and is affecting 300m people, according to the first comprehensive study of the human impact of global warming. The report comes from former UN secretary general Kofi Annan's thinktank, the Global Humanitarian Forum. It projects that increasingly severe heatwaves, floods, storms and forest fires will be responsible for as many as 500,000 deaths a year by 2030, making it the greatest humanitarian challenge the world faces.
Economic losses due to climate change today amount to more than $125bn a year — more than the all present world aid. By 2030, the report says, climate change could cost $600bn a year.
Civil unrest may also increase because of weather-related events, the report says: "Four billion people are vulnerable now and 500m are now at extreme risk. Weather-related disasters ... bring hunger, disease, poverty and lost livelihoods. They pose a threat to social and political stability".
Climate change is expected to have the most severe impact on water supplies . "Shortages in future are likely to threaten food production, reduce sanitation, hinder economic development and damage ecosystems. It causes more violent swings between floods and droughts. Hundreds of millions of people are expected to become water stressed by climate change by the 2030. ".
The study says it is impossible to be certain who will be displaced by 2030, but that tens of millions of people "will be driven from their homelands by weather disasters or gradual environmental degradation. The problem is most severe in Africa, Bangladesh, Egypt, coastal zones and forest areas. ."
The study compares for the first time the number of people affected by climate change in rich and poor countries. Nearly 98% of the people seriously affected, 99% of all deaths from weather-related disasters and 90% of the total economic losses are now borne by developing countries. The populations most at risk it says, are in sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, south Asia and the small island states of the Pacific.
But of the 12 countries considered least at risk, including Britain, all but one are industrially developed. Together they have made nearly $72bn available to adapt themselves to climate change but have pledged only $400m to help poor countries. "This is less than one state in Germany is spending on improving its flood defences," says the report.
"The world is at a crossroads. We can no longer afford to ignore the human impact of climate change. This is a call to the negotiators to come to the most ambitious agreement ever negotiated or to continue to accept mass starvation, mass sickness and mass migration on an ever growing scale," said Kofi Annan, who launched the report today in London.
Annan blamed politicians for the current impasse in the negotiations and widespread ignorance in many countries. "Weak leadership, as evident today, is alarming. If leaders cannot assume responsibility they will fail humanity. Agreement is in the interests of every human being."
Nobel peace prizewinner Wangari Maathai, said: "Climate change is life or death. It is the new global battlefield. It is being presented as if it is the problem of the developed world. But it's the developed world that has precipitated global warming."
Economic losses due to climate change today amount to more than $125bn a year — more than the all present world aid. By 2030, the report says, climate change could cost $600bn a year.
Civil unrest may also increase because of weather-related events, the report says: "Four billion people are vulnerable now and 500m are now at extreme risk. Weather-related disasters ... bring hunger, disease, poverty and lost livelihoods. They pose a threat to social and political stability".
Climate change is expected to have the most severe impact on water supplies . "Shortages in future are likely to threaten food production, reduce sanitation, hinder economic development and damage ecosystems. It causes more violent swings between floods and droughts. Hundreds of millions of people are expected to become water stressed by climate change by the 2030. ".
The study says it is impossible to be certain who will be displaced by 2030, but that tens of millions of people "will be driven from their homelands by weather disasters or gradual environmental degradation. The problem is most severe in Africa, Bangladesh, Egypt, coastal zones and forest areas. ."
The study compares for the first time the number of people affected by climate change in rich and poor countries. Nearly 98% of the people seriously affected, 99% of all deaths from weather-related disasters and 90% of the total economic losses are now borne by developing countries. The populations most at risk it says, are in sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, south Asia and the small island states of the Pacific.
But of the 12 countries considered least at risk, including Britain, all but one are industrially developed. Together they have made nearly $72bn available to adapt themselves to climate change but have pledged only $400m to help poor countries. "This is less than one state in Germany is spending on improving its flood defences," says the report.
"The world is at a crossroads. We can no longer afford to ignore the human impact of climate change. This is a call to the negotiators to come to the most ambitious agreement ever negotiated or to continue to accept mass starvation, mass sickness and mass migration on an ever growing scale," said Kofi Annan, who launched the report today in London.
