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Cornwall Alliance for the Stewardship of Creation

Cornwall Alliance for the Stewardship of Creation

Background

The Cornwall Alliance for the Stewardship of Creation, formerly the Interfaith Stewardship Alliance (ISA) is an evangelical Christian group founded in 2006 by Calvin Beisner that claims environmentalism is “one of the greatest threats to society and the church today.”1“Cornwall Alliance: Background information for reporters” (PDF), Desmog UK, April, 2015. Archived at DeSmog. 2Resisting the Green Dragon Homepage. Archived March 16, 2016. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/mMwGM

The Cornwall Alliance’s founder, Calvin Beisner, has been described as “the most influential evangelical anti-environmentalist in the United States.” Calvin Beisner and the Cornwall Alliance believe that “Earth and its ecosystems – created by God’s intelligent design and infinite power and sustained by His faithful providence – are robust, resilient, self-regulating, and self-correcting, admirably suited for human flourishing, and displaying His glory. Earth’s climate system is no exception.”3Joyce Nelson. “The Harper government and evangelical capitalism,” Rabble.ca, February 6, 2015. Archived March 21, 2016. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/2DoMn

The Cornwall Alliance’s founding documents include the “Evangelical Declaration on Global Warming” which states “There is no convincing scientific evidence that human contribution to greenhouse gases is causing dangerous global warming.”4“An Evangelical Declaration on Global Warming,” The Cornwall Alliance, May 1, 2009. Archived July 22, 2015. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/8u6AZ

The Interfaith Stewardship Alliance (ISA) was formed in November 2005 when they first adopted the Cornwall Declaration on Environmental Stewardship as their founding document. The ISA changed its name to the Cornwall Alliance for the Stewardship of Creation in May, 2007, to “better reflect [their] founding document,” the Cornwall Declaration on Environmental Stewardship.5“Our History in Highlights,” Cornwall Alliance for the Stewardship of Creation. Archived July 22, 2015. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/qOGVV

The Cornwall Declaration makes three key points:6“The Cornwall Declaration on Environmental Stewardship,” The Cornwall Alliance. Archived July 22, 2015. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/sXxTv

1. Humans are “producers and stewards” of the environment, and should not be viewed as “consumers and polluters” because “the application of human and material capital are integral to environmental improvement.”

2. It is “human stewardship that unlocks the potential in creation for all the earth’s inhabitants as good.”

3. Some environmental concerns are “without foundation or greatly exaggerated.” Examples of unfounded concerns “include fears of destructive manmade global warming, overpopulation, and rampant species loss.”

The Cornwall Alliance is a project of the US James Partnership.7“The James Partnership Homepage. Archived March 17, 2016. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/Iq9Dp The James Partnership, like the Cornwall Alliance, chooses not to disclose its funding sources. However, Conservative Transparency records that more than half of the James Partnership’s $340,000 of income in 2012 came from the “dark money” funding group known as Donors Trust (DT).8“The James Partnership,” Conservative Transparency. Accessed March 17, 2016. 9Andy Kroll. “Exposed: The Dark-Money ATM of the Conservative Movement,” Mother Jones, February 5, 2013. Archived July 24, 2015.

As Thinkprogress reported in 2010, Chris Rogers, who also ran the James Partnership, heads a media and PR firm titled CDR Communications. CDR also collaborates with David Rothbard, the founder and president of the Committee for Constructive Tomorrow (CFACT). Rogers has also worked in the past for the Bush administration and for the secretive conservative group, Council for National Policy.10“The oily operators behind the religious climate change disinformation front group, Cornwall Alliance,” ThinkProgress, June 19, 2010. Archived July 22, 2015. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/w7MeE

According to public 990 forms, CDR Communications has been registered to the same address as both the James Partnership and Cornwall Alliance, as well as the “Resisting the Green Dragon” website.11“The oily operators behind the religious climate change disinformation front group, Cornwall Alliance,” ThinkProgress, June 19, 2010. Archived July 22, 2015. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/w7MeE

Stance on Climate Change

Evangelical Declaration on Global Warming

Here are some of the key points in the Cornwall Alliance’s “Evangelical Declaration on Global Warming”:12“An Evangelical Declaration on Global Warming,” The Cornwall Alliance, May 1, 2009. Archived July 22, 2015. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/8u6AZ

1. “There is no convincing scientific evidence that human contribution to greenhouse gases is causing dangerous global warming.”

