Sage Words October 2002

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=110 BGCOLOR="#999933" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="040006e0ddwnfv.png"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Arial" ><B>Sage - Oxford's Christian Environmental Group</B></FONT><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#FFFFCC" FACE="Arial" ><B>     |    </B></FONT><B> </B><A HREF="index.html" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Sage Oxfords Christian Environmental Gr"><U><B>home</B></U></A></div> <div> Sage Words October 2002</div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=190 BGCOLOR="#CCCC99" TEXT="#080000" background="041bec00esnpes.png"> <div> <B><IMG SRC="0ff9ed30.jpg" border=0 width="158" height="211" ALT="Margot at the joint A Rocha/Sage stand" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="5"></B></div> <div> <B>Margot Hodson at the joint Sage/A Rocha stand at the Global Climate Forum</B></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=370 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>Sage Words October 2002 </B></div> <div> <B>Earth Summit disappoints - in Oxford and Johannesburg</B></div> <bR> <div> <I><B>Oxford</B></I></div> <div> The last day in August saw Sage in attendance at the Earth Summit Workshop at Oxford Town Hall.  All the usual suspects were there as well as the less familiar such as Transport Home School, Junk Mail and TV Energy.  A disappointment was that few visitors came in to read the information - it could have been limited publicity for the workshop, end of the holiday season or the fact that the Summit has been overshadowed by the talk of war in Iraq.  Nevertheless it was good to have a chance to discuss environmental issues with the other stallholders and some useful contacts were made.</div> <div> Perhaps the Church should see the slipping of climate change and other environmental matters down the political agenda as an opportunity   Now there can be no question of jumping on the bandwagon as happened in the 1980s.  The Church can take its rightful role as leader in matters relating to creation care.  Are you ready for the challenge ?</div> <div> <I>Dave and Caroline Steel</I></div> <bR> <div> <I><B>Johannesburg</B></I></div> <div> Corporations such as Exxon Mobil were successful in persuading President Bush not to attend the summit and US negotiators to systematically undermine attempts to set targets and timetables on many issues, especially energy. Many existing targets were watered down or scrapped.</div> <div> On the plus side, Governments recognised the need for international agreements for multinationals and protection of people's rights, and Russia and Canada agreed to take steps to ratify the Kyoto Protocol on climate change. </div> <div> <I>Karl Wallendszus</I></div> <bR> <div> <B>Sage members contribute to Global Climate Forum</B></div> <div> In July the <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="http://www.jri.org.uk" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.jri.org.uk"><U>The John Ray Initiative</U></A></FONT> (UK) and the <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="http://cesc.montreat.edu/ceo/ASI/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://cesc.montreat.edu/ceo/ASI/"><U>Au Sable Institute</U></A></FONT> (USA) co-sponsored a conference in Oxford for climate scientists, policy-makers and Christian leaders to assess the present situation with respect to global climate change. Three Sage members were involved in this important meeting. Mike Morecroft who is on The John Ray Initiative board, organized the excursions, and led a field trip to Wytham Wood. Martin and Margot Hodson were invited to represent A Rocha.</div> <div> The Forum began with an overview of the scientific basis for concern. During the 20th century there has been a 1<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >o</FONT>C rise in global mean temperature, with the warmest years all in the 1990s. The predictions are that by 2100 there will be a further rise of between two and six degrees (the last Ice Age was a drop of 5<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >o</FONT>C in temperature compared with today).  The main causes are human-induced increases in atmospheric concentrations of gases such as carbon dioxide and methane. We then went on to consider the impacts of climate change - sea level rise, increases in extreme weather events, increases in diseases, and changes in ecological and agricultural systems were all cited. It became very evident that the worst polluters, the developed Western countries, would be the least affected, and that it would be the developing nations that bore the brunt of the effects.</div> <div> The theological and ethical basis of environmental care was the next topic. Several speakers used Hebraic sources to present a holistic understanding of our relationship to the Earth and our responsibility for it. The final sections of the conference all tackled what could be done about the problem. We looked at technical options for reducing emissions, and heard from the policy makers and industrialists. Finally, leaders of some of the religious groups involved in this area spoke about their experiences in the UK and USA.