Tips for Earth Stewards
Simple things you can do to make the earth more fruitful, beautiful, and safe.
As much as stewardship means cultivating the portion of the planet God has entrusted to your care, the most necessary thing to stewardship is witnessing the gospel of Jesus Christ. Christian stewardship is the fulfillment of the dominion mandate set forth in
Genesis 1:28 as guided by God's law—to fill and subdue the Earth, bringing it from a state of rebellion to a state of obedience. This includes bringing those who are at enmity with God and His law (
Romans 8:7,
James 4:4) into a relationship with, and obedience to, Him. Jesus commanded this in
the Great Commission, to call all people to obedience and repentance. Stewardship, for the Christian, means not only cultivating our section of the planet, but also telling others to do the same in Jesus Christ—evangelism. Those who become disciples of Christ are a new creation (
2 Corinthians 5:17), capable of obeying God’s commands, and therefore fulfilling our creation ordinances (
John 16:5–15 and
Hebrews 11:6). They become the good servants in the
parable of the talents who produce a return on investment.
Recent Significant Developments
Religion & Ethics
Climate Scientists Back Call for Skeptic Thinktank to Reveal Backers (Leo Hickman/
The Guardian, January 22, 2012)
James Hansen of NASA’s Goddard Institute, a seminal proponent on climate alarmism, has requested, through an organization called the Request Initiative, that climate realist think-tank
The Global Warming Policy Foundation (GWPF) reveal their donors. Brendan Montague, the director of Request Initiative, states, “The privacy of wealth has so far been valued above public accountability, even by our own civic institutions.” Hansen, hinting at motive, claims, “those who have misled the public, allowing fossil fuel emissions to continue almost unfettered, as guilty of crimes against humanity and nature.” Hansen did not cite any false claims the GWPF has made.
Are Mercury Emissions as Evil as Abortion? Somebody Wants Voters to Think So (E. Calvin Beisner, Timothy D. Terrell, Paul Bynum/Cornwall Alliance, January 30, 2012)
Environmentalists’ attempt to portray some of their causes as pro-life ignores the differences between life-and-death issues and health issues, and between intentionally killing people and accidentally putting some at risk. The strategy threatens to obscure the meaning of pro-life, confuse voters, and delay protection of the lives of the unborn in America.
Economics & Energy
Oil Fields Gushing in the U.S. (Tom Fowler/
Wall Street Journal, January 23, 2012)
The future of U.S. energy production is as strong as we want it to be. “From 2008 through 2011, U.S. production of a broader category of oil and related liquids grew by 1.3 million barrels per day, or more than 17 percent, to 8.9 million barrels. That outpaced Russia … China … and Brazil.”
Marshall Hosts Discussion on Federal Energy Policy Thursday, February 2, in D.C. (The Marshall Institute)
“The U.S. spends billions annually to support the energy industry …. But, after 40 years of effort and billions of R&D dollars spent, federal support for alternative energy (save for nuclear power) has yet to appreciably change the mix of energy used by the U.S. Why? Are the policies wrong? Is the technology still not ready? If so, why not? What set of energy policies makes sense? Is the best option to continue to do what we already do?” Hear experts discuss at Cannon House Office Building, Room 121, Independence Avenue and 1st Street, SE Washington, DC, 9–10:30 a.m.
Food & Agriculture
Where Will Obama Side on Mud Puddles? (David Freddoso/
The Washington Examiner, January 24, 2012)
Silviculture [harvesting trees] is an enormous industry in America—$230 Billion in sales. New regulations on muddy runoff from forest roads may prevent lumber from reaching its destination. It starts with millions of dollars in regulations and “ends in the courtroom, where the Clean Water Act's citizen lawsuit provision would allow anyone to drag foresters, landowners or local governments any time a puddle is improperly neglected.’’
Crop Growth Response to Elevated CO2 in a Closed Ecological System (Dempster, WF et al./
Climate Change Reconsidered, January 24, 2012)
“The four researchers [of this study] presented data indicating that relative to net photosynthesis at a CO2 concentration of 385 ppm, rates measured at 1000 ppm, 2000 ppm and 2800 ppm were 150%, 275% and 355% greater, respectively. Given such findings, Dempster et al. conclude that the ‘high productivity from these crops and the increase of fixation rates with elevated CO2 concentration supports the concept that enhanced CO2 can be a useful strategy for remote life support systems,’ presumably on long manned space flights or on outposts on other planets or moons.”