2. “We deny that alternative, renewable fuels can, with present or near-term technology, replace fossil and nuclear fuels, either wholly or in significant part, to provide the abundant, affordable energy necessary to sustain prosperous economies or overcome poverty.”

3. “We deny that carbon dioxide—essential to all plant growth—is a pollutant. Reducing greenhouse gases cannot achieve significant reductions in future global temperatures, and the costs of the policies would far exceed the benefits.”

4. “We deny that such policies, which amount to a regressive tax, comply with the Biblical requirement of protecting the poor from harm and oppression.”

Based on these points, the Alliance “call[s] on Christian leaders to understand the truth about climate change and embrace Biblical thinking, sound science, and careful economic analysis in creation stewardship.”

Additionally, the alliance calls on politicians “to adopt policies that protect human liberty, make energy more affordable, and free the poor to rise out of poverty, while abandoning fruitless, indeed harmful policies to control global temperature.”

Energy Poverty

The Cornwall Alliance often argues that conventional energy sources are needed to fight against poverty in the developing world. For example, this is the perspective of the Cornwall Alliance’s Research Associate for Developing Countries, who describes coal as a “clean: energy source:

“In light of the astronomical changes to energy policies that are being proposed, and with regard to the Christian voice that needs to be heard within policymaking bodies, the most loving deed we Christians can do is to advocate for the environmentally safe policies that will address the livelihood of the poor and the marginalized of the world, including those in the developed West.

As a Christian student of environmental science, I believe clean conventional energy sources (such as coal and nuclear energy) are the lifeline of our civilization. Do coal-based energy sources pose an imminent threat to the globe by increasing temperature levels? Real-world observations, instead of computer climate models, suggest that the answer is no.” (Emphasis added).13Vijay Jayaraj. “A Christian’s Perspective on Climate Change: Conventional Energy Sources Are Necessary for Developing Nations’ Poor,” CNSNews.com, March 1, 2016. Archived March 21, 2016. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/RLzNs

Regarding the Paris climate summit in 2015, Calvin Beisner made the following comments: 

“The ‘Commitments’ made in the Paris agreement are voluntary and unenforceable,” Beisner said,”“which means most nations will not comply. EU nations said They would make binding Commitments only if all major emitters did-and They Did not. So the EU‘s ‘Commitments’ lose all substance.”

“‘That’s perfectly understandable. Risks from poverty are far greater than from climate change, so whatever slows economic growth means greater harm than global warming.”14“Unenforceable Paris Climate Agreement Worse than a Failure,” Baptist Message, December 18, 2015. Archived March 21, 2016. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/7QHPQ

Funding

The James Partnership

The Cornwall Alliance is a project of the US James Partnership.15“The James Partnership Homepage. Archived March 17, 2016. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/Iq9Dp Conservative Transparency records that more than half of the James Partnership’s $340,000 of income in 2012 came from the “dark money” funding group known as Donors Trust (DT).16Andy Kroll. “Exposed: The Dark-Money ATM of the Conservative Movement,” Mother Jones, February 5, 2013. Archive.isURL: https://archive.is/uNf46

The following is based on data the Conservative Transparency Project complied for the James Partnership. Note that not all individual funding values have been confirmed by DeSmogblog. View the attached spreadsheet for additional information on James Partnership/Cornwall Alliance funding by year (.xlsx).17“The James Partnership,” Conservative Transparency. Accessed March 17, 2016. 18Andy Kroll. “Exposed: The Dark-Money ATM of the Conservative Movement,” Mother Jones, February 5, 2013. Archived July 24, 2015.

DonorsTrust$1,309,000
2009$258,000
2010$339,500
2011$274,000
2012$175,000
2013$35,000
2014$150,000
2015$77,500
National Christian Charitable Foundation$7,050
2009$1,000
2015$5,000
2016$1,050
National Philanthropic Trust$2,000
2012$2,000
Grand Total$1,318,050

CFACT Connection

While Cornwall Alliance representatives have denied any relationship with the Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow, Thinkprogress reported that CFACT and the Cornwall Alliance, according to disclosures filed with the Washington State Secretary of State’s office, share a common fundraising firm: ClearWord Communications Group.19“The oily operators behind the religious climate change disinformation front group, Cornwall Alliance,” ThinkProgress, June 19, 2010. Archived July 22, 2015. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/w7MeE

