Level Seven - Challenging Christian Thinking

THE MOUNTAIN WITHIN
Date: 12/11/2008

FAITH AND BUSINESS
Do They Mix?
Date: 30/6/2008

FAITH AND HEALTH
Is There a Link?
Date: 8/4/2008

Is Religion Good For Women?
Date: 31/1/2008

Is God “Green”?
Date: 27/11/2007

Nobody Knows
Date: 5, 6 & 7 Oct 2007

"Faith and Politics"
Do They Mix?
Date: 5/7/2007

“LET MY PEOPLE GO”
Date: 3/4/2007

How to avoid another Enron
Date: 30/1/2007

DISCRIMINATION
How Do We Fight It? Is Litigation the Answer?
Date: 17/10/2006

The Terminally Ill Life
What Value?
Date: 27/9/2006

Da Vinci Decoded
Date: 28/6/2006

Is God “Green”?

On the 27th of November Level Seven invited members and friends to a debate on the subject of God and Climate Change. Held at the Royal Society in Carlton House Terrace, London, it was an opportunity to look at the issues of the environment from a spiritual perspective.

The Royal Society was formed in 1660 as a unique institution dedicated to scientific research. It brought together a fellowship from amongst the wealthy and cultured gentlemen of means, aristocrats, courtiers, scholars, physicians and merchants. Keith Moore, Head of the Library and Information Services, started the formal part of the evening with a brief history and an introduction to what is arguably one of the most important history of science collections in the World. For the audience, it underpinned the feeling that it was a magnificent and totally suitable setting for a debate into one of the most challenging scientific questions of our times.

Introduced by Herta von Stiegel, co-founder and Chair of Level Seven, the first speaker was Sir John Houghton, co-chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and also chair of the John Ray Initiative, an organisation connecting Environment, Science and Christianity. Sir John is an acknowledged expert on all aspects of climate change and a deep believer in our responsibility as stewards of the Earth.

Sir John acknowledged that climate change has always been with us, but that we are now seeing the fastest rate of change for 10,000 years. The main impact is in rising sea levels. More water in a globally warmed world means more evaporation, leading to more rainfall and more water vapour, thus causing both droughts and floods. Floods and droughts are the most damaging disasters, and most of this damage falls in developing countries. Rich countries should reduce emissions as fast as possible to assist developing countries.

However, after painting a negative and frightening picture of what might happen if scientists, policymakers and Christians don’t’ step up to the challenge, he said that he had three main reasons for optimism. The first was the commitment of the international scientific community to find solutions. The second was that we already have the necessary technology available to make changes. And finally that we can see from the scriptures that God is committed to his creation. In this unparralled crisis we have a commitment to stewardship in partnership with God.

The second speaker was David Potter, currently chairman of Camco International Ltd., the world’s leading climate change business. He posed the question of whether it is morally defensible to make money from the crisis which is climate change. He said that history doesn’t really suggest any other way of development except by entrepreneurs. He is a believer in market driven solutions and the ability of entrepreneurs to see opportunities which will change society, but that they do it best with a moral, social and religious mission statement.

The Question and Answer session was, as always, very lively, with questions ranging from how we could find guidelines for good offsetting to the use of nuclear energy as a stop-gap. Probably the most pertinent question for all of the audience was asked last of all – when faced with such big challenges and issues, what can we do as individuals to engage in a meaningful way? To which the answer was switch off lights, lag the house, recycle , buy energy efficiently, make a 10% difference in how you live and lobby local and national government for action.

The formal meeting closed, but the discussion and debate continued.

But Is God Green? A final comment from Sir John Houghton from his paper, which was circulated at the meeting, on Global Warming, Climate Change and Sustainability …

“An unmistakeable challenge is presented to the world-wide Christian church to take on the God-given responsibility for caring for creation. It provides an unprecedented mission opportunity for Christians to take a lead and demonstrate love for God the world’s creator and redeemer and love for our neighbours wherever they may be – remember the words of Jesus ‘From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded’ (Luke 12 48).”