Annan blamed politicians for the current impasse in the negotiations and widespread ignorance in many countries. "Weak leadership, as evident today, is alarming. If leaders cannot assume responsibility they will fail humanity. Agreement is in the interests of every human being."
Nobel peace prizewinner Wangari Maathai, said: "Climate change is life or death. It is the new global battlefield. It is being presented as if it is the problem of the developed world. But it's the developed world that has precipitated global warming."
Thursday 28 May 2009
In today's Press
I was looking at a review of what is making the news of the Climate Change front.
[1] NATURE MAGAZINE WRITES ABOUT BIOCHAR ....
The bright prospect of biochar
Enthusiasts say that biochar could go a long way towards mitigating climate change and bring with it a host of ancillary benefits. But others fear it could do more harm than good.
Tilling charcoal into the soil can promote lush plant growth as well as sequestering carbon, say biochar enthusiasts.
Jim Fournier wants to help save the planet, though in a most unlikely way: by burning biomass. At the forefront of a carbon-sequestration technology that proponents say offers a rare 'win-win-win' environmental opportunity, Fournier's company Biochar Engineering in Golden, Colorado, manufactures machines that turn biomass into charcoal, or biochar.
Spread on soil, biochar can keep CO2 out of the atmosphere while improving soil fertility and boosting productivity. In addition, gases released in the charcoal-making process can be used to make biofuels that are more sustainable than those currently on the market. "Char happens to be the one thing that represents a solution to all of these factors together. It's a unique opportunity," Fournier says.
But while enthusiasts are pushing to have biochar recognized as an official means of offsetting greenhouse gas emissions, others remain cautious. At best we know too little, say critics, and at worst using biochar to sequester carbon could ultimately lead to unintended consequences, including the destruction of virgin forests to make way for plantations.
[2] REUTERS runs a piece on changes to the environment caused by rising temperatures
Tree-munching beetles, malaria-carrying mosquitoes and deer ticks that spread Lyme disease are three living signs that climate change is likely to exact a heavy toll on human health.
These pests and others are expanding their ranges in a warming world, which means people who never had to worry about them will have to start. And they are hardly the only health threats from global warming.
The Lancet medical journal declared in a May 16 commentary: "Climate change is the biggest global health threat of the 21st century."
Individual threats range from the simple to the very complex, the Lancet said, reporting on a year-long study conducted with University College London.
There will be more heat waves with "direct temperature effects" which will hit the most vulnerable people hardest, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, especially those with heart problems and asthma, the elderly, the very young and the homeless.
People who live within 60 miles (97 km) of a shoreline, or about one-third of the world's population, could be affected if sea levels rise as expected over the coming decades, possibly more than 3 feet (1 metre) by 2100. Flooded homes and crops could make environmental refugees of a billion people.
As it becomes hotter, the air can hold more moisture, helping certain disease-carriers, such as the ticks that spread Lyme disease, thrive, the EPA said.
A changing climate could increase the risk of mosquito-borne diseases like malaria, dengue fever, yellow fever and various viral causes of encephalitis. Algae blooms in water could be more frequent, increasing the risk of diseases like cholera. Respiratory problems may be aggravated by warming-induced increases in smog.
Other less obvious dangers are also potentially devastating. eg …
Pine bark beetles, which devour trees in western North America will be able to produce more generations each year, instead of subsiding during winter months. They leave standing dead timber, ideal fuel for wildfires from Arizona to Alaska.
[3] China Is Said to Plan Strict Gas Mileage Rules
HONG KONG — Worried about heavy reliance on imported oil, Chinese officials have drafted automotive fuel economy standards that are even more stringent than those outlined by President Obama last week, Chinese experts with a detailed knowledge of the plans said on Wednesday. The new plan would require automakers in China to improve fuel economy by an additional 18 percent by 2015,
... some people are obviously taking Climate Change very seriously indeed.
[1] NATURE MAGAZINE WRITES ABOUT BIOCHAR ....
The bright prospect of biochar
Enthusiasts say that biochar could go a long way towards mitigating climate change and bring with it a host of ancillary benefits. But others fear it could do more harm than good.
Tilling charcoal into the soil can promote lush plant growth as well as sequestering carbon, say biochar enthusiasts.