</div> <div> There now seems little doubt that urgent action is needed on a global scale to prevent very serious damage to the biosphere. The Forum web site, including the Forum's agreed declaration, is at <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="http://www.climateforum2002.org" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.climateforum2002.org"><U><B>www.climateforum2002.org</B></U></A></FONT>. Please read this information carefully, and decide how you are going to act on it.</div> <div> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="http://www.hodsons.org/MartinHodson/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.hodsons.org/MartinHodson/"><U><I>Martin Hodson</I></U></A></FONT><I> </I><I>and </I><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="http://www.parishes.oxford.anglican.org/grove/profilemargot.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.parishes.oxford.anglican.org/"><U><I>Margot Hodson</I></U></A></FONT></div> <bR> <div> <B> <A NAME="barking_up_the_wrong_tree_"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B>Barking up the wrong tree?</B></div> <div> Political scientist Bjørn Lomborg created a storm of controversy last year when his book <I>The Skeptical Environmentalist: Measuring the Real State of the World</I> was published by Cambridge University Press (ISBN 0 521 01068 3). In it, he argues that most environmental problems, such as climate change, species loss and pollution have been hugely exaggerated, and that scientific evidence shows that things are improving in almost every respect.</div> <div> Not surprisingly, this has provoked a fierce reaction. A series of articles by leading environmental scientists in the January 2002 issue of <I>Scientific American</I> claimed  that Lomborg seriously misrepresented their fields. When I recently asked Tony Juniper, the director designate of Friends of the Earth who has debated with Lomborg on television, what he thought of the book, his reaction was unprintable in <I>Sage Words</I>!</div> <div> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >In Sage we are planning to explore this debate in a Bring & Share evening on 22nd November 2002, to which everyone is welcome. It would be helpful if you could try and read at least some of Lomborg's book (the first chapter can be found at </FONT><A HREF="http://www.lomborg.org" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.lomborg.org"><U><B>www.lomborg.org</B></U></A><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >) and the reaction to it beforehand. A briefing is now at </FONT><A HREF="skeptenv.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Skeptical Environmentalist"><U>Skeptical Environmentalist</U></A></div> <div> <I>Karl Wallendszus</I></div> <bR> <div> <B>Prayer breakfasts discontinued</B></div> <div> We have decided to stop the monthly Saturday prayer breakfast due to loss of some of the key participants.  A sheet of prayer points has been prepared, which can be viewed on the Sage web site or requested by e-mail from <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="mailto:davesteel@ntlworld.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:davesteel@ntlworld.com"><U>Caroline</U></A></FONT>.  If you would like a paper copy of the prayer points or if you would like to join one of our <I>ad hoc</I> prayer meetings do contact <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="mailto:davesteel@ntlworld.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:davesteel@ntlworld.com"><U>Caroline</U></A></FONT>.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Web site update</B></div> <div> It is now over 20 months since our web site, <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="http://www.sageoxford.org.uk" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.sageoxford.org.uk"><U><B>www.sageoxford.org.uk</B></U></A></FONT>, went live, and we have recently had our 1000th visitor to the homepage. We are getting visitors and enquiries from all over the world. The site is continuing to grow, and now has six main sections: We Believe; Contact Us; Resources; News; Calendar; and Related Links. You can find the Sage Bible studies under Resources, and the online versions of <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="sagewords.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Sage Words"><U><I>Sage Words</I></U></A></FONT>. The site is frequently updated, and I would recommend looking at it a couple of times between editions of <I>Sage Words</I>, particularly to check the News and Calendar sections for changes and additions. Suggestions are always welcome - please send them to <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="mailto:info@sageoxford.org.uk" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:info@sageoxford.org.uk"><U>info@sageoxford.org.uk</U></A></FONT>.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="0f92ce10.jpg" border=0 width="300" height="225" ALT="Felicity and Karl" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="5"></div> <bR> <div> <B>Felicitations!</B></div> <div> Congratulations to Felicity Stevens and Karl Wallendszus who were married at St Peter's College in Oxford on Saturday 27 July.  Three Sage members took part in the service: Margot Hodson gave the address; and David and Caroline Steel led the prayers. We all wish Karl and Felicity every happiness in their future together. More <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="http://www.hodsons.org/M&M/k_f.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.hodsons.org/M&M/k_f.htm"><U>Photos</U></A></FONT></div> </td> </tr></table></body>