connecting Environment, Science and Christianity
We are pleased to announce that the January 2012 JRI newsletter (No. 27) is now ready to download. Here you will find analysis on the recent Durban Climate Change meeting, reports on conferences past and an important one to come. Several significant publications have also emerged, and much more….. DOWNLOAD HERE
JRI Briefing Paper 21, “Apocalypse Now? The Book of Revelation and the Environmental Crisis” is now available. Simon Woodman argues that the imagery of final judgment in Revelation offer its audience an “assurance that, however powerful the forces currently opposing their faithful witness, these satanic systems will ultimately be called to account for their opposition to God’s in-breaking kingdom”. This briefing is adapted from Simon Woodman, “Can the Book of Revelation Be a Gospel for the Environment?” In: Bible and Justice: Ancient Texts, Modern Challenges, edited by Matthew Coomber. London: Equinox, 2011. Simon Woodman is the Tutor in Biblical Studies at South Wales Baptist College.
Water: Global Challenges for the 21st Century
We are delighted that the 2012 JRI and Redcliffe College Environment Conference will this year be in partnership with Tearfund. The theme is “Water: Global Challenges for the 21st Century”, and the meeting will take place on Saturday, 3rd March 2012 between 09:30 and 16:30 at Redcliffe College in Gloucester. Water is vital to life, yet this century will see increasing challenges of shortage and saturation, droughts and floods. This conference will help you grapple with the issues from a Christian perspective, with a variety of speakers and first-hand accounts of how the issues affect people around the world. Speakers include: Frank Greaves and Sue Yardley (Tearfund); Barbara Brighouse (Christian Engineers in Development); John Bimson (Trinity College, Bristol); Trevor Muten (Tapajos Limited); Micheal Travis (Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel); Claire Ashton (The John Ray Initiative); and Richard Carter (Water Aid). Speaker Biographies
The cost for the day is £38 including lunch and refreshments – more details and a booking form from www.redcliffe.org/environment-conference-2012 Join the Facebook Event Page
In the last few weeks two senior clerics, the Bishop of Chester, Dr Peter Forster (Church of England), and Cardinal Pell, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Sydney, have written articles or given speeches which have been highly sceptical of human-induced climate change. There have been several strong responses to both clerics, most notably from Prof. Bob White, Bishop David Atkinson, and Ellen Teague. As JRI Operations Manager I had the opportunity to assess the latest on the science of climate change and the policy issues surrounding it at the Royal Society in London today (9th Nov. 2011), and this is what I found.
Well certain bishops and cardinals may not believe in climate change, or at least its human origins, but the people here sure do. As I write the beginning of this piece I am sitting in the Welcome Trust Lecture Hall at the Royal Society in London, UK. It is the lunch break in the conference “Climate Change: Biodiversity and People on the Front Line.” The conference is jointly sponsored by RSPB, Natural England and WWF. So far we have had four presentations. The science of climate change looks clearer than ever, but we are also beginning to see the impacts. Most obvious, perhaps, are the changes in terrestrial organisms- earlier flowering and bud break in the spring, moving polewards, up mountains and potentially dying out. Then the impacts on vulnerable areas such as the Amazon and Polar regions. No doubts- major changes are happening already and very quickly. The biggest changes, however, are in the oceans which are much less studied than terrestrial areas.
In the tea break now. We are beginning to see some of the effects of climate change on people. Of course it is the poor who suffer most, and they have done the least to deserve it. We also looked at some of the “solutions.” Some of these look almost worse than the problem. Massive geoengineering- is putting iron filings or lime into the oceans sensible? It was suggested we may need to move some organisms or even whole ecosystems from one badly affected area of the world to another that is less affected. Is there any choice? Few people here seem to think that the maximum two degree C increase target for global temperature that most scientists would like to see is likely or even possible. Most are reckoning on 4 degree C as most likely.