Jim Fournier wants to help save the planet, though in a most unlikely way: by burning biomass. At the forefront of a carbon-sequestration technology that proponents say offers a rare 'win-win-win' environmental opportunity, Fournier's company Biochar Engineering in Golden, Colorado, manufactures machines that turn biomass into charcoal, or biochar.
Spread on soil, biochar can keep CO2 out of the atmosphere while improving soil fertility and boosting productivity. In addition, gases released in the charcoal-making process can be used to make biofuels that are more sustainable than those currently on the market. "Char happens to be the one thing that represents a solution to all of these factors together. It's a unique opportunity," Fournier says.
But while enthusiasts are pushing to have biochar recognized as an official means of offsetting greenhouse gas emissions, others remain cautious. At best we know too little, say critics, and at worst using biochar to sequester carbon could ultimately lead to unintended consequences, including the destruction of virgin forests to make way for plantations.
[2] REUTERS runs a piece on changes to the environment caused by rising temperatures
Tree-munching beetles, malaria-carrying mosquitoes and deer ticks that spread Lyme disease are three living signs that climate change is likely to exact a heavy toll on human health.
These pests and others are expanding their ranges in a warming world, which means people who never had to worry about them will have to start. And they are hardly the only health threats from global warming.
The Lancet medical journal declared in a May 16 commentary: "Climate change is the biggest global health threat of the 21st century."
Individual threats range from the simple to the very complex, the Lancet said, reporting on a year-long study conducted with University College London.
There will be more heat waves with "direct temperature effects" which will hit the most vulnerable people hardest, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, especially those with heart problems and asthma, the elderly, the very young and the homeless.
People who live within 60 miles (97 km) of a shoreline, or about one-third of the world's population, could be affected if sea levels rise as expected over the coming decades, possibly more than 3 feet (1 metre) by 2100. Flooded homes and crops could make environmental refugees of a billion people.
As it becomes hotter, the air can hold more moisture, helping certain disease-carriers, such as the ticks that spread Lyme disease, thrive, the EPA said.
A changing climate could increase the risk of mosquito-borne diseases like malaria, dengue fever, yellow fever and various viral causes of encephalitis. Algae blooms in water could be more frequent, increasing the risk of diseases like cholera. Respiratory problems may be aggravated by warming-induced increases in smog.
Other less obvious dangers are also potentially devastating. eg …
Pine bark beetles, which devour trees in western North America will be able to produce more generations each year, instead of subsiding during winter months. They leave standing dead timber, ideal fuel for wildfires from Arizona to Alaska.
[3] China Is Said to Plan Strict Gas Mileage Rules
HONG KONG — Worried about heavy reliance on imported oil, Chinese officials have drafted automotive fuel economy standards that are even more stringent than those outlined by President Obama last week, Chinese experts with a detailed knowledge of the plans said on Wednesday. The new plan would require automakers in China to improve fuel economy by an additional 18 percent by 2015,
... some people are obviously taking Climate Change very seriously indeed.
Tuesday 19 May 2009
Press Release
Yesterday, the Rev
Calling for a radical revision of the MPs allowances system, Mr Rooney said that two decades, and more, of the quite appalling way MPs spoke about each other on the media had resulted in the erosion of their standing. They were now getting the comeuppance they deserved.
Mr Rooney also said that for the record he hoped that the Rev
Mr Rooney said that stable and loving relationships can be physical, but they can also be deep friendships to the level of soul friendships.
He recognizes that others may think differently and he respected their views and the integrity with which they are formed. However he was concerned about what would happen is Scott looses.
Would there be a move against the ordination of women ministers and elders on the grounds that such ordination was not Biblical? Would he be forced to preach that the world was made in 6 days, because the Bible says so?
Will all ministers need to sign a contract that says that they believe in the Virgin Birth, Original Sin, Hell, Bodily Resurrection and so on?
Mr Rooney asked his members to wonder what Jesus would say or do. He suggested that Jesus would be more concerned with the big issues of the day.
Whether or not ministers who state they are homosexual by orientation, but about whom there is absolutely no tangible evidence regarding their sexual practices, should or should not be allowed to serve God, may be important to some.