James Partnership 990s

Key People

Cornwall Alliance Key Staff (2016)20“Who We Are,” Cornwallalliance.org. Archived March 20, 2016. Archive.is URL: http://archive.is/df1C8

  • Dr. E. Calvin Beisner — Cornwall Alliance Founder and National Spokesman
  • Megan Toombs — Cornwall Alliance Advisory Board

Senior Fellows (2016)21“Who We Are,” Cornwallalliance.org. Archived March 20, 2016. Archive.is URL: http://archive.is/df1C8

NameTitle
Craig Vincent MitchellPh.D., Associate Professor of Christian Ethics, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Fort Worth, TX
Daniel R. HeimbachPh.D., Senior Professor of Christian Ethics, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary; Research Institute Fellow, Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, Southern Baptist Convention
David LegatesPh.D., Professor of Climatology, University of Delaware, Newark, DE
G. Cornelis van KootenPh.D., Professor of Economics and Research Chair in Environmental Studies and Climate, University of Victoria, BC, Canada
James A. WanlissPh.D., Associate Professor of Physics, Presbyterian College, Clinton, SC
Kenneth ChiltonPh.D., Senior Environmental Fellow, Institute for the Study of Economics & the Environment, Lindenwood University, St. Charles, MO
Peter JonesPh.D., Executive Director, truthXchange, and Emeritus Professor of New Testament, Westminster Theological Seminary, Escondido, CA
Roy W. SpencerPh.D., Principal Research Scientist, Earth System Science Center, University of Alabama, Huntsville, AL, and Lead Scientist, NASA Aqua AMSR-3 Satellite Remote Sensing Program
Timothy TerrellPh.D., Associate Professor of Economics, Wofford College, Spartanburg, SC
Vishal MangalwadiPh.D., Theologian and Author, Founder, RevelationMovement.com, Pasadena, CA
Wayne GrudemPh.D., Research Professor of Theology and Biblical Studies, Phoenix Seminary, Phoenix, AZ

Fellows

Name201522“Who We Are,” Cornwall Alliance for the Stewardship of Creation. Archived June 19, 2015.
201623“Who We Are,” Cornwallalliance.org. Archived March 20, 2016. Archive.is URL: http://archive.is/df1C8Title
Barrett DukeYYPh.D., Vice President, Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, Southern Baptist Convention, Washington, DC
Ben PhillipsYYPh.D., Associate Dean, Havard School of Theological Studies, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Fort Worth, TX
Neil L. FrankNYPh.D. (Meteorology), the longest-serving Director of the National Hurricane Center (1974–1987) and retired Chief Meteorologist of KHOU–TV, Houston (1987–2008), Fulshear, TX
Shawn RitenourYYPh.D., Professor of Economics, Grove City College, Grove City, PA
Stephen LivesayYYPh.D., President, Bryan College, Dayton, TN
Tracy C. MillerYYAssociate Professor of Economics, Grove City College, Pennsylvania

Adjunct Scholars (2016)24“Who We Are,” Cornwallalliance.org. Archived March 20, 2016. Archive.is URL: http://archive.is/df1C8

NameTitle
Chris SkatesM.S., Plant Chemistry Supervisor, Electric Energy Inc., Joppa, IL
Gordon EvansM.S., Environmental Manager, Texas A&M University System, College Station, TX
Jamieson C. KeisterPh.D., (Ret.) Pharmaceutical Research Specialist, 3M Company, Lakeville, MN
Kevin Alan LewisPh.D., Professor of Theology and Law, Biola University, La Mirada, CA
Mark BrandlyPh.D., Associate Professor of Economics, Ferris State University, Big Rapids, MI
Michael SalazarPh.D., Associate Professor of Chemistry, Union University, Jackson, TN
Steven HaywardPh.D., Thomas Smith Distinguished Visiting Professor, Ashland University, Ashland, Ohio; Secretary of Energy & Interior under President Ronald Reagan; author of the annual Index of Leading Environmental Indicators

