December 2007


The Forum on Religion and Ecology Newsletter
1.4 (December 2007)

 

Contents

1. Editorial, Mary Evelyn Tucker and John Grim

2. News From Bali

3. From the Field, “Water as Sacred Connection” by Casandra Carmichael, EJ.

4. Focus on the Web-site: Events

5. A Brief note on Eco-Pedagogies

6. News, Announcements, and Upcoming Events




1. Editorial

Dear Colleagues,

Welcome to the fourth Forum on Religion and Ecology Newsletter. I hope you will enjoy the contents. The following editorials are brief reports on two conferences on climate change that preceded the recent Bali Conference. One was led by the leader of the Greek Orthodox Church and the other was convened by the Vatican. They both illustrate the increasing role that religions are playing regarding the moral issues surrounding climate change. It is also worth noting that when Al Gore addressed the delegates in Bali he drew on appeals from the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, regarding the moral problems that global warming is creating. Following these editorials are a few news articles related to the Bali conference, a “From the Field” piece by Cassandra Carmichael related to Water and Faith, a focus on the “Events” section of the Forum website, some news about eco-pedagogies, and finally, others news and announcements.

The news from Bali is certainly better than we might have expected as the US was finally forced into some agreements, although not yet on setting targets for limits of carbon emissions. Still, even small progress is noteworthy and we send you this good news for the holiday season where hope returns with the solstice light.

Warmest wishes,
John Grim & Mary Evelyn Tucker
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CLIMATE CHANGE: News from Greenland and the Vatican

GREENLAND: Symposium on Religion, Science, and the Environment

The head of the Greek Orthodox Church who is based in Istanbul, Bartholomew, has provided significant leadership on environmental concerns for over a dozen years. Known as the “Green Patriarch”, he has been speaking and organizing symposia on water issues, primarily in Europe. This September John and Mary Evelyn joined him in a symposium in Greenland focusing on climate change as evident in the melting of the Arctic icecap.

On the first day the participants gathered onboard the symposium vessel anchored near one of the largest glaciers in the world which is designated as a World Heritage site. There, in the turquoise glow of the mountainous ice, the Patriarch led a ritual of silent prayer with other religious leaders. After the silent prayer he turned slowly to face the glacier, bringing attention to the grandeur of nature. As he did so a smaller boat approached filled with an Inuit choir singing hymns in their language. The overall effect was memerizing as distant kayakers from the shore drew near in celebration of the event.

The symposium brought together climate change scientists, environmentalists, academics, and journalists along with political and religious leaders. The native Inuit participants reflected a range of views - concern for a way of life that is rapidly disappearing in the face of the melting ice, as well as the opportunities that are opening up for new vegetable crops, extractive mining, and expanded ecotourism. The ironies abound although the sense of loss is profound.

Several leading scientists outlined the rapidly changing conditions in the Artic. Robert Correll, a long time Artic specialist, described the build up of water under the Greenland ice sheet. He highlighted the morains down which the water is flowing into areas some of which are over 200 feet deep under the ice sheet. He and others observed that the seasonal melting in the Arctic icecap was such that in the summer there would be a new world ocean. It was at times overwhelming to hear and to see the immense effects we are having on this part of the world.

A highlight of the presentions was a panel that focused on the viability of using nuclear power in relation to concerns about global warming due to coal and oil. Hans Blix, the former director of the International Atomic Energy Association (IAEA), spoke strongly in favor of nuclear energy while Mary Evelyn Tucker argued against its use due to safety issues, the problem of waste disposal, and the huge cost of constructing and protecting such plants. These issues will continue to be debated as people like James Lovelock and Stuart Brand are favoring nuclear energy now.

The conference got considerable media coverage, especially in the European press and in the Economist.
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VATICAN - First conference on climate change

In March Mary Evelyn traveled to Rome for the first Vatican conference on climate change. Although some climate skeptics attended, the long term outcome has proved to be very promising. The Pope has made a major statement that climage change is indeed a moral issue, especially because of its negative impact on the poor. He will elaborate on this further in an encyclical which is a Papal letter addressed to all Catholics (now around 1 billion people). This could have a significant impact on moving people to take action to mitiagate the effects of global warming. To emphasize this further the Pope will address the United Nations on climate change and environmental degradation in April.

