Christian Rural Concern Certificate
The six-unit course is designed and run by Christian Rural Concern (CRuC) in association with Keele University. It is a structured course for those who wish to look at rural and environmental issues from a Christian viewpoint. Units covered are (1) The Living World, (2) Food and Farming, (3) Economics, Work, Lifestyle, (4) Rural Communities, (5) The Church in Rural Areas, (6) Rural Education. You can do it as an independent student with a personal tutor, or it may be possible for you to join a group. Info: CRuC Secretary: J.M. Gadsby, 36 The Windings, South Croydon, CR2 OHU 0208 6570831

Eco-Congregation
Eco-Congregation is a programme for churches to help them take spiritual and practical steps to care for God’s creation. It has developed from a partnership between the environmental-awareness charity Encams, formerly Going for Green, and the Environmental Issues Network of Churches Together in Britain and Ireland and has three core elements:
· A set of inspiring resources comprised of modules covering a variety of topics; You can download these
· A process to encourage churches to get involved and to support the environmental work that they are doing;
· An Eco-Congregation Award, to act as a target for churches and to affirm positive environmental achievements.
For details contact: Rev Dr David Pickering, Churches Environmental Project Officer, Encams, Elizabeth House, The Pier, Wigan, WN3 4EX, Tel. 01942 612621

visit the new lively Eco-Congregation Scotland website

Ecotheology
Established in 1992 under the original title of Theology in Green, this journal of theological reflection on ecological issues was relaunched in 1996 as Ecotheology. It is published twice a yearand is now published by Equinox journals

Countryside Matters - a good website
Find out how much the average British Upland farmer earned on average last year.. plus other facts about British countryside and rural concerns. Site maintained by Rev'd Terry Brighton, (Rural Officer, Salisbury Diocese, Wiltshire)

The Resolutions the Anglican Bishops made at the Lambeth Conference 1998 - on Creation and The Environment

Peterborough Diocese Rural Concern Links
Some Links about Rural Issues

Church Energy Conservation Scheme Scotland
Are you a church in Scotland? Could you make use of advice from this scheme?

The Movement for Christian Democracy
(MCD) is an interdenominational organisation which works on a cross-party basis to promote Christ-inspired ethics and values in public life. It is based on the six principles of Respect for Life, Active Compassion, Wise Stewardship, Social Justice, Empowerment and Reconciliation.

CAFOD (the Catholic Fund for Overseas Development)

Christian Aid Reports:

iv. UK Organisations involving The Environment, Christianity, and in some cases other Religions

REEP (Religious Education and Environment Programme)
REEP provides educational programmes, a Schools Programme (RE), speakers, trainers and materials in the fields of spirituality, ecology and religion. there are Membership Networks for those who share its aims or join in the work.

v. Local/Regional Christian Environment Organisations
North East Churches EarthCare Group
News from County Durham and Northumberland

Sage - Oxford's Christian Environmental Group
Sage is a network of Christians in the churches of the Oxford region who are exploring the relationships between faith and environmental issues. It was started in 1990. Members give presentations and lead discussions for church groups, organise nature walks and holidays, are involved in practical conservation projects, and have produced a set of Bible studies. Email

LondonSCARE
London and Southwark Churches Action re the Environment.
Details from Rev Chris Brice 020 7932 1121

Sustainable Ireland
When you get to this site click on the button Network 21.
Network 21 - Supporting Faith Communities for Local Agenda 21 is a coming together of faith communities which recognise the ethical dimensions of sustainable development and are interested in using their own community to persue this agenda. It arose out of the Earth Rights Conference held in Derry on 29 November 1998 where over 70 people from around Ireland turned up to discuss Local Agenda 21. Keynote speakers were John Feehan, Sean McDonagh and Susan Baker.
The main web site has other good links too.

vi. Other useful environmental links

WWF Report:

Action Towards Local Sustainability

SUSTAIN, the alliance for better food and farming
Help Sustain's Organic Food & Farming Targets Bill campaign, by writing a letter to your MP, and signing-up to the campaign

