Environmental Christmas message

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I was intrigued by the address from the Archbishop of Canterbury on Christmas Day. Unfortunately there's no transcript of Dr Rowan Williams' seasonal message, but this quote has been used by most news sources, including the Independent: "When we threaten the balance of things, we don't just put our material survival at risk, more profoundly we put our spiritual sensitivity at risk – the possibility of being opened up to endless wonder by the world around us."

It caps a year where the Church, both here and over in the US, has become increasingly active in environmentalism as an ethical issue. In my search for Williams' speech I found a Church of England website dedicated to sustainability called Shrinking the Footprint that introduces the concept of the 40% Church, aiming to cut the church's footprint by 60%.
Williams' argument about 'the balance of things' was countered by a book I've been reading over the last couple of days, Web, by science fiction author John Wyndham (most famous for the Day of the Triffids). I think he's an underrated author, and reminded me of more garlanded figures such as JG Ballard and Philip K Dick.
The book is probably not the best seasonal title to get stuck into as it concerns the attempt by a collection of idealistic individuals to start a new society on a remote tropical island, only for them to find it overrun by deadly spiders. In the middle is an interesting argument between the two main protagonists on man "upsetting the balance of nature". The scientist Camilla Cogent (subtle surname) reacts angrily to the phrase. She argues that it implies, arrogantly, that man is outside the natural process. "He is an instrument of natural processes," she says, before adding that the balance of nature is a myth. "It is part of the conception of a divinely appointed order in which everything had its place and purpose - and every man has his place and task." Apparently our minds seek reasons, order and balance, giving us the illusion of stability when this is far from the case. "The search for stability is the most constant - and the most fruitless, quest of all."

Comments

[Mark Brinkley]

Did you notice that the Catholic Christmas message was to be more welcoming to immigrants (maybe hidden agenda here because so many of them are Catholics).

So perhaps the Catholic Church will line up behind the DCLG and the HBF in calling for 275,000 new homes a year, whilst the C of E will join forces with the CPRE and the NIMBYs who want to arrest any further development, aka saving the environment.

[annfontaine]

The transcript is here
http://www.episcopalcafe.com/lead/church_year/the_archbishop_of_canterburys.html

[Phil Clark]

Thanks for the link Ann.
Mark - what an intriguing clash. I'm guessing that the Catholics may have fairly strong views on population (ie we need to reduce it) and climate change.