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2. BALI UN Conference on Climate Change - GOOD NEWS emerges

A) UN Breakthrough on climate change reached in Bali

Author: United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
Published on Dec 15, 2007, 07:43

187 countries meeting in Bali on Saturday agreed to launch negotiations towards a crucial and strengthened international climate change deal.

The decision includes a clear agenda for the key issues to be negotiated up to 2009. These are: action for adapting to the negative consequences of climate change, such as droughts and floods; ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions; ways to widely deploy climate-friendly technologies and financing both adaptation and mitigation measures.

Concluding negotiations in 2009 will ensure that the new deal can enter into force by 2013, following the expiry of the first phase of the Kyoto Protocol.

Indonesian Environment Minister and President of the conference, Rachmat Witoelar said: “We now have a Bali roadmap, we have an agenda and we have a deadline.” “But we also have a huge task ahead of us and time to reach agreement is extremely short, so we need to move quickly,” he added.

Earlier this year, the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) issued a finding that if left unchecked, the world’s average temperature could rise by as much as 6 degrees centigrade by the end of the century, causing serious harm to economies, societies and ecosystems worldwide.

“This is a real breakthrough, a real opportunity for the international community to successfully fight climate change,” said Yvo de Boer, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). “Parties have recognised the urgency of action on climate change and have now provided the political response to what scientists have been telling us is needed,” he added.

While a new global deal is envisioned for 2013, countries also agreed on a number of steps that need to be taken immediately to further implement the existing commitments of Parties to the UNFCCC. These issues are particularly important for developing countries (see fact sheet).

The conference was attended by around eleven thousand participants, among them the Secretary-General of the United Nations and six heads of state.

Four major UNFCCC meetings to implement the Bali roadmap are foreseen for next year, the first to be held in March or April.

Fact sheet: Individual decisions taken at Bali to further implement the existing commitments of Parties to the UNFCCC

Adaptation

Governments decided that funding for adaptation projects in developing countries, financed by the Kyoto Protocol’s clean development mechanism (CDM), would begin under the management of the Global Environment Facility (GEF). This ensures that the Adaptation Fund will become operational in an early stage of the first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol (2008-2012). The fund is filled by means of a 2% levy on CDM projects. Currently the fund is worth about 37 million euros. Considering the amount of CDM projects in the pipeline, this figure will rapidly increase to an estimated 80- 300 million USD in the period 2008-2012. The governments could not agree on additional practical adaptation measures, such as how to integrate adaptation into national policies. This issue will be on the agenda of the next meeting of the so called Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technical Advice in Bonn in June of 2008.

Technology

The Bali Conference also made important progress on the issue of technology, one of the key concerns of developing countries. Governments agreed to kick start strategic programme to scale up the level of investment for the transfer of both the mitigation and adaptation technologies that developing countries need. The aim of that programme is to give an extra push to concrete demonstration projects, to create more attractive environments for investment, as well as to provide incentives to the private sector for technology transfer. The GEF will start setting up this programme together with international financial institutions and representatives of the private financial sector.

Parties also agreed to extend the mandate of the Expert Group on Technology Transfer for a further five years. The Expert Group has been asked to pay particular attention to the assessment of gaps and barriers to the use of, and the access to, financing resources. Furthermore, the Expert Group will start working on performance indicators that can be used to regularly monitor and evaluate progress on the development, deployment and transfer of environmentally sound technologies. The work of the Expert Group provides important input into the discussions on technology transfer for the new post-2012 climate change deal.

REDD

“Reducing emissions from deforestation in developing countries” (REDD) was a key issue at Bali. Parties affirmed the urgent need to take further meaningful action to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation and adopted a work programme for further methodological work. That programme will focus, for example, on assessments of changes in forest cover and associated green house gas emissions, methods to demonstrate reductions of emissions from deforestation and the estimation of the amount of emission reductions from deforestation. The decision furthermore encourages Parties to support capacity building and to undertake efforts, including demonstration activities, to address the drivers of deforestation. This is important to address the needs of local and indigenous communities who depend on forests for their livelihoods. Deforestation is regarded to be an important component of a future climate change regime beyond 2012 - in both mitigation and adaptation strategies.

IPCC

Parties agreed to recognize that the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is the most comprehensive and authoritative assessment of climate change to date. The scientific findings will continue to inform the international climate change process.

