Cornwall Alliance
Encyclopedia
The Cornwall Alliance for the Stewardship of Creation is a conservative Christian
public policy group that promotes a free-market approach to care for the environment
that is critical of much of the current environmental movement
. In particular, the Cornwall Alliance rejects claims of man-made harmful climate change
.
, James Dobson
, Rabbi Jacob Neusner
, R. C. Sproul
, Richard John Neuhaus
, and D. James Kennedy.http://www.cornwallalliance.org/about/
The declaration states that human beings should be regarded as "producers and stewards" rather than "consumers and polluters". It states:
Prominent signatories include climate scientist Roy Spencer and economist Ross McKitrick
.
Along with the "Evangelical Declaration", Cornwall Alliance also issued a three chapter document, examining the theology, science, and economics of Anthropocentric Global Warming entitled "A Renewed Call to Truth, Prudence, and Protection of the Poor". The "Executive Summary" of their document stated,
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
public policy group that promotes a free-market approach to care for the environment
Free-market environmentalism
Free-market environmentalism is a position that argues that the free market, property rights, and tort law provide the best tools to preserve the health and sustainability of the environment...
that is critical of much of the current environmental movement
Environmental movement
The environmental movement, a term that includes the conservation and green politics, is a diverse scientific, social, and political movement for addressing environmental issues....
. In particular, the Cornwall Alliance rejects claims of man-made harmful climate change
Climate change
Climate change is a significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years. It may be a change in average weather conditions or the distribution of events around that average...
.
Cornwall Declaration
In 2000, a statement called the Cornwall Declaration on Environmental Stewardship was put forward and has been signed by over 1500 clergy, theologians and others. Signatories include prominent religious individuals from the Roman Catholic, Jewish and Evangelical worlds such as Charles ColsonCharles Colson
Charles Wendell "Chuck" Colson is a Christian leader, cultural commentator, and former Special Counsel for President Richard Nixon from 1969 to 1973....
, James Dobson
James Dobson
James Clayton "Jim" Dobson, Jr. is an American evangelical Christian author, psychologist, and founder in 1977 of Focus on the Family , which he led until 2003. In the 1980s he was ranked as one of the most influential spokesman for conservative social positions in American public life...
, Rabbi Jacob Neusner
Jacob Neusner
Jacob Neusner is an American academic scholar of Judaism who lives in Rhinebeck, New York.-Biography:Born in Hartford, Connecticut, Neusner was educated at Harvard University, the Jewish Theological Seminary of America , the University of Oxford, and Columbia University.Neusner is often celebrated...
, R. C. Sproul
R. C. Sproul
Robert Charles Sproul, is a prominent American Calvinist theologian, author, and pastor of the Reformed tradition...
, Richard John Neuhaus
Richard John Neuhaus
Richard John Neuhaus was a prominent Christian cleric and writer. Born in Canada, Neuhaus moved to the United States where he became a naturalized United States citizen...
, and D. James Kennedy.http://www.cornwallalliance.org/about/
The declaration states that human beings should be regarded as "producers and stewards" rather than "consumers and polluters". It states:
The Cornwall Declaration further sets forth an articulate and Biblically-grounded set of beliefs and aspirations in which God can be glorified through a world in which "human beings care wisely and humbly for all creatures" and "widespread economic freedom…makes sound ecological stewardship available to ever greater numbers."
An Evangelical Declaration on Global Warming
On December 2, 2009, the Cornwall Alliance's evangelical arm issued a statement called "An Evangelical Declaration on Global Warming". In the statement, they declare,
"Recent progress in climate research suggests that:
1. Observed warming and purported dangerous effects have been overstated.
2. Earth’s climate is less sensitive to the addition of CO2 than the alleged scientific consensus claims it to be, which means that climate model predictions of future warming are exaggerated.
3. Those climate changes that have occurred are consistent with natural cycles driven by internal changes in the climate system itself, external changes in solar activity, or both."
Prominent signatories include climate scientist Roy Spencer and economist Ross McKitrick
Ross McKitrick
Ross McKitrick is a Canadian economist specializing in environmental economics and policy analysis. He is professor of economics at the University of Guelph; a senior fellow of the Fraser Institute, a Canadian free-market public policy think tank; and a member of the academic advisory boards of the...
.
Along with the "Evangelical Declaration", Cornwall Alliance also issued a three chapter document, examining the theology, science, and economics of Anthropocentric Global Warming entitled "A Renewed Call to Truth, Prudence, and Protection of the Poor". The "Executive Summary" of their document stated,
The world is in the grip of an idea: that burning fossil fuels to provide affordable, abundant energy is causing global warming that will be so dangerous that we must stop it by reducing our use of fossil fuels, no matter the cost. Is that idea true? We believe not. We believe that idea – we'll call it "global warming alarmism" – fails the tests of theology, science, and economics.
See also
- Heritage FoundationHeritage FoundationThe Heritage Foundation is a conservative American think tank based in Washington, D.C. Heritage's stated mission is to "formulate and promote conservative public policies based on the principles of free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, traditional American values, and a strong...
- Christianity and environmentalism
- Evangelical environmentalismEvangelical environmentalismEvangelical environmentalism is an environmental movement in the United States in which some Evangelicals have emphasized biblical mandates concerning humanity's role as steward and subsequent responsibility for the caretaking of Creation...
- Climate change denialClimate change denialClimate change denial is a term used to describe organized attempts to downplay, deny or dismiss the scientific consensus on the extent of global warming, its significance, and its connection to human behavior, especially for commercial or ideological reasons...
- Global warmingGlobal warmingGlobal warming refers to the rising average temperature of Earth's atmosphere and oceans and its projected continuation. In the last 100 years, Earth's average surface temperature increased by about with about two thirds of the increase occurring over just the last three decades...
External links
- The Oily Operators Behind The Religious Climate Change Denial Front Group, Cornwall Alliance
- Journal editor resigns over 'problematic' climate paper by advisor to the Cornwall Alliance for the Stewardship of Creation
- Resignation of Wolfgang Wagner, editor of Remote Sensing journal
- Cornwall Alliance
- A Renewed Call to Truth, Prudence, and Protection of the Poor
- Evangelicals Divided Over Climate Change