Science & Ecology
Forget Global Warming - It's Cycle 25 We Need to Worry About (David Rose/Daily Mail, January 29, 2012)
“The supposed ‘consensus’ on man-made global warming is facing an inconvenient challenge after the release of new temperature data showing the planet has not warmed for the past 15 years. The figures suggest that we could even be heading for a mini ice age to rival the 70-year temperature drop that saw frost fairs held on the Thames in the 17th Century. Based on readings from more than 30,000 measuring stations, the data was issued last week without fanfare by the Met Office and the University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit. It confirms that the rising trend in world temperatures ended in 1997. Meanwhile, leading climate scientists yesterday told The Mail on Sunday that, after emitting unusually high levels of energy throughout the 20th Century, the sun is now heading towards a ‘grand minimum’ in its output, threatening cold summers, bitter winters and a shortening of the season available for growing food.”
Map-makers Admit Greenland Gaffe (Marc Horne/Scotsman.com, January 26, 2012)
In response to a
serious mistake made in 2011 version of the Time’s Atlas of the World, where Greenland ice-caps were depicted as having receded 15% due to global warming, the publishers issued a new more accurate map and have recanted their assertion of catastrophic ice-melt.
No Need to Panic About Global Warming (Claude Allegre et al./
The Wall Street Journal, January 27, 2012)
Sixteen scientists of high repute have signed an article divorcing themselves from the belief that carbon dioxide is a planetary time-bomb. “In spite of a multidecade international campaign to enforce the message that increasing amounts of the ‘pollutant’ carbon dioxide will destroy civilization, large numbers of scientists, many very prominent, share the opinions of
Dr. Giaever. And the number of scientific ‘heretics’ is growing with each passing year. The reason is a collection of stubborn scientific facts.” The use of public opinion to suppress dissent is reminiscent of former socialist dictatorships' use of censorship and the arrest of people as political detainees. More
here,
here, and
here.
Politics & Debate
Global Warming Activists Seek to Purge “Deniers” Among Local Weathermen (Caroline May/
The Daily Caller, January 30, 2012)
Hundreds of meteorologists, regardless whether they affirm or deny dangerous, manmade global warming, should issue a public statement condemning this action for what it is, a version of the fallacy of
argumentum ad baculum, "appeal to force": “Agree with me, or I'll punch you in the nose.” In this case, it's "Agree with me, or I'll kill your job." It’s the last resort of those who can’t win an argument on evidence and logic, and it’s an identifying sign of intellectual frauds, ideological bullies, wannabe tyrants, and (we use the word literally) fascists.
The Cost of Obama's Green Appeasement (Bob Beauprez/
Townhall.com, January 29, 2012)
“This weekend’s Boston Globe Magazine will feature a gargantuan, 3600 word homage to rabid environmentalism in the form of a profile on
350.org founder Bill McKibben. The piece and President Obama’s disastrously short-sighted decision Wednesday to reject permitting for Transcanada’s Keystone XL pipeline are both symptomatic of a much larger ailment plaguing liberal politicking in general and the Obama administration in particular: a continual willingness to sacrifice the well-being of the majority for an elite, hypocritical minority.”
Law, Regulation, & Litigation
Obama Loves Oil—Not! (Peter Foster/
Financial Post, January 27, 2012)
The President’s position on oil and fossil fuel can best be described as oxymoronic. Despite destructive oil policy and increase in subsidies of “alternative” energies, the President has claimed responsibility for the growth of technology and production of the energy industry. “Mr. Obama, now presumably to his embarrassment, has referred to oil as a dwindling ‘19th-century’ resource. If we are talking of being out of date, William Watson noted here yesterday that President Obama’s grasp of economics hasn’t yet absorbed the 18th-century wisdom of Adam Smith. Mr. Owe’s predilection for misconceived trade-is-war ‘mercantilist’ policies was clear from his promise in the State of the Union not to “cede the wind or solar or battery industry to China or Germany because we refuse to make the same commitment here.” More
here,
here, and
here.
New Emissions Data Dampen Global Warming Fears (James Taylor/
Forbes January 25, 2012)
Energy use in America has increased over the last decade while carbon dioxide emissions have decreased to sub-year-2000 levels. “The primary reason…is the increasing number of natural gas-fired power plants [, up 50% from 2000]. Natural gas power emits approximately 40% less carbon dioxide than coal power [and other pollutants more than 80% less].” This is proof that markets best handle scarcity, that hydraulic fracturing is both necessary and good, and that we need no longer increase carbon dioxide regulations.
Resisting the Green Dragon
More and more churches and other groups are using Cornwall Alliance’s groundbreaking 13-part video series around the country. With its printable discussion guide, it provides full curriculum for a Sunday school quarter. The accompanying book helps teachers and others dig deeper.
Join Cornwall Alliance Facebook Group Page
To keep up with relevant developments, join
Cornwall Alliance’s Facebook Group page, where we and group members will post and discuss items daily.
Landmark Documents from the Cornwall Alliance
E. Calvin Beisner, Ph.D., Founder and National Spokesman
Cornwall Alliance for the Stewardship of Creation
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