CDM

Small-scale afforestation and reforestation: Parties agreed to double the limit in size of small-scale afforestation/reforestation project activities to 16 kilotonnes of CO2 per year. This move will expand the number and geographical reach of the CDM to countries that have thus far been unable to take part in the mechanism for this category of project activities.

Carbon capture and storage

Parties for the first time considered the possible inclusion of carbon capture and storage (CCS) in geological formations as CDM project activities. They agreed to do further work on this and established a workplan for 2008. The plan will include receiving and considering input on technical, legal, policy and financial topics associated with CCS.

This input will be considered at the next Climate Change Conference in Poznan next year. CCS is widely regarded as an important technology to enable the continued use of fossil fuels in a clean way.

Least developed countries

Parties agreed to extend the mandate of the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) Expert Group. This group provides critical advice to LDCs in assessments of adaptation needs. It is universally accepted that it is critical that LDCs are supported in assessing their adaptation needs because of their low adaptive capacity.

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B) Stop “Insatiable Consumption” Of The Few And Focus On The Problems Of The Many Say Ecumenical Climate Advocates

World Council of Churches
December 14, 2007

Societies must move away from “promoting endless growth and production of goods” as well as a “seemingly insatiable” consumption, says a statement presented today by the World Council of Churches to the plenary of high-level government representatives at the UN climate summit in Bali, Indonesia. While “the poorer carry the burden of the irresponsible waste of resources, energy and extreme consumerism of the richer,” the statement affirms, actions should be focused on resolving “the problems of the great majority of today’s world population.”

Full text of the statement “This far and no further: Act fast and act now!”:

http://www.oikoumene.org/?id=5323

More information on the ecumenical delegation in Bali:

http://www.oikoumene.org/en/news/news-management/eng/a/article/1722/churches-want-to-see-a-ne.html

WCC campaign on climate change:

http://www.oikoumene.org/?id=3416

Website of the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Bali:

http://unfccc.int/meetings/cop_13/items/4049.php

Additional information: Juan Michel,+41 22 791 6153 +41 79 507 6363
media@wcc-coe.org

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C) INDONESIA: Al Gore backs Archbishop of Canterbury’s ‘moral’ stand on climate

By Vanya Walker-Leigh December 13, 2007
[Ecumenical News International]

Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Al Gore, in a speech to U.N. climate change talks in Bali that received strong applause from delegates, has echoed a call by the Archbishop of Canterbury to confront the issue as a moral one.

“It is a moral imperative, you have the capacity to act,” Gore told the U.N. conference on December 13 during a speech in which he said the United States was the principal barrier to reaching agreement on a new international pact to deal with climate change.
“We have everything we need, except political will,” said Gore in his speech. “But that is a renewable resource,” he said, regarding the will to act.

Gore’s speech coincided with reports that attaining a mandate to steer negotiations for the next two years on a post-2012 climate change deal could be blocked by the U.S. administration’s objection to a firm commitment on cutting emissions of climate-change inducing gases.

In a speech on December 11 relayed by video at a church-related meeting during the December 3-14 Bali talks, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams, had urged faith communities to hold up a “clear moral vision” to governments and societies.

Senior international officials at the talks interviewed by Ecumenical News International said they would welcome a more proactive stance by faith-based organizations on climate change.

“In my view there are three ways to reach people: through their wallets, their health and their soul,” said Ahmed Djoghlaf, of Algeria, the executive secretary of the U.N. Convention on Biological Diversity. “The first two are certainly current, the third has yet to be achieved. I would warmly welcome a far higher level of engagement by faith groups in biodiversity issues.”

The head of the British delegation to the Bali talks, Chris Dodswell, said his government continued to support the formation of a global coalition of faith communities to campaign on climate change.

In April, the then British environment minister, David Miliband, who shortly afterwards became the foreign minister, issued a call for a faiths’ climate change coalition when he addressed a Vatican seminar on climate change and development. Miliband had said in his Vatican speech that an “ecological conversion” was needed to mobilize governments, businesses and citizens across the world to act.

“Climate change is not just an environmental or economic issue, it is a moral and ethical one,” Miliband said. “It is not just an issue for politicians or businesses, it is an issue for the world’s faith communities.”