However Climate Change and human caused Environmental Degradation, Refugees and issues caused by Human Migration, Poverty and being able to live in peace, one with another all seemed far more important.
These are the issues that should be preoccupying the Church of Scotland. Mr Rooney wondered why there were no petitions about these issues.
When asked about the reaction of his congregation to what he said, Mr Rooney said he was overwhelmed by support for his views and for the Rev
Monday 11 May 2009
Climate Change and the Scottish Parliament
As I listened to the Scottish Parliament debate the Climate Change Bill, first reading, I had a picture in mind.
The Captain is aware that there are icebergs ahead and so he has a discussion with his senior staff … we should alter course … yes, but when and by how many degrees … well, let’s think about it and ask for opinions and then make a decision - CRASH!!!!
You see, I think I heard every party agree that
Monday 4 May 2009
And more hope
Again from the US Press ...
Global warming strongly divides Christian clergy
By Bob Smietana • THE TENNESSEAN • May 1, 2009
When the Rev. James Merritt wants to talk about the environment, he does what any good Baptist preacher would do. He picks up the Bible.
"The first assignment that God gave to Adam was to take care of the Garden," said Merritt, who was president of the Nashville-based Southern Baptist Convention from 2000-02. "As far as I know, that job has never been revoked."
While most Christian ministers agree that human beings are to care for creation, they disagree on the details. That's especially true about the topic of global warming .
A new survey from Southern Baptist-owned LifeWay Research found a split between mainline ministers, like Episcopalians and Methodists, and evangelicals like Southern Baptists. Mainline ministers believe that climate change is manmade and want to take action. Evangelical ministers, on the other hand, remain skeptical.
People in the pews disagree, according to a new poll from the public policy group, Faith in Public Life. It found that "over 60 percent of Americans, including majorities of white evangelical Protestants and Catholics" want to tackle climate change now.
Next month, Merritt will host a green evangelical gathering at Cross Pointe Church in Duluth, Ga. Called the Flourish Conference, it's part of the so-called Creation Care movement.
Merritt says evangelicals have been too slow to act on environmental issues, just as they were slow to act on civil rights. "Once again we've been the caboose instead of leading the train," he said.
The Flourish conference, organized by Merritt's son, Jonathan, will focus on theology, not the politics or causes of global warming. Instead, they'll talk about biblical ethics and caring for the earth.
"We are really going to focus on the theology of ecology," Merritt said. "If anybody should be sensitive about the world and taking care of God's creation, it ought to be believers.
WHAT DO SCOTTISH EVANGELICALS HAVE TO SAY ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE? NOW THERE IS AN ISSUE THEY COULD PROFITABLY ADDRESS ...........................
Global warming strongly divides Christian clergy
By Bob Smietana • THE TENNESSEAN • May 1, 2009
When the Rev. James Merritt wants to talk about the environment, he does what any good Baptist preacher would do. He picks up the Bible.
"The first assignment that God gave to Adam was to take care of the Garden," said Merritt, who was president of the Nashville-based Southern Baptist Convention from 2000-02. "As far as I know, that job has never been revoked."
While most Christian ministers agree that human beings are to care for creation, they disagree on the details. That's especially true about the topic of global warming .
A new survey from Southern Baptist-owned LifeWay Research found a split between mainline ministers, like Episcopalians and Methodists, and evangelicals like Southern Baptists. Mainline ministers believe that climate change is manmade and want to take action. Evangelical ministers, on the other hand, remain skeptical.
People in the pews disagree, according to a new poll from the public policy group, Faith in Public Life. It found that "over 60 percent of Americans, including majorities of white evangelical Protestants and Catholics" want to tackle climate change now.
Next month, Merritt will host a green evangelical gathering at Cross Pointe Church in Duluth, Ga. Called the Flourish Conference, it's part of the so-called Creation Care movement.
Merritt says evangelicals have been too slow to act on environmental issues, just as they were slow to act on civil rights. "Once again we've been the caboose instead of leading the train," he said.
The Flourish conference, organized by Merritt's son, Jonathan, will focus on theology, not the politics or causes of global warming. Instead, they'll talk about biblical ethics and caring for the earth.
