SRT Home Page What is the SRT Project? Site Map & Subject Index What's New? Highlights Current Talking Point The Big Issues The Big Issues "Engineering Genesis" Genetic Engineering GM Food GM Animals Human Genetics Cloning Xenotransplantation Patenting Risk Environment Climate Change Energy Nuclear Power Transport Eco-Congregation Church Energy Saving Technology Internet Issues Science & Faith SRT Publications SRT Newsletter SRT Information Sheets SRT Topical Papers Press Room Contact SRT Send a comment Guest Book SRT Trust & Associates Links European Christian     Environmental Network Eco-Congregation

Society, Religion and Technology Project Church of Scotland Looking at the ethics of technology for a New Millennium

>>>>>>>>>>>>> ? <<<<<<<<<<<<

The SRT Project

The Society, Religion and Technology Project (SRT) was set up in 1970 by the Church of Scotland, to provide informed comment and debate on ethical questions facing our society from current and future technologies. It has a full time Director, and works through multi-disciplinary expert working groups, through reports, books and information sheets, and through lectures, debates, conferences and the media. Its work comes under the Board of National Mission of the Church of Scotland, but it also enjoys close links with many other churches through Action of Churches Together in Scotland, the Churches Together in Britain and Ireland, the European Churches' Church & Society Commission and the European Christian Environmental Network. The current Director is Dr Donald Bruce, a chemist who worked for many years in research in nuclear energy, as a Nuclear Installations Inspector, and in energy policy for the UK Government. As well as its environmental work, SRT is doing innovative ethical work on genetic engineering and cloning, and shortly starts a new study on technological risk.

Environmental Policy and Sustainability

Right from its beginning, environmental issues have been a major part of the SRT Project's work. In 1970, few people in Britain were aware of the significance of environmental issues. SRT has thus had a pioneering and educative role, in both secular and church circles, not only in the UK, but worldwide through many years of collaboration with the World Council of Churches (WCC) and many other organisations, discussing sustainability long before the Brundtland report and the Earth Summit gave the concept wider prominence. SRT has many contacts in academic, green and industry organisations, and regularly makes submissions to the UK Government on environmental and energy issues.

European Churches Sustainability Studies

SRT was part of a European churches' working group of experts from 6 countries which produced the report "The Dominant Economic Model and Sustainable Development - Are they Compatible?" in 1995. From a Christian understanding of care for all creation, the report challenged the prevailing EU emphasis on economic growth, and highlighted a deep tension with the EU's treaty commitments to a environmental sustainability. It recommended fiscal and technical changes, to include environmental costs in energy and transport pricing. Major barriers to sustainability were Europe's huge consumption of fossil fuels and excessive focus on road use. It called for an environmental "efficiency revolution" in our use of the earth's resources. It was well received by the European Commission as a unique and perceptive contribution to their thinking. They requested further work, adding the social implications, which led to a second report "Sustainable Development and the Market Economy" in 1999. This also critically appraised the EU's recent policy developments on energy and transport. This work continues via the Church and Society Commission of the Conference of European Churches.

Energy Policy Studies

SRT has a particularly active interest in energy issues, from its earliest and much acclaimed study of the wider impact of the emerging North Sea oil and gas industry on Scotland, through to present work on the implications of climate change for energy policy, transport and practical and economic incentives. It has produced many reports in areas such as nuclear power, renewable energy technologies and global warming. It organised the Scottish part of the WCC petition for Government action to combat climate change and is monitoring closely both UK and European energy policy after Kyoto, and the developments on emissions trading in the climate change convention.

Environmental Networks - UK and European Churches

SRT has been one of the prime movers in setting up the European Christian Environmental Network (ECEN). This was formed in 1998 to enable churches of all denominations across Europe to share resources, skills, information and literature, to help co-ordinate responses to environmental issues and to feed back to the churches the results of expert studies in various countries. Groups are being formed on a wide variety of issues, including climate change, transport, tourism, education, water, church environmental management. Materials are being developed to help churches across Europe to have a period each year in which they celebrate God's creation in their worship and in their daily lives.

Practical Action : Scottish Churches Energy Saving Scheme

Although SRT's environmental emphasis is on policy work, it has played an important role in practical action. In 1978 it initiated the world's first scheme to promote energy efficiency in church buildings. This developed into a consultancy run by the Church of Scotland, through which churches can have an energy audit of their premises. Over half the Church of Scotland's churches have since taken part. As well as significant savings in energy consumption, an estimated £0.75 million is being saved annually as a result. Drawing on the practical experience gained SRT published two simple booklets for congregations gained : "Make the Most of it", "Make Even More of It", and then in 1994 promoted the larger book "Heat and Light - a Practical Guide to Energy Saving in Church Buildings". SRT also promoted a small scale solar energy project on the remote Scottish island of Iona.

Practical Action : Greening your Church

Caring for God's creation is not just about energy, but examining the whole environment "footprint" of the church's life - in local congregations, committees and central activities. Churches are waking up to the idea that we can be a witness to the world by lives that care for God's creation. SRT helped to set up the Eco-Congregation scheme, launched in September 2000 as a partnership between the UK churches and the government's Going for Green organisation. After a successful pilot scheme, information packs and practical advice are now available to encourage churches to take their environmental responsibilities seriously - examining how we use transport, paper and other materials, our individual and collective lifestyles, what environmental initiatives we could do in our community, and so on. Churches of all denominations in Scotland are being encouraged to join in the ECO-Congregation Scheme in Scotland.

Environmental Education

SRT plays an educating role within the churches and general public. It puts on environmental debates at the annual Edinburgh International Science Festival. Its booklet Seeing Scotland from the Summit - Sustainable Development in Scotland after Rio, has proved useful in explaining in simple terms the importance of environmental issues, with discussion group and resource material. It supports the John Ray Initiative, which provides training opportunities to equip Christians to promote environmental awareness in the churches, and produces well researched briefing materials on current issues. SRT also works with the A Rocha Trust, an imaginative Christian habitat conservation initiative, and with the grassroots Christian Ecology Link organisation. In Scotland, SRT is part of the Vision 21 initiative, encouraging communities at all levels of Scottish society to put the aims of Agenda 21 into practice. We have also promoted significant theological discussion on the environment. Theologians such as Ruth Page, George Newlands and Michael Northcott have done important work in various SRT studies, feeding into theological and ministerial training in Scotland and beyond.

For Further Information

Return to Top of Page
Go to SRT Environment Pages
Return to SRT Home Page
Go to SRT Contents Page
SRT Website Map