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3. From the Field, “Water as Sacred Connection”

 

I dug through my photo albums recently and found it plastered on most every page. A blurry picture of me, age 3, playing in Otter Creek in Piedmont, Virginia. My dad with his winter cap pulled down tight and the sunset at his back during a sail on North Carolina’s Neuse River. An underwater shot of myself and a cacophony of fellow swim-team members at an end-of-summer practice. My kayak amid a colorful collection of other kayaks beached ashore on an isolated island in the middle of the Chesapeake during a weekend paddle on the Bay. And, a picture of me pulling up crab traps during a summer spent crabbing on the Wye River.

After thumbing through the pictures that span the decades of my life, it became clear that water dominates the images. I can’t recall I time when I didn’t sail, paddle, swim, or judge the worth of a living location by its proximity to the water. When I’m tired I sink into warm waters. When I’m stressed I work it off in the pool. And when I have spiritual blocks, I find sacred centering along the banks of a local stream.

The sacred connection to water is not unique to myself. Throughout the Bible, water plays a significant role in helping to understand the nature of God and our relationship with God. The Bible includes more than 500 references to the word “water” and countless more references to words like river, rain, seas, floods, and storms.

For Christian religious communities, water not only helps basic life functions, but holds deep theological symbols of preservation, power, cleansing, and Christ. Water is first and foremost a gift from God for all people. Water is something that we rely on for survival. To demonstrate this, in Genesis wells were built near altars to remind those that passed by of God’s provision.

For Christians, water also represents spiritual transformation and divine connection. In John chapter four, Jesus speaks with a Samaritan women as she draws water from a well. He explains to her about “living water,” which if she drinks, will enable her to “never thirst again.” Water, then, becomes the symbol of a transformed life.

Baptism is perhaps the pinnacle example of transformation in Christianity. It is a transformation that leads to an increased connection to God. For Christians, the sacrament of baptism not only “washes away” sins and provides an avenue for grace, but baptism also frees us to be more fully in relationship with God.
It is clear then, that the spiritual promise of water and the prominence of water throughout the scriptures, should make water, as an environmental issue, important to people of faith. And, thankfully no one has had to convince people of faith of this fact. To prove the point, during a survey given to religious environmental activists in 2003, water was overwhelmingly listed as a priority issue. Throughout the years, lay leaders and clergy across the country have insisted that water be on the faith community’s agenda—both locally and nationally.

In response, denominations and organizations like the National Council of Churches have created religious adult education curricula and water “toolkits” for people of faith who want to take action in their own congregations. The faith community has also developed other resources, such as videos and Earth Day Sunday worship resources. In addition, the National Council of Churches and other regional religious organizations have hosted local, regional, and national conferences and training events across the country. These events have helped local and regional religious leaders learn more about water issues in their area and enabled them to make the connection back to their faith.

In the Eco-Justice Program office of the National Council of Churches, we continue to get calls regarding the religious community’s views on water issues. And, our worship and education resources on water continue to be popular downloads. Although we work on a variety of issues, some that often get a higher degree of the “spotlight,” I am continually reminded of the importance of water—scripturally, sacramentally, and spiritually—to people of faith. I am also reminded that by having a personal connection to water, you more often than not find a deeper connection to God.

I recently took a post-holiday walk in the woods with my very large, white dog Jax. Because we had plans to go to a friend’s house later that day, I was careful to walk Jax on the trail well away from the creek so that he wouldn’t be tempted to get dirty. We wandered through the woods while I was lost in a conversation with God about work and life. Eventually I took a wrong turn and ended up at the headwaters of the creek. Jax, full of joy, immediately romped through the creek, splattering mud all over himself and me, and giving me what could only be interpreted as a dog smile. I only shook my head in dismay and laughed at his infectious play. Afterwards, as if God wanted to make the point more fully, we tromped up the hill, rounded a bend in the trail, and were greeted unexpectedly with a spectacular view of the sun setting over the water.

It was a reminder to me that when you want to walk with God, you will undoubtedly be led to the waters—of life, of rebirth, of transformation—that may leave you dirty and make you abandon your carefully laid plans. But, these waters of God will most assuredly bring grace, joy, and a renewed sense of abundance.

