Green Central - Times Online - WBLG: Religion "holds key to saving planet"

Not long after a British judge ruled that environmental concerns are broadly equivalent to religious belief, I came across this interesting story in The Ecologist suggesting that conventional religions represent the best hope of meaningful action.

The story appeared before a conference organised by the Alliance of Religions and Conservation, described by the UN as "the biggest civil society movement on climate change in history".

Faith communities own between 7per cent and 8 per cent of the habitable land surface of the planet, run (or are involved in) half the world's schools and control more than 7 per cent of international financial investments.

Speaking at Lambeth Palace before the ARC conference at Windsor, the Archbishop of Canterbury said religions held the 'moral vision' and that ultimately their impact would have 'deeper roots' than anything achievable at the Copenhagen summit.

UN Assistant Secretary-General Ola Kjorven said with more than 85 per cent of the world's population adhering to a religion the commitments made at the Windsor summit had the potential to be, 'the biggest mobilisation of people and communities that we have ever seen on this issue.'