Board of Advisors

Name201125“Board of Advisors,” Cornwall Alliance for the Stewardship of Creation. Archived June 8, 2011.
201626“Who We Are,” Cornwallalliance.org. Archived March 20, 2016. Archive.is URL: http://archive.is/df1C8
Title
Alan W. GomesYYPh.D., Professor of Systematic Theology, Talbot School of Theology, La Mirada, CA
Alan WisdomYNindependent writer and consultant, former Vice President, Institute on Religion & Democracy
Barrett DukeYYPh.D., Vice President, Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, Southern Baptist Convention, Washington, DC
Charles H. DunahooYYCoordinator of Christian Education & Publication, Presbyterian Church in America
Colonel V. DonerYNChairman, Children’s Hunger Relief Fund
D. James Kennedy (deceased)YYFounding & Senior Pastor, Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church; Founder & President, Evangelism Explosion, Coral Ridge Ministries, & Knox Theological Seminary, Fort Lauderdale, FL
Daniel R. HeimbachNYPh.D., Senior Professor of Christian Ethics, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary; Research Institute Fellow, Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, Southern Baptist Convention
David A. WilliamsYNPresident, L.D. Advantage, Inc; Former Representative on NAE Social Action Commission
David BartonYNFounder and President, Wallbuilders
David W. HallYNSenior Minister, Midway Presbyterian Church (PCA), Powder Springs, Georgia
Dennis G. BennettYNBible Institute of South Africa
Douglas E. DaughertyYNProject Manager, The Maclellan Foundation, Chattanooga, TN
E. Calvin BeisnerYNCornwall Alliance Founder and National Spokesman
Frank J. SmithYNEditor, Presbyterian International News Services
Garry J. MoesYNDirector, Murphys Christian Camp; former political reporter/editor, The Associated Press
George GrantYYPh.D., Teaching Pastor, Christ Community Church (PCA), Principal, Kings Meadow Study Center, Nashville, TN
George KhushfYYHumanities Director, Center for Bioethics, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC
Gregory Lee RobertsonYNInterim Pastor, Loving Savior of the Hills Lutheran Church (LCMS), Chino Hills, California
Gretchen PassantinoYNM.Div. (Apologetics), Director & Co-founder, Answers In Action
Harry V. Wiant, Jr.YYPh.D., Ibberson Chair in Forest Resources, Penn State University
Henry KrabbendamYYPh.D., President, Africa Christian Training Institute, (Ret.) Professor of Biblical Studies, Covenant College, Lookout Mountain, GA
Herbert SchlossbergYYPh.D., Senior Research Associate, Ethics & Public Policy Center
Howard BallYYNational Director, ChurchLIFE, Cru (formerly Campus Crusade for Christ)
Irfon HughesYNPastor, Hillcrest Presbyterian Church (PCA), Volant, Pennsylvania
J. Ligon Duncan IIIYYSenior Pastor, First Presbyterian Church (PCA), Jackson, MS, and President, Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals
James A. WanlissNYPh.D., Associate Professor of Physics, Presbyterian College, Clinton, SC
Jay GrimsteadYNDirector, Coalition on Revival
Jay W. RichardsYNAuthor, contributing editor to The American
Jeff MyersYNAssociate Professor, Bryan College, Tennessee
Jerry NewcombeYNSenior Producer, Coral Ridge Ministries-TV, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
Jerry O’NeillYYPh.D., President, Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary
Jim TonkowichYNScholar, Institute on Religion and Democracy
Joel BelzYY(Ret.), Founder and Publisher, World MagazIne
Joey PipaYYPh.D., President, Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary
John KhushalYYAssociate Director, CRU, North India
John Michael BeersYNPh.D., S.S.L., Dean of the Pre-Theologate, Ave Maria University, Florida
Kenneth ChiltonYYPh.D., Senior Environmental Fellow, Institute for the Study of Economics & the Environment, Lindenwood University, St. Charles, MO
Kenneth G. TalbotYNPresident, Whitefield Theological Seminary, Florida
Kevin Alan LewisYYPh.D., Professor of Theology and Law, Biola University, La Mirada, CA
Louis P. SheldonYYChairman, Traditional Values Coalition
Madre Antonia BecerraYNCaritas Charities, Quintana Roo, Mexico
Marvin OlaskyNYPh.D., Editor-in-Chief, World Magazine
Michael CromartieYYVice President, Ethics & Public Policy Center, Director, Evangelicals in Civic Life
Michael E. BaumanYNPh.D., Professor of Theology & Culture, Hillsdale College, Hillsdale, MI
Paul D. KooistraYYMinistry to the World, Presbyterian Church in America
Peter J. HillYYPh.D., (Ret.), George F. Bennett Chair of Economics, Wheaton College, Wheaton, IL
Peter JonesNYPh.D., Executive Director, truthXchange, and Emeritus Professor of New Testament, Westminster Theological Seminary, Escondido, CA
Ralph WeitzYYStewardship Pastor, Immanuel Bible Church, Springfield, VA
Richard DoughertyYNAssociate Professor, Politics Department, University of Dallas, Texas
Robert RoyalYNPresident, Faith and Reason Institute
Robert SiricoYNPresident, Acton Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty
Ron D. PetitteYND.P.A., Director, Honors and Political Science Programs, Bryan College, Tennessee
Roy W. SpencerYYPh.D., Principal Research Scientist, Earth System Science Center, University of Alabama, Huntsville, AL, and Lead Scientist, NASA Aqua AMSR-3 Satellite Remote Sensing Program
Stephen LivesayYYPh.D., President, Bryan College, Dayton, TN
Steven HaywardYYPh.D., Thomas Smith Distinguished Visiting Professor, Ashland University, Ashland, Ohio; Secretary of Energy & Interior under President Ronald Reagan; author of the annual Index of Leading Environmental Indicators
Ted BaehrYYPresident, Christian Film and Television Commission
Timothy TerrellYYPh.D., Associate Professor of Economics, Wofford College, Spartanburg, SC
Tracy C. MillerYYAssociate Professor of Economics, Grove City College, Pennsylvania
Wayne GrudemYYPh.D., Research Professor of Theology and Biblical Studies, Phoenix Seminary, Phoenix, AZ
William L. AndersonYNAssociate Professor of Economics, Frostburg State University, Frostburg, MD
Gary KassYNPresident, Reclaiming America for Christ
Daniel LapinYNPresident, Toward Tradition
Gary PerrasYNTemple Israel, Daytona Beach, Florida
Phillip DeVousYNChaplain, Thomas More College, Kentucky
Richard John Neuhaus (deceased)YNPresident, Institute on Religion and Public Life

