date: Thu, 20 Nov 1997 15:01:55 from: Bob Carling subject: CEC Resolution on Climate Change to: m.hulme@uea.ac.uk As promised. Bob Carling >X-Sender: cbdewitt@facstaff.wisc.edu >X-Mailer: Windows Eudora Pro Version 2.1.2 >Approved-By: "Calvin B. DeWitt" >Date: Mon, 20 Oct 1997 05:43:45 -0500 >Reply-To: "Discussion list for evangelicals and the environment." > >Sender: "Discussion list for evangelicals and the environment." > >From: "Calvin B. DeWitt" >Subject: CEC Resolution on Climate Change >To: EEN-L@PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM > >Hello Dan, > >It was nice to see you at Canby. Here is a note for the EENet on the >resolution as Stan LeQuire cabled it through Western Union to President >Clinton and Vice President Gore. > >Dear EENet Participants, > >The Christian Environmental Council adopted unanimously a resolution >on Climate Change at its meeting on Saturday, October 18, 1997 after >careful deliberation. It comes at a time when the President may well >act to provide strong leadership at the upcoming Summit on Climate >Change in Kyoto, Japan. Support from evangelicals on this may be >particularly significant, and thus also this resolution. > >Please distribute this resolution as you believe to be appropriate. > >For a start on the abundant literature on this topic I recommend that you >consult the internet at the following addresses: > > http://www.usgcrp.gov/ipcc/ for information on the Intergovernmental > Panel on Climate Change > > http://www.dieoff.org/page128.htm for the World Scientists' Call for > Action at the Kyoto Climate Summit > > http://www.dieoff.org/page105.htm for the Economists' Statement on > Climate Change of Feb. 13, 1997 > > >Sincerely, > >Calvin B. DeWitt > >### >___________________________________ > > > CHRISTIAN ENVIRONMENTAL COUNCIL RESOLUTION ON THE POSITION OF THE > UNITED STATES AT THE CLIMATE CHANGE SUMMIT IN KYOTO > > Whereas Scripture persistently affirms that Christians are to seek > justice for the less powerful of the Earth and to care for the rest of > Creation, and > > Whereas the potential consequences arising from Global Warming > seriously threaten both, and > > Whereas the upcoming third meeting of the Conference of the Parties > (COP-III) to the Framework Convention on Climate Change (FCCC), to be > held in Kyoto, Japan, December 1-12, 1997, promises to be the most > important meeting to date of the Nations of God's Earth who are > concerned about Global Warming, and > > Whereas decisions made at this meeting could determine for years to > come the human response to the threat of climate change, and > > Whereas reports indicate that the policy options being considered by > the Administration on the position of the United States at Kyoto are > substantially less than what is required to seek justice for the less > powerful and care for the rest of Creation, > > Be it therefore resolved, that we, the Christian Environmental > Council, assembled in Portland, Oregon, October 18, 1997, call upon > you, President Clinton and Vice-President Gore, to exercise strong, > just, and decisive leadership in addressing the challenge of Global > Warming. Specifically, we urge that the Clinton administration > advocate a legally-binding reduction of at least ten percent in > emission of greenhouse gases for all of the industrialized countries > of God's earth by 2010. > > Signed: Calvin B. DeWitt > President > October 18, 1997 > > >_______________________________________________________ > >### > >Contacts: > > Dr. Calvin DeWitt - via Dr. Peter Bakken, 608-255-0950 > Dr. Richard Wright 978-927-2300 ext. 4382 > Rev. Stan LeQuire 610-649-8090 > > >_______________________________________________________ > >Here is an corresponding news release prepared by: > Michael Nyenhuis > Moderator > Strategies Committee > Christian Environmental Council > > > News Release from the: > CHRISTIAN ENVIRONMENTAL COUNCIL > > FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- Oct. 20, 1997 > > Contacts: > Dr. Calvin DeWitt - via Dr. Peter Bakken, 608-255-0950 > Dr. Richard Wright 978-927-2300 ext. 4382 > Stan LeQuire 610-649-8090 > > CHRISTIANS URGE CLINTON TO TAKE LEAD AT CLIMATE CHANGE CONFERENCE > > October 20, 1997 - The Christian Environmental Council today urged > President Clinton to take a strong leadership role at the upcoming > international conference on climate change, to be held in Kyoto, > Japan, December 1-12. > > A resolution sent to the White House expressed the Council's desire > that the "Clinton administration advocate a legally-binding reduction > of at least 10 percent in the emission of greenhouse gases for all of > the industrialized countries of God's earth by 2010." > > "The climate of earth is God's gift to life -- it's not ours to defile > or destroy," said Dr. Calvin DeWitt, president of Christian > Environmental Council. "Do we have the courage to tell this to the > world? Do we have the courage to lead?" > > The resolution resulted from the Council's annual meeting this weekend > in Portland, Oregon. Attending were representatives of 41 Christian > groups, including The Christian Society of the Green Cross, Christian > Environmental Association, and the Evangelical Environmental Network. > > The Christian Environmental Council is a gathering of evangelical > leaders concerned with creation care. The Council was instrumental in > the successful defense of the Endangered Species Act in 1996. > > The Council's deliberations on global climate change were guided by six > environmental scientists from a wide array of colleges and > universities. Dr. Richard Wright, author of the textbook Environmental > Science: The Way the World Works, and professor of biology at Gordon > College in Massachusetts expressed the Council's concerns: "Twelve of > the last 17 years are the hottest on record for global temperature. Sea > level is rising at a rate of 3 millimeters a year. Violent storms and > climatic fluctuations like the El Nino have been increasing in recent > years. It seems obvious that the burning of fossil fuels increases the > atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide resulting in major changes > in the climate." > > Concern for the "the less powerful of the Earth" and "the rest of > creation" motivated the resolution. "These changes in the climate will > have their greatest impact on people in the developing world where > environmental degradation is already seriously impacting their way of > life," said Wright. > > The Council emphasized that all of the global climate change scenarios > predict major shifts in rainfall and temperature over mere decades. > "These shifts will impact ecosystems in serious and unpredictable > ways. In a world struggling to feed an expanding population, global > climate change represents the greatest threat to our agricultural > capacity," said Wright. > ### > > The mission of the Christian Environmental Council is to serve the > church and society in all matters concerning the care of creation. The > council provides a forum for discussion of mutual concerns, a > structure to facilitate joint action, and a platform for expression of > common views. > > The Names and Affiliations of CEC's consulting scientists: > Dr. Jeff Greenberg, Wheaton College, Wheaton, IL > Dr. Jeff Schloss, Westmont College, Santa Barbara, CA > Dr. John Wood, Kings University College, Edmunton, Alberta > Dr. Calvin DeWitt, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI > Dr. Ken Peterson, Dort College, Sioux Center, IA > Dr. Richard Wright, Gordon College, Wenham, MA > > ### > > ============================================================ Dr R.C.J. Carling, Home address Senior Editor, Life Sciences 90 Charlton Road Chapman & Hall Shirley 2-6 Boundary Row Southampton, SO15 5EW, UK London SE1 8HN, UK Tel: +44(0)1703-778830 Tel: +44(0)171-865-0066 Fax: +44(0)1703-342838 (but Fax: +44(0)171-410-6907 please call first) www.chapmanhall.com www.tcp.co.uk/~carling bob.carling@chall.co.uk (work) carling@tcp.co.uk (home) ============================================================