Flying off to a warmer climate
A fun program which enables you to calculate the amount of air pollution produced when flying on different journeys. ..perhaps your upcoming holiday or business trip. The Climate Train Ecobalance Page compares a journey by train and boat with an air journey and finds that 3.8 times as much CO₂ per passenger is produced on the air journey, but that the effect of all the other gases produced by the plane (Ozone, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and water vapour) at high altitude is over 7 times the CO₂ equivalent of the ground journey..
Station Master Journey Planner for the North of England. Type in your location and destination and it will give you bus or train times. There are links to other journey planning sites in the rest of the UK

The New Economics Foundation works to construct a new economy centred on people and the environment. The new economy envisioned includes a new perspective on wealth which emphasises quality of life for the human race and the environment. Founded in 1986, it is now one of the UK's most creative and effective independent think tanks, combining research, advocacy, training and practical action.
Environment Events Diary
An excellent diary/listing of forthcoming environment/conservation events in the UK and elsewhere. Find out about forthcoming events. Make sure your event is listed. It is run by the Conservation Foundation

WDM World Development Movement
The World Development Movement (WDM) tackles the root causes of world poverty. campaigning for fairer world trade, regulating multinationals ...

Prince Charles web site
THE COMMONWEALTH The Prince of Wales asks: "The Commonwealth has worked well for half a century, but how do we ensure that it can meet the needs of the future?"

 
Some Useful Genetic Engineering Links recommended by CEL members

  European Links

The World Council of Churches Justice, Peace and Creation Unit
has recently published the 1999 edition of their magazine Echoes. It features articles on globalization, MAI and its successors, patenting genetic resources and other topics. It can also be read online

  The European Christian Environmental Network (ECEN) was formed in Oct 24 1998. It has links to and descriptions of some Christian Environment Groups or Environment branches of Christian churches in many different countries in Europe. Some of these organisations have some useful sections in English about ideas and activities.

Kairos Europa Kairos puts grass-roots groups in touch with each other.. grass-roots groups made up of people involved in social and justice issues.. and people from more vulnerable sections of society; women's groups, unemployed peoples groups, ecological groups. A Kairos Document can be seen at this site. Kairos UK: Grassroots operates from Luton.

Franciscaans Milieuproject The Franciscan Ecological Project, Stoutenburg, Holland. This Site is mostly in Dutch, but this takes you to their page in English.

USA and Canada links

Columbi River Pastoral Letter Project: Some "green" Catholic bishops in the Pacific Northwest of Canada have produced a letter.. A great website which may may give you some ideas and inspiration.

Simple Living - Alternatives

A Religious Campaign for Forest Conservation. This links you to a page with an article by Tom Sine

Au Sable

Christian Environmental Association

Earthkeeping News the Newsletter of the North American Coalition for Christianity and Ecology

Target Earth

Earth Ministry based in Seattle, Washington, USA

The Eyeopener is a publication of Justice, Economy and the Integrity of the Earth, a committee of Winnipeg Presbytery, The United Church of Canada. The Eyeopener is written and published by a small group of people who have concluded that the world is being pushed by corporations and politicians into a deformed, anti-life system and that until we see that, we are unable to imagine a different way. So we try to open eyes to realities and new possibilities. We publish The Eyeopener 4 times a year. Each issue is 4 pages long. Saucy, irreverent and subversive, our little paper on economics and ecology and social policy challenges people to see things in ways other than the power elites see them.

Development and Peace A Canadian Catholic organisation have produced useful material on Bio-patenting

  Australia and New Zealand Links
 
Renewing Creation South Australian Heads of Christian Churches commission an ecumenical five part Bible Study. It is being prepared in time for Lent 2004, and bears the title – “Renewing Creation”. These studies are a reflection on the passion of our Lord in the context of the environmental crisis of our planet. Each study focuses on specific ecological crisis in the Australian context and concludes with indications of renewal; ways in which a particular disaster is being handled and can – hopefully – be overcome.