Now I am on the train back from London. It was a really good, well organised, conference. But it was also highly depressing. We moved on to climate change policy, and it was clear that the gap between what the science was saying and where we are at on policy is huge. The present policies on the table will put us well above the levels of carbon dioxide emissions for a two degree C global rise. Prof. Robert Watson (Chief Scientific Advisor, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) in the UK) summed it up for me by saying we should, “prepare for a 3-5 degree C warmer world.” Everyone in that room at the Royal Society knew that this would lead to massive biodiversity loss and millions of people dying, particularly in the developing world. I am sure that this is not the scenario that Bishop Forster or Cardinal Pell would want for our future, or for future generations. We have two major opportunities coming up where we might just have a chance of breaking the policy deadlock and to turn this around: The Durban climate change meeting (COP17) at the end of this month; and the RIO+20 meeting next year. Let us all commit ourselves to prayer for these meetings.
Dr. Martin Hodson (JRI Operations Manager)
(Another report on this meeting is available from BirdLife International)
The Bishop of Chester, Dr. Peter Forster, recently wrote an article in the Church Times (21 Oct. 2011) which was highly sceptical of human-induced climate change. The article was reproduced in full on the web site of the Global Warming Policy Foundation, a climate sceptic organisation chaired by Lord Lawson, and for which Dr Forster serves as a trustee. You can see it at Look To Adaptation, Not Alarmism. Two weeks later (4 Nov. 2011) the Church Times published a number of replies to the Bishop’s article, the majority of which were highly critical of his position. One of these was from Prof. Bob White of the Faraday Institute, who is also a Director of JRI. Bob gave us permission to reproduce his article It is Crucial to Act Now to Address the Global Risks. Operation Noah have also reproduced the excellent response of The Rt. Revd. David Atkinson under the title This is not alarmism. It is happening now.
We are expecting increased activity from the sceptic lobby as Durban climate change conference approaches and will play our part in the response.
We are pleased to announce the publication of Climate Change, Faith and Rural Communities by Martin J. Hodson and Margot R. Hodson. This attractive 40 page booklet is a product of the Agriculture and Theology Project (ATP) which is a joint project involving JRI, the Church Mission Society (CMS) and the Agricultural Christian Fellowship (ACF). The abstract is below. Copies can now be ordered from THE JOHN RAY INITIATIVE (JRI), Room PH201, Francis Close Hall, University of Gloucestershire, Swindon Road, CHELTENHAM, GL50 4AZ. Please make out cheques for individual copies to the John Ray Initiative for £3.50 (inc. P&P). For multiple copies please enquire at admin@jri.org.uk
ABSTRACT
Climate change is a major issue for this century with significant impact on the future of the countryside. The first part of this paper considers the expected impacts of climate change on rural communities in the UK and the contribution that these communities make to climate change. Climate change is complex and interacts with many other factors. One aspect is exposed through a consideration of the impact of Peak Oil. Having presented the interaction between physical, biological and human issues, the paper has at its heart a reflection on the cosmic nature of Christ (Colossians 1.15-20). The theological reflection explores the themes of interconnectedness and eschatological hope. An ethical analysis builds on the theology to develop a Christocentric model for holistic mission. The authors propose their model as a faith-based framework for responding to climate change within a UK rural context. The final part of the paper shows how engaged faith can have a major role in helping rural communities both mitigate and adapt to climate change. Practical examples lead on to discussion of the value of a faith based approach. The authors conclude that faith in the countryside for this century needs to be sustainable in its praxis and holistic in its mission. They recommend relocalisation of rural communities and call for the church to support community regeneration.
On Sunday 6 November 2011 Tearfund is joining with partners across the world for Hope for Creation – a global day of prayer and action on climate change – and JRI is supporting this initiative! Tearfund are expecting thousands of Christians around the world to join in by praying and speaking up for justice for our global neighbours and for action to protect God’s creation. Urgent action is desperately needed internationally to tackle climate change and protect the world’s poorest people who are suffering the most. We hope this day will unite the global church in praying and acting for progress at the UN climate talks in Durban this December and for action in our own countries to respond to the issue. Take part at home, with a group of friends or with your whole church. All you need to do is pray as we speak with one voice for action on climate change.
Visit www.hopeforcreation.org to sign up and download resources to help you and your church take part on the day. If you have further questions please email info@hopeforcreation.org