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SRT Associate’s Conference

Climate change is unjust. It affects poor nations much worse than our own. What would be a just and equitable solution? How can nations with vastly different economies, political structures, histories and value systems come to an agreement in time to avert the worst impacts? What is a distinctive Christian voice on this issue and what part should it play in a process that involves people from every tribe and tongue?

These were challenges posed by Dr John Turnpenny of the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research to delegates at the SRT Associates Conference on 31^st January. The SRT Associates Scheme was set up to help those with an interest in our work to become more involved. The conference formed part of our ongoing commitment to keep Associates up to date on issues, to hear their views, and explore ways in which they can engage with SRT’s ongoing work. Dr Jeff Maxwell, former head of the Macaulay Land Use Institute, also addressed the gathering, giving stimulating insights into last year’s national debate on GM crops. Both debates are driven by basic values - our views about life, nature and intervention, justice and risk, and about who makes the decisions. They call for a clear Christian response.  

We are greatly encouraged by our Associates’ commitment to engaging with these issues and to generating discussion in their own constituencies. This extends SRT’s twin tasks of mission and congregational resourcing. Copies of the speakers' presentations and a report of the conference will be available shortly.

SRT at Edinburgh Science Festival 2004 Climate Change in Scotland: Adapt, move or die? Monday April 5, 7:30 - 9:00 p.m. Royal Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh What will climate change mean for Scotland’s living environment? Will native plants and animals die off or be replaced by exotic southern species? And how far should we go to save our fellow creatures? Dr Noranne Ellis, Scottish Natural Heritage Dr Donald Bruce, SRT Project. Tickets £6/£4 on the door. Book by phone 0131-473 2070; by post: Science Festival Box Office, The Hub, Castle Hill, Ed-inburgh EH1 2ME; or call at The Hub

Cloned Human Embryos: the Ethics

SRT Director Dr Bruce was present at the American scientific conference in Seattle where Korean scientists announced the production of cloned human embryos. Unlike previous claims, these results are genuine but they raise major issues about how the technology is used.

The Koreans’ eventual aim is so-called therapeutic cloning. To treat patients suffering from a wide range of degenerative diseases, stem cells would be taken from embryos cloned from patients’ own cells. These would be turned into replacement body cells that are genetically matched to the patient, reducing the risk of rejection compared with cells from IVF embryos. But in practice therapeutic cloning seems an unrealistic prospect, except maybe as a technology for the rich. To create cloned embryos for all potential patients would be too expensive and need impracticably large numbers of human eggs.  Clinical use would probably rely on cells taken from IVF embryos or from adult tissue. Therapeutic cloning is also controversial ethically. It would create and use human embryos which would then be destroyed, and many see it as a ‘slippery slope’ to making cloned babies.

So are cloned embryos justified? The 2001 General Assembly did not completely exclude this, but the main use now seems to be for research into cell processes, not therapy. A House of Lords committee recommended that cloned embryos should only be created for research in exceptional cases. The Roslin Institute argues that one such case is the study of motor neuron disease cells. This needs careful evaluation whether it would work or if better ways exist to study the disease. If research on cloned embryos might mean that one day cells could be derived from adult sources without using embryos, this might be another case for cloning research. But there is a rub.

The Koreans rightly say this technology should not be used to make cloned babies, but several maverick scientists are competing with each other for the notoriety of doing so, regardless of ethics or risks. A United Nations ban on reproductive human cloning is stalled by a US plan to outlaw all forms of cloning, including uses in medical research. Until we have a global ban on reproductive cloning, it would seem foolish to allow cloned embryos to be made or used in this or any other country.

SRT at Large

SRT continues to play a key role in biotechnology debates at home and abroad. In February, Dr Bruce was invited to represent the ‘unheard’ voice of religion at a conference in Vancouver on the impact of the human genome project in society. This recognised SRT’s exceptional record as an informed and pro-active voice on issues like cloning and GM food. SRT has been asked to lecture on its way of engaging with bioethics and the environment to courses at Edinburgh, St Andrews and Oxford Universities and to European biotechnology PhD students. In March, SRT is hosting a high level expert consultation at Carberry Tower with Edinburgh University’s Innogen Centre for genomics and society and its Law department. It will examine the values issues which underlie policy making and innovation in biotechnology.

SRT Reports for 2004 Assembly

This year, SRT will report to the General Assembly in a new slot for all ‘Church and Society’ issues, on Tuesday 18 May. SRT will present two special reports. One is an update on whether GM crops should be grown in the UK. The other is an invitation to the Assembly to adopt an environmental policy for the Kirk, building both on previous Assembly deliverances and also the growing commitment to environmental care in many of the Kirk’s congregations via the Eco-Congregation Programme.

Eco-Congregation Scotland At the end of the first year of Scottish Executive funding for the Eco-congregation programme in Scotland’s churches, we can report real progress. A flurry of new registrations has now taken us to nearly forty active Eco-congregations across Scotland! In January, Perth North Church became the 9^th congregation to receive an Eco-Congregation Award. Others will be assessed soon. The January 2004 edition of the Eco-Congregation Scotland newsletter had an Energy-saving theme, with useful advice, details of the Church of Scotland Better Heating Scheme, and a review of resources. Would you like to find out more? See www.ecocongregation.org/scotland, contact Victoria Beale at SRT, or come to a workshop:

·         Melrose Parish Church Hall (Borders) Saturday 6 March 10.30 -12.30am

·         Kilmore and Oban Church (Argyll and Bute) Saturday 6 March 2 - 4 pm

·         St Leonard’s Parish Church, Ayr (South Ayrshire) Wednesday 10 March 7-9pm

·         Langside Parish Church, Glasgow Saturday 3^rd April 10-30-12.30am

Materials for Creation Sunday 6 June

What about celebrating Creation Sunday in your church? A resource pack to help you will be available in April from the Christian conservation organisation ‘A Rocha’, 13 Avenue Road, Southall, Middx., UB1 3BL.   www.arocha.org  Tel. 0208 574 5935.

New SRT Administrator

In January we were delighted to welcome Rev Alan Whitson as the new SRT Administrator. Alan is a non-stipendiary minister with the Methodist Central Hall in Edinburgh and brings useful contacts and skills to the project.  We also want to thank Mrs Bertha Patel for her work as temporary administrator to the Project during the second half of 2003, during the upheavals of moving.

SRT and Your Needs

SRT is the Kirk's mission to the world of science and technology and an ecumenical resource for churches in Scotland and further afield. We aim to help you understand the issues raised by today's developments. Tell us what you find useful! We welcome you to use this Bulletin in parish magazines or elsewhere, but please acknowledge SRT as the source. We also have an extensive website, information sheets and reports. Ask us for our publications list. If you know someone who'd like a copy of this newsletter, please let us know.

The SRT Trust exists to raise funds to help support SRT’s work. The SRT Associates scheme enables people to be kept more closely in touch with our work via regular mailings of our reports, papers, talks, etc.  Further details from SRT.