–Cassandra Carmichael
EJ Progradm Director, National Council of Churches
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About the author: Cassandra Carmichael is the eco-justice program director for the National Council of Churches where she helps serve the environmental ministries of NCC’s 35 member denominations, which represent 100,000 churches nationwide. Under her leadership, the Council’s environmental program has grown to include issues of climate, energy, green buildings, environmental health, wilderness and land protection, biodiversity, agriculture, sustainability, and water issues.

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4. Focus on the Web-Site, Events

Do you ever wonder what is going on in “religion and ecology”? Well, the Forum on Religion and Ecology maintains an events section of the web-site: http://fore.research.yale.edu/calendar/.

Although we can’t claim to be comprehensive, we do have quite a number of events listed for any given year. We also have an archive list of events in religion and ecology from 1999 to the present. Finally, you will find here links to other “religion and ecology” calendars: http://fore.research.yale.edu/calendar/.

If you have an event coming up and would like for us to include it on our web-site, please let me know. Likewise, if your organization or another organization that you know of hosts an “event calendar,” please let me know so that I can add it to our list.

–Whitney A. Bauman
whitneybauman@religionandecology.org

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5. A Brief note on Eco-Pedagogies and the Cultural Commons

As many of you know, the Forum on Religion and Ecology hosts a section on “Eco-Pedagogy” (http://fore.research.yale.edu/education/research/). This section was written by a leader in that field, Chet A. Bowers. Below is the link to an essay by professor Bowers on the “Cultural Commons,” which represents some of his latest thinking in this area. We are adding a link to his website (http://www.cabowers.net/) on the above listed web page so that you can stay up to date on the latest in eco-pedagogy.

Handbook for Faculty Workshops on How to Introduce Cultural Commons and Ecojustice Issues into Their Courses”

Author: C. A. Bowers Eugene, Or. 2007

Reasons for Grass-Roots Initiated Educational Reforms

There is now a consensus among the world’s scientists that global warming, changes in the chemistry of the world’s oceans threatening the bottom of the food chain, and the degraded state of other natural systems, are beginning to reduce the prospects of survival for hundreds of millions of people—and will cause major disruptions for the entire world population.
The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, the Stern Review published in Great Britain, as well as many other scientific groups, warn that the evidence of life-altering changes in the Earth’s ecosystems indicate that we have only a few generations, if that, to alter the cultural practices that are major contributors to the environmental crises. One of the chief culprits cited for contributing to global warming, as well as to the acidification of the world’s oceans, is the carbon dioxide emissions spewing from cars, industrial plants, and other human activities. While there is constant media coverage of global warming, less attention has been given to the fact that nearly half of the carbon dioxide emitted by industrial activity over the last two centuries is being absorbed by the oceans, and the resulting changes in the chemistry of the world’s oceans may have an even more devastating impact on the prospects of future generations.

For the full Essay, visit: https://scholarsbank.uoregon.edu/dspace/bitstream/1794/3941/1/Handbook-revised.pdf.

About the Author
C. A.Bowers has written 19 books on the cultural roots of the ecological crises, and has given special attention to how public schools and universities reinforce the patterns of thinking that underlie the industrial/consumer oriented culture that is exceeding ecological limits. His most recent books focus on the role of education in regenerating the local cultural commons as an alternative to the growing dependency upon consumerism. His books, including online books, can be found by going tohttp://cabowers.net/.

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6. Other News, Announcements, and Events

News

We thought you might find the following stories, especially interesting:

A) The Daily Mirror November 15, 2007
“Carbon: Fundamental truths from indigenous peoples”
The reticence of some governments to face up to their global obligations underscores the great danger of accepting the consumption on fossil fuels as a tool for ‘development’. Once a nation or economy has become ‘fossil addicted’, they are willing to sacrifice their own well being and the well being of others to feed their addiction.

B) Bishop of London’s Address on Queen’s Climate Change Bill; November 13, 2007
The Bishop of London
House of Lords 13-xi-2007 Queen’s Speech Debate. Climate Change Bill.
To read this statement, visit: http://www.theyworkforyou.com/lords/?gid=2007-11-13a.389.0.

