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The Cornwall Alliance for the Stewardship of Creation is a conservative
Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...
public policy group that claims that a free-market approach to care for the environment is sufficient, and is critical of much of the current
environmental movement The environmental movement (sometimes referred to as the ecology movement) is a social movement that aims to protect the natural world from harmful environmental practices in order to create sustainable living. In its recognition of humanity a ...
. The Alliance is "engaged in a wide range of antienvironmental activities"Riley Dunlap, Aaron M. McCright: "Challenging Climate Change. The Denial Countermovement". In: Riley Dunlap, Robert J. Brulle (Eds.): ''Climate Change and Society. Sociological Perspectives. Report of the American Sociological Association’s Task Force on Sociology and Global Climate Change''. Oxford University Press, 2015, 300–332, p. 315. and denies man-made global warming. Originally called the "Interfaith Stewardship Alliance", it was founded in 2005 in reaction to the efforts of evangelical leaders, such as
Rick Warren Richard Duane Warren (born January 28, 1954) is an American evangelical Christian pastor and author. He is the founder of Saddleback Church, an evangelical Baptists, Baptist megachurch in Lake Forest, California. Since 2022, he serves as execut ...
, to fight global warming. The name Cornwall came from the 2000 Cornwall Declaration. The organization's views on the environment have been strongly influenced by the
wise use movement The wise use movement in the United States is a coalition of groups promoting the expansion of private property rights and reduction of government regulation of publicly held property. This includes advocacy of expanded use by commercial and pu ...
of the 1980s and 1990s. It is a member of the
Atlas Network Atlas Network, formerly known as Atlas Economic Research Foundation, is a non-governmental, non-partisan 501(c)(3) organization based in the United States that provides training, networking, and grants for libertarian, free-market, and Conserva ...
and also has ties to
The Heritage Foundation The Heritage Foundation (or simply Heritage) is an American Conservatism in the United States, conservative think tank based in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1973, it took a leading role in the conservative movement in the 1980s during the Presi ...
.


Cornwall Declaration

In 2000, a statement called the ''Cornwall Declaration on Environmental Stewardship'' was put forward and has been signed by over 1,500 clergy, theologians and others according to Cornwall Alliance. Signatories include prominent American religious individuals from the Roman Catholic, Jewish, and Evangelical worlds such as
Charles Colson Charles Wendell Colson (October 16, 1931 â€“ April 21, 2012), generally referred to as Chuck Colson, was an American attorney and political advisor who served as Special Counsel to President Richard Nixon from 1969 to 1970. Once known as ...
,
James Dobson James Clayton Dobson Jr. (born April 21, 1936) is an American evangelicalism, evangelical Christian author, psychologist, and founder of Focus on the Family (FotF), which he led from 1977 until 2010. In the 1980s, he was ranked as one of the m ...
, Rabbi
Jacob Neusner Jacob Neusner (July 28, 1932 – October 8, 2016) was an American academic scholar of Judaism. He was named as one of the most published authors in history, having written or edited more than 900 books. Neusner's application of form criticism†...
,
R. C. Sproul Robert Charles Sproul ( ; February 13, 1939 – December 14, 2017) was an American Reformed theologian, Christian apologist, and ordained pastor in the Presbyterian Church in America. He was the founder and chairman of Ligonier Ministries, and ...
,
Richard John Neuhaus Richard John Neuhaus (May 14, 1936 – January 8, 2009) was a prominent writer and Christian cleric (first in the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod, then the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and later the Catholic Church). Born in Canada, N ...
, and
D. James Kennedy Dennis James Kennedy (November 3, 1930 â€“ September 5, 2007) was an American Presbyterian pastor, evangelist, Christian broadcaster, and author. He was the senior pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, from ...
.About the Cornwall Alliance
cornwallalliance.org
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."
The declaration expresses concern over what it calls "unfounded or undue concerns" of environmentalists such as "fears of destructive manmade
global warming Present-day climate change includes both global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its wider effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes ...
, overpopulation, and rampant species loss".


