Also included in response are 3 articles by:
Sam Berry (Professor Genetics at University College London),
Gerard Hughes (Master of Campion Hall, Oxford) and
Sean McDonagh (missionary).

April 2000

He called on Baptists to 'Turn up the Light' - to let the glorious light of Christ shine through their stewardship of the environment, mission in the workplace and championing of the deprived. He said that, said that despite many gloomy headlines and sickening acts, God is at work in the world and His people must let God's light shine through their concern for the environment, leadership in the workplace and championing the needs of the deprived.
In a closing passage Prof Ashworth said: " I hope during my Presidential year to be able to expand on this theme through some Away Days on Environmental Stewardship"

March 2000

February 2000

January 2000

December 1999

November 1999

The World Council of Churches Justice, Peace and Creation Unit
has has just published the most recent edition of Echoes, their twice yearly magazine. This edition is entitled The Earth as Mother and focuses on indigenous peoples. The edition earlier this year features articles on globalization, MAI and its successors, patenting genetic resources and other topics. It can also be read online We recommend you visit their site

ECEN
Eight people from Britain and Ireland attended the European Christian Environment Network Conference (ECEN) at Loccum in Germany from Oct 27 to Oct 31. Ninety people from 24 different European countries attended this conference, including your web editor.

September 1999

July 1999

Friday 9 July  Harrogate and District Christian Ecology Link Summer Meeting was a Farm Walk at Hopewell House Farm, Hey-A-Park, Knaresborough, led by Simon Webster of the Farming and Wildlife Group We learnt many ways in which parts of the farm had been managed over the years to improve the diversity of wildlife. We learnt much too about the economics of farming and how economic decisions have to be made about whether it is worthwhile applying pesticides on different parts of this arable farm.

Sunday 4th July
On Sunday the fourth of July, 1999, 2:00 p.m., the last of a series of services was held on the site of the Greenwood on the A38 between Weeford Island and Basset's Pole island. These services have taken place on the first Sunday of each month since December 1997, during which the Lord's Supper has been celebrated. This last service was a remembrance service for past friends and homes. In accordance with the wishes of his friends and family the ashes of 'Sorted Dave' was be scattered at the site. Boundary Cottage, Monymore Cottages, Greenwood, houses close to Chasewater, and the Spinney, all have gone. Violent men laid their hands on them and showed their authority in the only way they know, by sowing death and destruction. May God protect us at harvest time.

Deep peace of the running wave to you
Deep peace of the flowing air to you
Deep peace of the quiet earth to you
Deep peace of the shining stars to you
Deep peace of the Son of peace to you
(A blessing from Iona)
Details
Sunday 11 July     "Fringe" meeting at the C of E General Synod meeting in York about the Church Commissioners and GMOs. It is timed for midday on Sunday. Its title is: "GMOs: Fears Fantasies and Facts". It will be chaired by the Bishop of Blackburn.

The report of the C of E's Ethical Investment Working Group, is to be presented to the Synod on the Sunday evening. This session is in the Central Hall of York University which has a public gallery.

We would encourage all CEL's Anglican members, and indeed all Anglicans who are concerned about these issues, to urge their Synod representatives to attend these meetings and to support disinvestment in GM Companies (ie. Astra-Zeneca and Novartis) and also to express their opposition to the use of Church lands for outdoor trials of GM crops.

April

March:

January 1999:

The Pope mentions the environment in his Christmas and New Year Speeches
In his Christmas Urbi et Orbi Message he asks " May Christmas help to strengthen and renew, throughout the world, the consensus concerning the need for urgent and adequate measures ......to give environmental issues, especially after the recent natural catastrophes, the indispensable attention which they deserve for the protection of creation and of human dignity!" At the same site the World Day of Peace Message can be found for January 1st 1999. He mentions genetic engineering and has a substantial section on the environment which he again links closely to human dignity. The message includes the following:

"Responsibility for the Environment
10. The promotion of human dignity is linked to the right to a healthy environment, since this right highlights the dynamics of the relationship between the individual and society. A body of international, regional and national norms on the environment is gradually giving juridic form to this right. But juridic measures by themselves are not sufficient. The danger of serious damage to land and sea, and to the climate, flora and fauna, calls for a profound change in modern civilization's typical consumer life-style, particularly in the richer countries. Nor can we underestimate another risk, even if it is a less drastic one: people who live in poverty in rural areas can be driven by necessity to exploit beyond sustainable limits the little land which they have at their disposal. Special training aimed at teaching them how to harmonize the cultivation of the land with respect for the environment needs to be encouraged.

The world's present and future depend on the safeguarding of creation, because of the endless interdependence between human beings and their environment. Placing human well-being at the centre of concern for the environment is actually the surest way of safeguarding creation; this in fact stimulates the responsibility of the individual with regard to natural resources and their judicious use."