"We are really going to focus on the theology of ecology," Merritt said. "If anybody should be sensitive about the world and taking care of God's creation, it ought to be believers.
WHAT DO SCOTTISH EVANGELICALS HAVE TO SAY ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE? NOW THERE IS AN ISSUE THEY COULD PROFITABLY ADDRESS ...........................
Climate Change and the USA Church
This is an article which appeared in the US Press just recently. It illustrates the problem and also the hope ....
Conservative Christians launch green awakening
By YONAT SHIMRON
McClatchy Newspapers
Published: Monday, May. 4, 2009 - 5:06 am
WAKE FOREST, N.C. -- For years, some conservative Christians regarded environmentalists as little more than nature worshippers. But on April 24, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, N.C., hosted its first conference on what it calls "creation care," or honoring God's good Earth.
The one-day "Creation Care Symposium" was the seminary's first effort to go green, and, no surprise, it came two days after Earth Day.
Southeastern President Danny Akin said his denomination, the Southern Baptist Convention, needs to do more to combat pollution and the degradation of the planet. But he added, "We're not jumping on the Sierra Club, Greenpeace, Al Gore bandwagon. We're using a more cautious, responsible approach."
That Southeastern is even interested in caring for the planet represents a milestone in the environmental movement. While mainline Protestant Christian denominations, Roman Catholics, Jews and Muslims have made strides in raising awareness among adherents of the challenges of climate change, pollution and degradation of natural resources, conservative denominations have thus far relegated the issue to the back burner.
Only two years ago, Southern Baptists passed a resolution urging the government to "reject mandated reductions in greenhouse gas emissions," and to "proceed cautiously in the human-induced global warming debate in light of conflicting scientific research."
Last month, Richard Land, president of the denomination's Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, urged Baptists to write their U.S. senators to oppose global warming legislation that would tax firms for global emissions.
And in a recently released poll, only 47 percent of Protestant pastors said they believe global warming is real and man-made. Among evangelical denominations, only 32 percent of pastors agreed.
Yet a group of younger evangelicals is challenging those views and pushing churches to audit their energy use, analyze their impact on the environment and adopt cost-saving measures.
Leading the charge is Jonathan Merritt, a graduate of Southeastern and the son of former Southern Baptist President James Merritt. Now an Atlanta-based writer, Merritt said the environment is no longer the exclusive domain of the liberal left.
"In the last few years we've seen many conservatives say this is a moral issue, and Christians have an answer for it," Merritt said.
He points to pastors such as Rick Warren, the Southern Baptist megachurch minister who has shown an environmental awareness. And he notes comments by Newt Gingrich, the former speaker of the House, who in a recent issue of Newsweek calls for energy independence from foreign oil. (Although Gingrich approves of drilling in Alaska.)
Conservative Christians launch green awakening
By YONAT SHIMRON
McClatchy Newspapers
Published: Monday, May. 4, 2009 - 5:06 am
WAKE FOREST, N.C. -- For years, some conservative Christians regarded environmentalists as little more than nature worshippers. But on April 24, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, N.C., hosted its first conference on what it calls "creation care," or honoring God's good Earth.
The one-day "Creation Care Symposium" was the seminary's first effort to go green, and, no surprise, it came two days after Earth Day.
Southeastern President Danny Akin said his denomination, the Southern Baptist Convention, needs to do more to combat pollution and the degradation of the planet. But he added, "We're not jumping on the Sierra Club, Greenpeace, Al Gore bandwagon. We're using a more cautious, responsible approach."
That Southeastern is even interested in caring for the planet represents a milestone in the environmental movement. While mainline Protestant Christian denominations, Roman Catholics, Jews and Muslims have made strides in raising awareness among adherents of the challenges of climate change, pollution and degradation of natural resources, conservative denominations have thus far relegated the issue to the back burner.
Only two years ago, Southern Baptists passed a resolution urging the government to "reject mandated reductions in greenhouse gas emissions," and to "proceed cautiously in the human-induced global warming debate in light of conflicting scientific research."
Last month, Richard Land, president of the denomination's Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, urged Baptists to write their U.S. senators to oppose global warming legislation that would tax firms for global emissions.
And in a recently released poll, only 47 percent of Protestant pastors said they believe global warming is real and man-made. Among evangelical denominations, only 32 percent of pastors agreed.