Catholic Earthcare Australia:

CREATE- Brisbane Catholic Archdiocese Environment network: A Project of the Catholic Justice and Peace Commission, Brisbane, CREATE is a Christian Environment Network committed to restoring earth awareness ...

Newcastle Anglican Diocese Environment Commission

The Earth Bible project (based in Adelaide):

UnitingJustice environment resources:

The NCCA (National Council of Churches in Australia) - have also recently issued a national ecuemnical statement on the environment

  Some Sites of CEL Members
(These represent the views of the individual members concerned and not necessarily those of CEL.)  


Reflection Gardens contains a virtual tour of a garden presenting themes about ecology and the Christian spiritual journey. Reflections is a place for individual and group quiet days and guided day retreats in the Lichfield Diocese.

Justin Alexander's site
This includes a variety of topics including pages on Jublilee2000, Scriptural Texts and Voluntary Simplicity, personal pages, and many good links.

Parrots and Pets advice (P.A.P.A.)
This site is run by Don Gwillim and his daughter. It has now been split into four sections: 1. Parrots, 2. Pets, 3. Gods Creation 4. About Us.

Christians for Good Nutrition
This site set up by Ann Wills has some useful addresses and contacts

Andrew Spink's Ranunculus page
Watercrowfoots and buttercups.

Andrew Basden
Discussing the theology of the USA attack in a form to stimulate discussion and prayer
Why Christians should be Green

Ringsfield Hall Residential Country Centre This is in Suffolk, 10 miles west of Lowestoft Ringsfield Hall Trust is involved in research and development for social and emotional learning and earth eduacation. We are a Christian foundation, and the current Centre Directors have for many years been involved in work for Peace, justice and environmental isssues.
There is accommodation for up to 41 people, some of it in shared rooms or dormitories. The Hall is run on environmentally friendly prinicples. Earth Education Courses are good fun for young people. (And older ones too..) the hall welcomes visitors.

Bethesda Methodist Church, Cheltenham Eco-congregation page

Churches together in Lincolnshire 17 May 2003 Conference report and discussion board: Redressing the Balance ~ Making a Difference Locally Lincolnshire in the Global Market Place www.ctal.org.uk/foodconf2003.htm

St Mary's, Nunthorpe: Green Group

www.cong1.freeserve.co.uk This is Rev Colin Price's site. It has information about Guilden Morden Congregational Church and some science and religion articles.

  Sites recommended by CEL Members
(These represent the views of the individual members concerned and not necessarily those of CEL.)

  www.sd-commission.gov.uk Try the UK Sustainable Development Web site -for those who feel nothing is happening at government level it may be a surprise (and I hope a moderately encouraging one )
Recommended by M.M.

www.minesandcommunities.org/ The Mines and Communities Website ("MAC") seeks to empower mining-affected communities in their struggles against damaging proposals and projects
Recommended by R.S.

Other sites

The Ecologist Magazine

Friends of the Earth

Modern Churchpeople's Union

Modern Church Peoples Union Conference Tuesday 13-Friday 16 July 2004 : The God Experience ... who has it and why?

Optimum Population Trust ECO-FOOTPRINTING: Tables relating populations to carbon dioxide emissions limits, and at current and modest economic lifestyles, have been added to Living Planet Report eco-footprinting data.

Network of Christian Peace Organisations

Shared Earth Trust - Denmark Farm Conservtion courses and holidays. e.g. Restoring Pastures and Meadows; What's that bird? Creating a Conservation Plan

Politics and Theology Programme at Sarum College A flexible distance-learning course with weekend conferences, designed to equip Christians for participation in politics. Study Christian political thought and action, history and the Bible. Ecumenical and cross-party.

Links to Peace Organisations



UK Reclaim-Reading This project involves collecting waste wood and finding ways of recycling it. They are building a charitable social enterprise that will give paid work and life skills training.