New Friends of the Earth? | Sojourners

New Friends of the Earth?

A coalition of conservative Christian and Jewish leaders known as the Interfaith Council for Stewardship and the Environment has released "The Cornwall Declaration" (www.stewards.net) as part of a campaign to offer "a credible alternative to liberal environmental advocacy."

Signed by such figures as Richard John Neuhaus, James Dobson, and Charles Colson, the document considers issues such as global warming, overpopulation, and rampant species loss to be exaggerated, unfounded, or undue concerns.

The council also expresses faith that unfettered free market capitalism will encourage good stewardship through "people's natural incentive to care for their own property," and is suspicious of "public policies designed too hastily to combat alleged environmental threats [that] often unnecessarily hinder human initiative."

Concluding that the majority of environmental hazards are the result of "primitive" practices in underdeveloped nations, it trusts technological innovation to create "advancements... [that] not only minimize pollution and transform most waste products into efficiently used resources but also improve the material conditions of life for people everywhere."

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Sojourners Magazine July-August 2000
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