Contributing Writers

Name201527“Who We Are,” Cornwall Alliance for the Stewardship of Creation. Archived June 19, 2015.201628“Who We Are,” Cornwallalliance.org. Archived March 20, 2016. Archive.is URL: http://archive.is/df1C8Title
Alan WisdomYYindependent writer and consultant, former Vice President, Institute on Religion & Democracy
Anthony J. SadarYYM.S., Adjunct Professor of Earth & Environmental Sciences, Statistics, Air Pollution, Meteorology, & Engineering, Geneva College, Beaver Falls, PA
Anthony LupoYYPh.D., Department Chair and Professor of Atmospheric Science, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO
Arthur EberleYYM.S., President, Compliance Assurance, Harvest, AL
Ashley ThorneYYDirector of Communications, National Association of Scholars, Princeton, NJ
Barrett DukeYYPh.D., Vice President, Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, Southern Baptist Convention, Washington, DC
Ben PhillipsYYPh.D., Associate Dean, Havard School of Theological Studies, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Fort Worth, TX
Bill FlaxYYColumnist, Forbes, Cincinnati, OH
C. Ben MitchellYYGraves Professor of Moral Philosophy, Union University, Jackson, TN
Charles CloughYYPh.D., Atmospheric Physicist (Ret.), Adjunct Professor, Chafer Theological Seminary, Bel Air, MD
Charles Van EatonYYPh.D., Professor of Economics (Ret.), Hillsdale College, Hillsdale, MICATN
Chris SkatesYYM.S., Plant Chemistry Supervisor, Electric Energy Inc., Joppa, IL
Craig Vincent MitchellYYPh.D., Associate Professor of Christian Ethics, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Fort Worth, TX
David LegatesYYPh.D., Professor of Climatology, University of Delaware, Newark, DE
David ShormannYYPh.D., Marine Chemist and Limnologist, President, DIVE (Digital Interactive Video Education), Houston, TX
Douglas E. DaughertyYYProject Manager, The Maclellan Foundation, Chattanooga, TN
Edward KrugYYPh.D., (Ret.) Soil and Water Scientist, Illinois State Water Survey and National Acid Precipitation Assessment Program, Urbana, IL
G. Cornelis van KootenYYPh.D., Professor of Economics and Research Chari in Environmental Studies and Climate, University of Victoria, BC, Canada
Gordon EvansYYM.S., Environmental Manager, Texas A&M University System, College Station, TX
James A. WanlissYYPh.D., Associate Professor of Physics, Presbyterian College, Clinton, SC
Jamieson C. KeisterYYPh.D., (Ret.) Pharmaceutical Research Specialist, 3M Company, Lakeville, MN
John SparksYYPh.D., Dean of Humanities, Grove City College, Grove City, IL
John SwayzeYYPh.D. (Ret.), Organic, Medicinal, and Agricultural Chemist, Carmel, IN
Kenneth ChiltonYYPh.D., Senior Environmental Fellow, Institute for the Study of Economics & the Environment, Lindenwood University, St. Charles, MO
Mark CoppengerYYPh.D., Professor of Christian Apologetics, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, KY
Mark MusserYYM.D., Pastor, Grace Redeemer Bible Church, Olympia, WA
Michael E. BaumanYYPh.D., Professor of Theology & Culture, Hillsdale College, Hillsdale, MI
Michael SalazarYYPh.D., Associate Professor of Chemistry, Union University, Jackson, TN
Neil L. FrankNYPh.D. (Meteorology), the longest-serving Director of the National Hurricane Center (1974–1987) and retired Chief Meteorologist of KHOU–TV, Houston (1987–2008), Fulshear, TX
Peter JonesYYPh.D., Executive Director, truthXchange, and Emeritus Professor of New Testament, Westminster Theological Seminary, Escondido, CA
Richard S. CourtneyYYExpert Reviewer, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and Methodist Preacher, Cornwall, UK
Ronald MarksYYPh.D., Professor of Chemistry, North Greenville University, Greenville, SC
Shawn RitenourYYPh.D., Professor of Economics, Grove City College, Grove City, PA
Stephen VantasselYYPh.D., Wildlife Control Consultant, Project Coordinator, Internet Center for Wildlife Damage Management, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE
Steven HaywardYYPh.D., Thomas Smith Distinguished Visiting Professor, Ashland University, Ashland, Ohio; Secretary of Energy & Interior under President Ronald Reagan; author of the annual Index of Leading Environmental Indicators
Terry LovellYYPh.D., Professor of Business, Yavapai College, Prescott, AZ
Timothy TerrellYYPh.D., Associate Professor of Economics, Wofford College, Spartanburg, SC
Todd PedlarYYPh.D., Associate Professor of Physics, Luther College, Decorah, IA
Tracy C. MillerYYAssociate Professor of Economics, Grove City College, Pennsylvania
William A. MundhausenNYB.A., Chairman, Orion Center, Linn Creek, Missouri
William D. BalgordYYPresident, Environmental & Resources Technology, Inc., Middleton, WI
William L. AndersonYYAssociate Professor of Economics, Frostburg State University, Frostburg, MD

