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Archive

Meta-research confirms strength of scientific consensus that climate change is human-caused

There is a long-standing public misperception of the scientific consensus that climate change is human-caused. Various studies since Oreskes (2004) have found a consensus of above 95% among scientific publications that express a conclusion. However a Pew public opinion poll in 2012 revealed that many people had a perception that scientists were evenly divided. This is a huge divergence between perception and reality.

New meta-research on the scientific literature confirms previous estimates, finding 97% agreement in the twenty year period to 2011, with a slight increase in strength by 2011. The new study adds to bibliographic survey the results of a survey of authors. A short article by lead author John Cook, with video clip, is available at SkepticalScience.

The article is freely accessible at Environment Research Letters:
http://iopscience.iop.org/1748-9326/8/2/024024/article

Pew poll

Transcript of JRI Associates interview now available

A transcript of the audio recording of the recent interview with Caroline Pomeroy (CEO of Climate Stewards) is now available. Text on webpage or alternatively download as printable PDF. There are now links to both the audio mp3 file and this transcript on the original page.

JRI Spring Appeal

Cornish coastJRI is a small and lean organisation (running on two person-days per week) but needs donations to continue working at the intersection of environment, science and Christianity. Please give generously to JRI. A new form for giving by various methods (including cheque, bank transfer, online and Paypal) is available:

http://www.jri.org.uk/giving-to-jri/

New Bible Studies on Environment by Margot Hodson

Last year JRI Director, Margot Hodson, was asked to write twelve Bible Studies on Environment for the Bible Reading Fellowship (BRF) in the UK. The studies were published in a booklet intended for use in January-April 2013. But the advantage of these studies is that they are not fixed to particular dates. We have now found that BRF are using the Environment studies as a FREE sample which can be downloaded in PDF format (you need to register, but there is no charge for the 12 studies! If you want the complete booklet with studies on other topics then there is a small fee). The studies are:

Old Testament: 1 A good creation; 2 Humans and nature; 3 Rest and relationship; 4 Called to the land and called to justice; 5 Going beyond limits; and 6 The earth mourns

New Testament: 1 Born into his own creation; 2 The miraculous catch of fish; 3 Creation groaning; 4 Held together in Christ; 5 Creation made new; 6 Our gospel hope

These are intended as an introductory set of studies for people who have little or no previous experience in this topic area, but even “experts” will find something new!

Caroline Pomeroy

caroline-pomeroy-photoJRI presents an interview with Caroline Pomeroy, the new CEO of Climate Stewards (part of the A Rocha network). Caroline worked with Tearfund in Ghana in the 1990s and more recently worked for three years in Rwanda in various community and environmental projects. After returning from Rwanda she studied for an MSc in Climate Change Impacts and Sustainability, and helped set up CHASE Africa. Caroline is also a JRI Associate and we hope this will be the first of a series of interviews with Associates.

Audio can be played above or download mp3 file. It was recorded from a phone interview, and is just under 27 minutes. The interviewer is John McKeown.

A transcript can be read online or downloaded as printable PDF.

Information about CHASE Africa:

“Community Health And Sustainable Environment (CHASE) Africa’s vision is a poverty-free future where people live sustainably in a biodiverse environment.

Our mission is to enable women and families to choose the number and spacing of their children and empower them to develop sustainable livelihoods. With smaller families, parents can afford to feed and educate their children better, women have more time to work so can produce more food and/or earn an income, maternal and child mortality rates fall, and pressure on the environment is reduced.

To address the complex and related issues of poverty, ill health, environmental degradation and population pressure, we are working through local partners in Kenya to deliver integrated healthcare and family planning services in rural areas support tree planting and environmental education at schools promote the use of fuel-efficient stoves.”