Evangelical Declaration on Global Warming

In July 2006, the Cornwall Alliance published an open letter in response to Christian leaders of the Evangelical Climate Initiative who had, in February of the same year, expressed concern over man-made global warming, urging legislators to consider a
cap-and-trade Carbon emission trading (also called carbon market, emission trading scheme (ETS) or cap and trade) is a type of emissions trading scheme designed for carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases (GHGs). A form of carbon pricing, its purpose ...
system, promoting new technology and reducing carbon emissions from the burning of fossil fuels. Advisory board member
Wayne Grudem Wayne A. Grudem (born 1948) is an American New Testament scholar, theologian, seminary professor, and author. He is a professor of theology and biblical studies at Phoenix Seminary in Phoenix, Arizona. Biography Early life and education Grud ...
was quoted in reply saying, "It does not seem likely to me that God would set up the world to work in such a way that human beings would eventually destroy the earth by doing such ordinary and morally good and necessary things as breathing, building a fire to cook or keep warm, burning fuel to travel, or using energy for a refrigerator to preserve food."An Open Letter
cornwallalliance.org
The missive was accompanied by "Call to Truth, Prudence and the Protection of the Poor", a paper discussing the theology, science and
economics of climate change An economic analysis of climate change uses economic tools and models to calculate the magnitude and distribution of damages caused by climate change. It can also give guidance for the best policies for mitigation and adaptation to climate chan ...
, denying that dangerous anthropogenic global warming was taking place at all, and describing mandatory emission reduction as a "draconian measure" that would deprive people of cheap energy and hurt the poor.Call to Truth, Prudence and the Protection of the Poor: An Evangelical Response to Global Warming, E. Calvin Beisner, Paul K. Driessen, Ross McKitrick, and Roy W. Spencer
Interfaith Stewardship Alliance, 2006
The letter was endorsed by over 170 individuals, including atmospheric physicist
Richard Lindzen Richard Siegmund Lindzen (born February 8, 1940) is an American atmospheric physicist known for his work in the dynamics of the middle atmosphere, atmospheric tides, and ozone photochemistry. He is the author of more than 200 scientific papers ...
, palaeontologist Robert M. Carter and former ''
Energy & Environment ''Energy & Environment'' is an academic journal "covering the direct and indirect environmental impacts of energy acquisition, transport, production and use".
'' journal editor Sonja Boehmer-Christiansen. On December 2, 2009, the Cornwall Alliance issued a statement called "An Evangelical Declaration on Global Warming", in which they declare in list form both "What We Believe" and "What We Deny". The first point from each list is;
We believe Earth and its ecosystems – created by God’s intelligent design and infinite power and sustained by His faithful providence – are robust, resilient, self-regulating, and self-correcting, admirably suited for human flourishing, and displaying His glory. Earth’s climate system is no exception. Recent global warming is one of many natural cycles of warming and cooling in geologic history.
We deny that Earth and its ecosystems are the fragile and unstable products of chance, and particularly that Earth’s climate system is vulnerable to dangerous alteration because of minuscule changes in atmospheric chemistry. Recent warming was neither abnormally large nor abnormally rapid. There is no convincing scientific evidence that human contribution to greenhouse gases is causing dangerous global warming.
Prominent signatories of the declaration include climate scientist Roy Spencer, climatologist David Legates, meteorologist Joseph D'Aleo, television meteorologist
James Spann James Max Spann Jr. (born June 6, 1956) is a television meteorologist, and podcast host based in Birmingham, Alabama. He currently works for WBMA-LD (''ABC 33/40''), Birmingham's ABC affiliate. Spann has worked in the field since 1978. He also h ...
, and
Neil Frank Neil Laverne Frank (born September 11, 1931) is an American meteorologist and former director of the National Hurricane Center (NHC) in Florida. He was instrumental in advancing both the scientific and informational aspects of hurricane forecas ...
, former director of the National Hurricane Center. According to social scientists Riley Dunlap and Aaron McCright the declaration "was laden with denialist claims and designed to counteract progressive Christians’ efforts to generate support for dealing with climate change". Along with the "Evangelical Declaration", Cornwall Alliance issued "A Renewed Call to Truth, Prudence, and Protection of the Poor".A Renewed Call to Truth, Prudence, and Protection of the Poor
cornwallalliance.org
The executive summary of their document states,
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.


Criticism

The website
Skeptical Science Skeptical Science (occasionally abbreviated SkS) is a climatology, climate science blog and information resource created in 2007 by Australian former cartoonist and web developer, John Cook, who received a PhD degree in cognitive science in 2016 ...
has published criticism of the Cornwall Alliance. Critics of the Cornwall Alliance have accused the organization of being a "front group for fossil fuel special interests," citing its strong ties to the Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow, which in the past was funded by oil industry giants such as Exxon-Mobil and
Chevron Chevron (often relating to V-shaped patterns) may refer to: Science and technology * Chevron (aerospace), sawtooth patterns on some jet engines * Chevron (anatomy), a bone * '' Eulithis testata'', a moth * Chevron (geology), a fold in rock la ...
.


See also

* Christianity and environmentalism *
Evangelical environmentalism Evangelical environmentalism is an environmental movement in which some Evangelical Christian organizations have emphasized biblical mandates concerning humanity's role as steward and subsequent responsibility for the care taking of Creation. Whi ...
*
The Heritage Foundation The Heritage Foundation (or simply Heritage) is an American Conservatism in the United States, conservative think tank based in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1973, it took a leading role in the conservative movement in the 1980s during the Presi ...


References


External links

* * {{WikidataCoord Christianity and environmentalism Climate change denial Organizations established in 2005 Organizations of environmentalism skeptics and critics