MONDOLITHIC STUDIOS – EcoHome – Artist’s impression (and accompanying text) on sustainable dwellings produced for National Geographic Kids.

MONDOLITHIC STUDIOS – An Earth Without Us – Again, artistic representation (& text) about how our technologized landscape might change if all human beings suddenly disappeared.

In the past I’ve used (and adapted) various of the Connect Bible Studies that were originally produced by Damaris in the UK. The studies pick up the theme that intersects with various facets of popular culture and the everyday world and runs with that for a few weeks. One of the best things about the studies is that they are (relatively) cheap and downloadable (saving on postage halfway around the world).

Anyway, today I noticed that the new owners of the series, Scripture Union (UK), have some new studies out based on the themes of the iPod, Climate Change, and Beauty.

See: Scripture Union – Connect

A list of older Connect material can be found here.

Both links have sample PDFs available as well as ordering links.

I’ll going to get the Climate Change one and see if I can integrate it with other things such as those from the Churches’ Agency on Social Issues (CASI) environmental resources, The Social Justice Commission of the Anglican Church, and DVDs such as Sleeping Giants: Climate Change – Science, Policy & Action.

Links to a couple of images I saw recently on Mondolithic Studios’ web site.

Different Futures. The choices we make now affect those who follow.

Dark Energy. Resonates for me with William Blake’s lines from ‘Auguries of Innocence’, as well as with the dreams of the nanotechnologists.

To see a World in a Grain of Sand
And Heaven in a Wild Flower
Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand
And Eternity in an hour.

Related stuff – Mondolithic search results on Greenflame.

The NZ Herald carried this piece in their religion and beliefs section yesterday looking at how mainstream (mostly Anglican) churches are responding with an increased environmental awareness. See Churches see their mission to care for creation – 02 Jul 2007 – Religion and beliefs news – NZ Herald.

Related links:

• The Social Justice Commission of the Anglican Church
• Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand // Media: CASI election resources 2005 – Sustainability
• Bishops warn on global warming – 05 Apr 2006 – Religion and beliefs news – NZ Herald
• A Rocha (New Zealand/Aotearoa Initiative Group)
• Creation Care (NZ)
• Methodist: Touchstone: Parish examines water use
• Methodist: Touchstone: World Environment Day
• e~mergent kiwi: earth day: where are the christians?
• Greenflame · Environment

Anthony, over at The Social Justice Commission of the Anglican Church points out this new web site SmarterHomes.org.nz. It’s designed to answer questions about making warmer, safer, more efficient and affordable housing in NZ, and is produced by BEACON Pathway, Building Research, the Department of Building and Housing, the Ministry for the Environment New Zealand, and ConsumerBuild.

Received a copy of the Sleeping Giants: Climate Change – Science, Policy & Action DVD in the post on Saturday and I’m looking forward to viewing it soon. It’s a collection of interviews with speakers from the Climate Change Conference held in Wellington in March 2006. (See Greenflame » Bishops warn on global warming – 05 Apr 2006)

I got my copy free through the web site of The Social Justice Commission of the Anglican Church (though I can’t see the link to their shop at the moment so can’t provide the link), but it’s also available for free from other sources – e.g. Sustainable Business Network: enabling business to flourish through sustainable practice: Free DVD – SLEEPING GIANTS (Contents of DVD listed there too).

BTW – the The Social Justice Commission of the Anglican Church operates a blog and has various news feeds and newsletters you can subscribe to.

TANSAA and A Rocha host an environmental colloquium next Tuesday (22nd May) at the Bible College of New Zealand in West Auckland, including a public lecture by Professor John Flenley – “For The Beauty of the Earth” (7:30pm)

Others speakers include Dr. Anthony Cole,  Rev. Dr Anthony Dancer, Dr. Richard Storey, Dr. Carolyn King, Peter Wilcox, Dr. Winston Halapura, Andrew Shepherd and Dr. Nicola Hoggard Creegan.

All are welcome to attend during the day or evening sessions. A small charge will be made for meals ($25) for those attending the day sessions, for non-students. A koha will be taken at the evening lecture.

The most recent programme (including list of speakers and topics) can be found here: TANSAA-A Rocha Colloquium 2007.pdf (Updated 18 May 2007)

Contact details for the colloquium can be found here.

Jason has compiled a collection of (MP3) sermons relating to Christian environmental stewardship over at Vineyard Church Sutton Website – Environmental Stewardship / Social Justice Series.

Inspired me to create a new category Environment to collate together posts relating to creation, ecology, conservation and the wider world.

The “Uses of the Bible in Environmental Ethics” research project in the Department of Theology at the University of Exeter looks really interesting. My own research into historical and contemporary interpretation of the image of God motif interacted with human beings relationship with the natural world, so I’ll be looking to see what papers emerge from this project.

Auckland Zoo is hosting concerts to raise money and awareness about various conservation projects. Performers include Tim Finn, The Black Seeds and Anika Moa. More info at: Concerts for Conservation to feature top Kiwi musicians | Amplifier NZ Music and Events @ The Zoo.