Actions

May 17, 2017

The Cornwall Alliance is set to release a new documentary titled “Convicted: How Climate Alarmism Harms the World’s Poor” (working title) as the sequel to “Where the Grass is Greener: Biblical Stewardship vs. Climate Alarmism.”29“Convicted: How Climate Alarmism Harms the World’s Poor,” The Heritage Foundation, May 17, 2017. Archived May 16, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/Fr8lN

According to event description, the film would “delves into the deadly impacts of climate alarmism on people in developing countries, and what Biblical Stewardship requires of us: ‘To seek justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God.’”30“Convicted: How Climate Alarmism Harms the World’s Poor,” The Heritage Foundation, May 17, 2017. Archived May 16, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/Fr8lN

The event would be co-hosted with the Heritage Foundation, featuring E. Calvin Beisner and Becky Norton Dunlop.31“Convicted: How Climate Alarmism Harms the World’s Poor,” The Heritage Foundation, May 17, 2017. Archived May 16, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/Fr8lN

The Convicted trailer is available on Vimeo, from CDR Communications. Those featured in film include Tom Harris, Tim Ball, S. Fred Singer, Leighton Steward, Patrick J. Michaels, David Legates, among others.32“Convicted: How Climate Alarmism Harms the World’s Poor,” The Heritage Foundation, May 17, 2017. Archived May 16, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/Fr8lN

May 1–12, 2017

The Cornwall Alliance’s Calvin Beisner was hosted by the group Reformed Perspective (RP) for a Spring Speaking Tour in Canada titled “The Grass is Greener: Biblical Stewardship in an Age of Climate Alarmism.” The event description on the RP website reads as follows:33“May Speaking Tour: Biblical Stewardship in an age of Climate Alarmism,” Reformed Perspective, April 15, 2017. Archived May 13, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/Jrb2d 