C) For immediate release: 15 November 2007
“Greed, overproduction and over-consumption are sinful, say African Christians”

A severe reminder “of the wealth that was built and sustained on the continued extraction and plunder of Africa’s resources as well as on the exploitation of Africa’s people” was addressed to Christians in the global North by the participants in the African ecumenical consultation “Linking poverty, wealth and ecology” last week.
For Full story from the World Council of Churches, visit: http://www.eappi.org/.

Announcements

A) Worldviews: Global Religions, Culture, and Ecology

Worldviews has taken on a new subtitle, to reflect more clearly the journal’s mission to explore how the world’s religions are responding to the balance between human cultures and ecology. The new title, effective with Volume 12, is: Worldviews: Global Religions, Culture, and Ecology.

The journal, which has been in publication since 1996, is now edited by Christopher Key Chapple, Doshi Professor of Indic and Comparative Theology at Loyola Marymount University. Chris has published widely in the field of religion and ecology including co-editing the Hinduism and Ecology volume in the Harvard series and editing the Jainism and Ecology volume. He has also published translations of the Yoga Sutras and has helped to organize two highly successful conferences sponsored by Green Yoga which was founded by Laura Cornell. Whitney Bauman of Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley serves as Book Review Editor. Mary Evelyn Tucker and John Grim of Yale University and Heather Eaton of St. Paul’s Seminary in Ottawa serve as Associate Editors. The journal is published by Brill Academic Publishers in the Netherlands, and features an international approach to the interface between religion and ecology. Books for review may be sent to Whitney Bauman (whitneyabauman@mac.com) and paper submissions may be electronically dispatched to Chris Chapple (cchapple@lmu.edu).

If your institution does not currently subscribe, please send an order request to your library with the following link: (http://www.brill.nl/wo). You will also find the current table of contents and information on individual subscriptions through that link. We hope that you will take part in the life of this journal!

B) Announcing a new Creation Care Listserv

New Creation Care listserv

So many good things are happening on the topic of the greening of faith traditions that it’s hard to keep it all straight! So towards building community, for ease in sharing news & events, and for sharing ideas that will be of interest & benefit to the whole bunch of us, the Orion Grassroots Network has created a listserv for the purpose: just plug in your email address here and click on “subscribe”: http://lists.orionsociety.org/mailman/listinfo/faith.

C) Calls for Papers

American Academy of Religion’s Religion and Ecology Group
Chicago, IL
November 1-3, 2008
Submission Deadline: March 1, 2008
For More Information, visit: http://www.aarweb.org/Meetings/Annual_Meeting/Current_Meeting/Call_for_Papers/list-call.asp?PUNum=AARPU051
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“Ecological Theology and Environmental Ethics”
Orthodox Academy of Crete
Chania, Greece
June 2-6, 2008
Submission Deadline: December 30, 2007
For More Information, visit: http://www.oac.edu.gr/
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2008 Conference on the Bible and Justice
University of Sheffield
Sheffield, UK
May 29-June 1, 2008
Submission Deadline: January, 24 2008
For more information, visit: http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/bibs/bibleandjustice/abstracts.html
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International Symposium on Environment and Religion
Istanbul University
Istanbul, Turkey
May 15-16, 2008
Submission Deadline: January 31, 2008
For More Information, visit: http://www.istanbul.edu.tr/
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ReVision: A Journal of Consciousness and Transformation
Peer-Reviewed Journal
Heldref Publications
Washington, DC
Submission Deadline: Ongoing
For more information, visit: http://www.heldref.org/
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Worldviews: Global Religions, Culture, and Ecology
Peer-Reviewed Journal
Brill Academic Press
Submission Deadline: Ongoing
For more information, visit: http://www.brill.nl/wo
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Journal for the Study of Religion, Nature, and Culture
Peer-Reviewed Journal
Equinox Press
Submission Deadline: Ongoing
For more information, visit: http://www.religionandnature.com/journal/
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Environmental Ethics
Peer-Reviewed Journal
Center for Environmental Philosophy
University of North Texas
Submission Deadline: Ongoing
For more information, visit: http://www.cep.unt.edu/enethics.html
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Environmental Philosophy
Peer-Reviewed Journal
Journal of the International Association for Environmental Philosophy
University of Oregon
Submission Deadline: Ongoing
For more information, visit: http://ephilosophy.uoregon.edu/index.html