Yet a group of younger evangelicals is challenging those views and pushing churches to audit their energy use, analyze their impact on the environment and adopt cost-saving measures.
Leading the charge is Jonathan Merritt, a graduate of Southeastern and the son of former Southern Baptist President James Merritt. Now an Atlanta-based writer, Merritt said the environment is no longer the exclusive domain of the liberal left.
"In the last few years we've seen many conservatives say this is a moral issue, and Christians have an answer for it," Merritt said.
He points to pastors such as Rick Warren, the Southern Baptist megachurch minister who has shown an environmental awareness. And he notes comments by Newt Gingrich, the former speaker of the House, who in a recent issue of Newsweek calls for energy independence from foreign oil. (Although Gingrich approves of drilling in Alaska.)
A letter to parliament
CLIMATE CHANGE BILL
I am writing to urge you to take rigorous, and if necessary unpopular, action to respond to the challenge of Climate Change.
As a nation we must reduce our consumption of, and dependence upon, carbon. I do not believe that Carbon Capture is a tenable option because it simply signals business as usual.
I believe that the challenges of Climate Change move far beyond partisan politics and I would urge consensual action.
In practical terms I suggest
[a] 2010 reducing national speed limits … built up areas to 20mph
… A roads to 50 mph
… Dual carriage /
2011 reducing Dual carriage /
[b] Identification of wave power as the Scottish bench mark
[c] Encouragement of locally produced food and a return to seasonality in food
[d] Introduction of a 2p in the pound Climate Change levy with all funds being reinvested in public transport infrastructure
[e] Serious engagement with secondary school pupils to foster a climate aware ethos among young people – and to give these youngsters a real say in the future of their
[f] An assessment of the implications of sea level rise for homes, businesses and transport infrastructure.
[g] Government sponsored advertisements drawing attention to the issues of Climate Change
[h] An assessment of fishing, farming and general environmental management to promote sustainability
It seems to me that the first two decades of the 21st Century will be the defining years as far as the nature of the final two decades of the 21st Century and beyond are concerned.
More than any other group, Politicians will be judged by their efforts to tackle Climate Change.
Will you lead us to a point where the following will be our epitaph
When You Go Home, Tell Them Of Us And Say,
For Your Tomorrow, We Gave Our Today
Thursday 30 April 2009
Holiday Over
Hey I have had a new lease of life - a link to the Eco Congregation Blog - Thank you Victoria!!!
So - where are we now? What has happened in the last 6 weeks or so???
[1]
UK Budget that is borrowing more and more - I suppose that is in keeping with how we are treating the planet. We simply borrow more and more of creation. The trouble is we are creating a debt that will simply be unpayable and will be borne by the next two or three generations. After that life will be so radically different.
[2]
In the USA commentators seem to agree that President Obama is acting faster than any previous President in his efforts to address Climate Change. Maybe he is just looking at his daughters and realising just how much his actions will affect their futures.
[3]
Tesco Supermarkets will display the Carbon Footprint of Toilet Paper. Apparently 200 sheets of toilet paper = one carton of orange juice as far as carbon footprints are concerned. Well now you know - but will it make any difference?
[4]
So - where are we now? What has happened in the last 6 weeks or so???
[1]
UK Budget that is borrowing more and more - I suppose that is in keeping with how we are treating the planet. We simply borrow more and more of creation. The trouble is we are creating a debt that will simply be unpayable and will be borne by the next two or three generations. After that life will be so radically different.
[2]
In the USA commentators seem to agree that President Obama is acting faster than any previous President in his efforts to address Climate Change. Maybe he is just looking at his daughters and realising just how much his actions will affect their futures.
[3]
Tesco Supermarkets will display the Carbon Footprint of Toilet Paper. Apparently 200 sheets of toilet paper = one carton of orange juice as far as carbon footprints are concerned. Well now you know - but will it make any difference?
[4]
Facing rising sea levels, extreme weather patterns, and lower crop yields, countries in Southeast Asia are slowly waking up to the impact of climate change. Coastal towns in
Friday 13 March 2009
The end of the line???