November 1998:

28 November: The London Churches Conference on the Environment took place at Southwark Cathedral. It was chaired by the Bishop of London and the key speakers were David Bellamy, Hugh Montefiore and Graham Ashworth. A least twenty seven CEL members were present. Do look at this page which I have written. It has nice pictures

24 November: Going for Green (the environment awareness charity) announced that the person who is to take on the brand new post of ‘Churches Environmental Project Officer' is Rev Dr David Pickering. The project is being developed by Going for Green in partnership with EIN (the Environmental Issues Network of the Council of Churches for Britain and Ireland).David, who studied environmental science before entering the ministry is currently a URC minister at Norton, Stockton on Tees. He will be leading the Eco-Congregation project and will be moving with his family to Wigan to start his new job on February 1st.

October 1998:

European Christian Environment Network

From 21 to 25 October a meeting took place of European Church Environmental Officers in Vilemov in the Czech Republic. This was to establish a network of environment officers from European Churches. It is called the European Christian Environment Network. Sixty people from twenty four European countries gathered at the Orthodox Academy in Vilemov,

On the continent many churches have an officer whose specific job it is to deal with environmental matters. Sadly this is not the case in Britain.. in many denominations here, dealing with the vast topic of "The environment" is just a one small part of another overfilled job.

Several people went to this meeting from Britain including

• Donald and Ann Bruce (Church of Scotland) Society, Religion & Technology Project of the Church of Scotland
• David Pickering (URC)
• Magali Nicole (Roman Catholic).
• Dimitri Oikonomou who is President of the World Fellowship of Orthodox Youth SYNDESMOS and author of the book "Orthodoxy and Ecology Resource Book"
• Martyn Goss (Church of England): Convenor of Devon Churches Ecumenical Sustainability Working Group and former CEL Development Officer. He is at the front left of the picture above which shows a group of the delegates at a visit to an organic farm near Vilemov

A ECEN home page on the Internet has been set up for communication amongst its members

CEL Annual Members' Meeting

CEL's 1998 Annual Members Meeting was held at Bath on October 10th. The guest speaker, Amber Carroll, Clerk of the Quaker Ethics and Genetics Network, spoke on
" The need for church members to engage in the gene debate"

Tim Cooper CEL's chairman gave the Annual report. If you would like a full copy do email The following request for help comes from his report.. Can you help?

Help Wanted

We continue to need help from volunteers in the following areas. Don't wait to be asked. Please contact Tim Cooper or another Steering Committee member if you are interested

• membership development
• membership renewals
• welcoming new members
• managing our finances
• Bulletin production
• young people's work
• Administration Committee convenor and members
• Journal Committee convenor and members
• leaders for denominational teams in the free church sector.

CEL Denominational Teams

Rev David Fudger has succeeded Alan Griggs as leader of the Anglican Team. Steve Retout and Sr Ancilla are now joint leaders of the Catholic team. An informal meeting to discuss future strategy was held at Minster Abbey in August. It was agreed to press for the appointment of diocesan environmental co-ordinators.

The Environment Issues Network (EIN)

CEL is a member of this national church-based network. This network has a meeting twice a year and the different church denominations send their environmental representative, so that the denominations can exchange information about what is happening in the other denominations. As this network is not funded, it simply acts as an opportunity for information exchange. Christian Ecology Link is represented by Raymond Tringham

Their latest meeting was held on Tuesday 19th October. Donald Bruce introduced the new book which he edited, Engineering Genesis. The members were pleased to welcome, for the first time, a representative of the Salvation Army.

Churches Environment Project Officer

The organisation Going for Green is in the process of appointing a Churches Environment Project Officer, who once appointed will start work in February. The holder of this post will head up an Eco Church Award scheme and will also provide support for the Environmental Issues Network in encouraging environmental activities within the churches.

Multilateral Agreement on Investment

CEL is a supporter of this group of organisations expressing concerns about the proposed Multilateral Agreement on Investment. We were represented at a very well attended seminar at the House of Commons on 21 October. CEL Steering committee member Raymond Tringham attended as did Jennifer Potter (International Secretary for the Methodist Church).The latest round of negotiations had started on the previous day under OECD auspices. It was reported that France had withdrawn and that the process might pass to the World Trade Organisation.

The speakers included the Bishop of Swindon who made the point that there should be more emphasis on the responsibilities rather than the rights of the cross national firms whose investment was at issue. Most speakers felt that some international rules were desirable but that they should be framed through the UN with due regard to the position of less developed countries and they should specifically impose on the multinationals an obligation to observe international agreements such as those made at Rio and Kyoto. Supporters were urged to ask their MPs to sign Early Day Motion 1672 and to press newspaper editors to give the matter more coverage. ( MAI Coalition, 60, Sandmere Rd SW4 7QJ- Email)