Global Warming

As reported by the BBC and others, the United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon, has emphasised the need for government action on global warming in the light of latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).Their fourth report (with helpful 23 page PDF summary for policymakers and various resources for press and others) is the ’synthesis report’ following earlier reports on the physical science basis (Feb 2007), impacts, adaptation and vulnerability (April 2007) and the mitigation of climate change (May 2007).

This is, thankfully, an area which is beginning to lead to action by Christians including serious theological analysis. Although I’ve yet to read them, there are two interesting looking volumes just published here in the UK -

Nick Spencer (who works for the important new think tank Theos) and Robert White have published Christianity, Climate Change and Sustainable Living

Michael Northcott, Professor of Ethics at Edinburgh University has written the more heavyweight A Moral Climate: The Ethics of Global Warming (reviewed by Jo Rathbone of Eco-congregation at Ekklesia)

Michael Northcott’s work on the subject can be sampled online in

The Climate Narratives of Noah and Joseph

"As the Garden Withers, the Desert Grows"

To hear Nick Spencer and Bob Wright speak more about the subject you can watch these You Tube videos by the Jubilee Centre on

The Reality and Consequences of Global Warming (Professor Bob Wright)

Responding to Global Warming (Nick Spencer)

Why Christians Should Care for the Environment (Prof Bob Wright)

Sustainable Living (Nick Spencer)

Bob Wright also has the accessible Cambridge Paper - "A Burning Issues: Christian Care for the Environment" - while Christian Ecology Link has the helpful little leaflet - Climate Change: What Can Christians Do?