Rick Warren,in his introduction to the Purpose Driven Church, talks about how surfers will swim out from the beach, spot a wave, ride it in and then swim out again for a new wave. He laments that many churches are single wave organisations and are dying on the spot because of that fact.
After some thought and watching the hits on the blog counter I have decided to look for a new wave because I feel that there are perhaps better outlets for my time and effort.
In a nutshell the blog is not being accessed and so with reluctance I am not going to post any more articles of interest unless there is a great cry of PLEASE.
I suggest that you access the Guardian and Independent newspaper sites for ongoing information.
It is my intention to add a Blog link to the web site of the Glens and Kirriemuir Old --- www.gkopc.co.uk where I will address a variety of issues including Climate Change.
Thanks for visiting this blog.
After some thought and watching the hits on the blog counter I have decided to look for a new wave because I feel that there are perhaps better outlets for my time and effort.
In a nutshell the blog is not being accessed and so with reluctance I am not going to post any more articles of interest unless there is a great cry of PLEASE.
I suggest that you access the Guardian and Independent newspaper sites for ongoing information.
It is my intention to add a Blog link to the web site of the Glens and Kirriemuir Old --- www.gkopc.co.uk where I will address a variety of issues including Climate Change.
Thanks for visiting this blog.
Friday 20 February 2009
Is it all a load of PANTS???
Sometimes I find myself at a loss in knowing exactly how to respond to Climate Change and what to do or say about it. Maybe it is indeed easiest to bury one’s head in the sand – and sand will be a very common commodity in decades to come. But then I think stuff it and get re-enthused and start off a fresh in my campaign to encourage people to KNOW <> CARE <> ACT.
I had two encouraging e mails recently both saying that folks enjoyed reading the climate change blog and the associated press articles.
I also received one e mail that exposed pants! Did you know that
• there is 18kg of CO2 in a pair of cotton pants
• $2 billion is spent on pesticides for cotton
• less than 1p is actually paid to the cotton grower per pairs of knickers
• 20,000 litres of water is required for 1kg of cotton [that’s partly why the Aral sea dried up]
Have a look at the video about PANTS
http://www.morethanprettyknickers.com/
This past week Cadburys Chocolate has been in the news with dairy herds being accused of belching 60% of the CO2 in a bar of chocolate
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/feb/17/cadbury-dairy-milk-
Supermarket packaging was under attack
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/cif-green/2009/feb/20/recycling-waste-local-government
And the following link is worth looking at and reflecting upon
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/blog/2009/feb/20/coal-protest-power-shift
And all the while the Arctic continues to melt in a manner which nobody really seems able to understand or predict.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/feb/18/arctic-ice-melt
SO ………… what have you done this week that might delay catastrophic Climate Change by even one hour???
I had two encouraging e mails recently both saying that folks enjoyed reading the climate change blog and the associated press articles.
I also received one e mail that exposed pants! Did you know that
• there is 18kg of CO2 in a pair of cotton pants
• $2 billion is spent on pesticides for cotton
• less than 1p is actually paid to the cotton grower per pairs of knickers
• 20,000 litres of water is required for 1kg of cotton [that’s partly why the Aral sea dried up]
Have a look at the video about PANTS
http://www.morethanprettyknickers.com/
This past week Cadburys Chocolate has been in the news with dairy herds being accused of belching 60% of the CO2 in a bar of chocolate
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/feb/17/cadbury-dairy-milk-
Supermarket packaging was under attack
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/cif-green/2009/feb/20/recycling-waste-local-government
And the following link is worth looking at and reflecting upon
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/blog/2009/feb/20/coal-protest-power-shift
And all the while the Arctic continues to melt in a manner which nobody really seems able to understand or predict.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/feb/18/arctic-ice-melt
SO ………… what have you done this week that might delay catastrophic Climate Change by even one hour???
KNOW <> CARE <> ACT
PLEASE
PLEASE
Monday 16 February 2009
What do the papers say about Climate Change
The Guardian is excellent and has a wealth of resources – articles <> photos <> points to Blogs and so on.
Essential visiting ….. http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment
And the Times is just as good and has a similar wealth of resources
Essential visiting … http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/
The Independent is slightly more compact but it too is in the premier league for resources
Essential visiting … http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/
You have to dig in the Telegraph and that is a pity.