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Upcoming Events

“The Re-Enchantment of Nature across Disciplines: Critical Intersections of Science, Ethics, and Metaphysics”
Second Conference of the International Society for the Study of Religion, Nature, and Culture
National Autonomous University of Mexico
Morelia, Mexico
January 17-20, 2008
For more information, visit:
http://www.religionandnature.com/society/upcoming.htm
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“O For a World: Faith, Community, and Sustainability”
Pacific School of Religion, 2008 Earl Lectures
Berkeley, CA
January 22-24, 2008
For more information, visit: http://www.psr.edu/
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“Green Environment 2008”
Kerala, India
Februaury 3-9, 2008
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“Health, Environment and Well-Being: the role of the human sciences”
Durham University and the University of Ruhuna, Sri Lanka
Matara, Sri Lanka
February 22-25, 2008
For More Information, visit: http://www.dur.ac.uk/project.srilanka/ruhunaconference/
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“Framing an Earth Jurisprudence for a Planet in Peril”
Barry Law Review and the Center for Earth Jurisprudence
Orlando, FL
February 28-29, 2008
For more information, visit: http://www.earthjuris.org/

The Center for Earth Jurisprudence and Barry Law Review present “Framing an Earth Jurisprudence for a Planet in Peril” February 28-29, 2008 in Orlando. The conference weaves the best of law, indigenous wisdom, ethics, science, philosophy and Catholic social teaching with breakthrough insights from practicing attorneys. A fundamental shift in the philosophy law and governance is needed for the Great Work of our time, for as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reminds us, “What we do in the next two or three years will determine our future.” Participate in the shift by registering at http://www.earthjuris.org/
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“Renewal”
Sponsored by the Forum on Religion and Ecology
Yale Divinity School
New Haven, CT
February 29-March 2, 2008
For More Information, contact: tcmk@aya.yale.edu
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“Eco-City World Summit 2008”
San Francisco, CA
April 22-26, 2008
For More Information, visit: http://www.ecocityworldsummit.org/
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International Symposium on Environment and Religion
Istanbul University
Istanbul, Turkey
May 15-16, 2008
For more information, visit: http://www.istanbul.edu.tr/
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2008 Conference on the Bible and Justice
University of Sheffield
Sheffield, UK
May 29-June 1, 2008
For more information, visit: http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/bibs/bibleandjustice/
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“Ecological Theology and Environmental Ethics”
Orthodox Academy of Crete
Chania, Greece
June 2-6, 2008
For more Information, visit: http://www.oac.edu.gr/
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“Thinking Through Nature: Philosophy for an Endangered World”
University of Oregon
Eugene, Oregon
June 19-22, 2008
For more Information, visit: http://www.uoregon.edu/
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“Beyond Paley: Renewing the Vision for Natural Theology”
Museum of Natural History
Oxford University
June 23-25, 2005
For More Information, contact: Alister.McGrath@hmc.ox.ac.uk
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Sisters of Earth: Bi-Annual Conference, “Pax Gaia”
Presentation Center
Los Gatos, CA
July 10-13, 2008

The Sisters of Earth is an informal network of women who share a deep concern for the ecological and spiritual crises of our times and who wish to support one another in work toward healing the human spirit and restoring Earth?s life support systems. They are teachers, gardeners, artists, writers, administrators, workshop and retreat guides, mothers, contemplatives and activists… in the United States, Canada and beyond. This network of sharing and support is open to all women whose life and work identifies them as sisters of Earth. Since 1996 they have held a bi-annual conference, in a different part of the USA, to help local “chapters” and support systems to become established.

The 2008 Sisters of Earth Conference will provide ample opportunity to network and share stories, music, art forms, ritual and prayer, etc., all through the lens of the theme, “Pax Gaia.”

The venue: Presentation Retreat & Conference Center (a mission of the Presentation Sisters) is nested in California’s Santa Cruz Mountains on 67 acres. It is a LEED Gold Certified Center and a wonderful example of sustainable architecture at the leading edge of the green movement. It offers gracious hospitality, delicious cuisine, and ample space to gather.
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Religion and Ecology Events at the Annual Academy of Religion
Chicago, IL
November 1-3, 2008
List of Events will be posted in the summer of 2008
For More Information, visit: http://www.aarweb.org/Meetings/Annual_Meeting/Current_Meeting/Call_for_Papers/list-call.asp?PUNum=AARPU051

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