Only visit after the first three… http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/
The Daily Mail hides Climate Change in Science and Technology and is not worth the effort
Don’t visit …. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/index.html
The Herald has no overt mention of Climate Change so …
Don’t visit …. http://www.theherald.co.uk/
And equally, don’t waste time with the Scotsman …. parochialism gone mad!
So don’t visit ….. http://www.scotsman.com/
Knowing <> Caring <> Acting
The Second Week [and a day] in February 2009
What’s in the Climate Change window? A summary …….. Click the links if you want to read more.
Sunday 8th
[1] Gordon Brown is not green enough says the chair of the UK Environment Agency as he warns that Government policy will leave us lagging behind the rest of the world
http://www.guardian
[2] We are urged not to waste food and to conserve every scrap
http://www.guardian
[3] James Dyson, the
http://www.guardian
[4] President Obama has become to undo some of the Bush Governments anti climate change actions
http://www.guardian
Monday 9th
[5]
http://www.guardian
[6] Scientists from across the glove are to meet to warn politicians that they are too timid as far as climate change is concerned
http://www.guardian
Tuesday 10th
[7] The
http://www.guardian
[8] The Government and Environmentalists are at loggerheads over plans to create a tidal power generator on the River Severn. It will destroy the mud flats, but then will rising sea levels not do that anyway
http://www.guardian
[9] The apocalyptic Australian Bush Fires are a wake up call both for the nation and global community because they indicate just what will happen when temperatures rise and rainfalls move elsewhere – but then
http://www.guardian
The effect of the fires re CO2 is also highlighted on Saturday 14th
http://www.guardian
[10] In recent years
http://www.guardian
[11] The Scottish Government claims to have the most ambitious Climate Change legislation in the world – so why is it about to build another Coal Fired Power Station? Can the money not be invested in tidal power???
http://www.guardian
[12] A British firm has developed a removal truck that runs on battery power and will cover up to 150 miles on one charge and takes 45 mins to be 75% recharged. Interested in green motoring, then Google … What Green Car …
http://www.guardian
Thursday 12th
[13] Sir David King brands the Second Iraq War, the first resource war
http://www.guardian
[14] There is a call for £277 billion pounds to create clean power, insulate homes and create jobs. Well there goes a couple of bankers bonuses!!!
http://www.guardian
[15] The Met office are concerned that there should be a balanced debate about Climate Change and are worried about sensationalism
http://www.guardian
[16] Relationships between the
http://www.guardian
This was also addressed on Saturday http://www.guardian
[17] B&Q have built a new store that harvests green technology
http://www.guardian
[18] The potential to carbon neutralise ordinary homes is revealed and we are encouraged to visit www.sustainable-energyacademy.org.uk/ for more information
http://www.guardian
Saturday 14th
[19] There is a call for environmentalism to become part of mature political debate
http://www.guardian
[20] The complications of water consumption are under the spotlight, especially where the water has to be pumped electrically. People are urged to save water!
http://www.guardian
[21] Looking ahead a number of decades extreme concern has been expressed about the effects of rising sea levels on transportation and communication routes – many of which will be submerged. Action must be taken now to plan for such an eventuality argues the
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/feb/13/climate-change
Sunday 15th
[22] Did you hear about the Irishman who said that Climate Change was NOT man made and that publicity about it was “New Labour Propaganda”? Oh well ………
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/feb/13/sammy-wilson-northern-ireland
[23] On coal, coal and more coal …………
http://www.guardian
http://www.guardian
http://www.guardian
Monday 16th
[24] There is very real concern that rising temperatures and drought will dry out tropical forests and leave them vulnerable to fires similar to the one that has caused such damage in
http://www.guardian
[25] Global Warming is warming the oceans and causing dramatic changes in the distribution and diversity of food sources for animals higher up the food chain … just watch a polar bear trying to catch seals in the ice free
http://www.guardian
[26] And just because it is cold does not mean that Climate Change has gone away …. ask the Australians!!!!
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/feb/16/climate-change-global-temperatures-january
And there you have a taste of what is in the media in the past week about Climate Change.
Do you KNOW …. Do you CARE …. Will you ACT?
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