“If CO2 reductions, intended to fight future global warming, end up increasing heating costs now, should Christians be for or against them? And if these same CO2 reductions increase food costs, how will that impact the world’s poorest? Why don’t we hear environmentalists talking about the negative impact of their climate change plans? Is that because there aren’t any? And how does biblical stewardship differ from environmentalism in the way each views Man? Does having a Reformed perspective on the environment really matter? You bet it does!”34“May Speaking Tour: Biblical Stewardship in an age of Climate Alarmism,” Reformed Perspective, April 15, 2017. Archived May 13, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/Jrb2d 

Reformed Perspective describes itself as a “A Canadian-based monthly Christian magazine and website that looks at society and culture from a Calvinist viewpoint.” A recent issue of the RP magazine includes articles voicing concern over the inclusion of same-sex couples in the children’s magazine Hlighlights, and another article on what to do when a family member says they are gay. “The powerful, aggressive, LGBTQ lobby has been very successful in its efforts to normalize the homosexual lifestyle in our society,” the article reads, which also mentions a DVD resource on the topic.35Reformed Prespective (PDF), Jan/Feb 2017, Vol. 36, Issue No. 2(PDF)

May 8, 2017

The Cornwall Alliance, represented by E. Calvin Beisner, is listed on an open letter to President Donald J. Trump urging him “to withdraw fully from the Paris Climate Treaty and to stop all taxpayer funding of UN global warming programs.”36“Dear Mr. President” (PDF), retrieved from Competitive Enterprise Institute. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.

DeSmog reported that the 40 groups represented in the letter, including the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI), The Heartland Institute, and the Heritage Foundation, have received a combined total of millions of dollars from the Koch Brothers, ExxonMobil, and other industry groups.37Graham Readfearn. “Conservative Groups Pushing Trump To Exit Paris Climate Deal Have Taken Millions From Koch Brothers, Exxon,” DeSmog, May 10, 2017.

Analysis also showed that the groups accepted about $80 million through Donors Capital Fund and Donors Trust, two groups that have been confirmed is a key financial source for key U.S-based climate change denial groups.38Susanne Goldberg. “Conservative groups spend up to $1bn a year to fight action on climate change,” The Guardian, December 20, 2013. Archived May 12, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/TB2yy

January 5, 2017

The Cornwall Alliance wrote an open letter supporting Scott Pruitt for EPA Administrator under the Trump administration.39“Open Letter Supporting Scott Pruitt for EPA Administrator,” Cornwall Alliance, January 5, 2017. Archived January 19, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/xMash

“Mr. Pruitt has also demonstrated understanding of and open-mindedness toward scientific insights crucial to the formulation and implementation of environmental regulation. He is prepared to hear all sides in debates over the risks and benefits of various activities that come under the purview of the EPA,” reads the letter.

On January 12, 2017, Senate Democrats raised conflict of interest concerns regarding Scott Prutt’s fossil fuel ties. Pruitt had spent years working to combat the Obama Administration’s Clean Power Plan.40Ben Jervey. “Mapping EPA Nominee Scott Pruitt’s Many Fossil Fuel Ties,” DeSmog, January 13, 2017.

In an open letter to the Office of Government Ethics, members of the Senate’s environmental panel commented:

“During his tenure as Attorney General of Oklahoma, Mr. Pruitt has blurred the distinction between official and political actions, often at the behest of corporations he will regulate if confirmed to lead EPA,” the letter said. “Public reporting based on documents produced by Freedom of Information Act requests illustrate how Mr. Pruitt and members of his staff have worked closely with fossil fuel lobbyists to craft his office’s official positions.”

Pruitt was further grilled on his fossil fuel ties at his confirmation hearing on January 18.41Ben Jervey and Steve Horn. “EPA Nominee Scott Pruitt Gets Grilled on Fossil Fuel Ties at Confirmation Hearing,” DeSmog, January 18, 2017.

Some notable signatories of the Cornwall Alliance letter, as of January 5, 2017, included:

June 10, 2016

The Cornwall Alliance released an open letter written by Calvin Beisner to U.S. attorneys general about climate change.42E. Calvin Beisner. “Open Letter to Attorneys General about Climate Change,” Cornwall Alliance, June 10, 2016. Archived June 24, 2016. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/N0m9z

The letter responds to recent investigations by U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch and members of Attorneys General United for Clean Power into what ExxonMobil knew about climate change and when, started by a coalition of attorneys general in the US.43David Hasemyer. “Climate Fraud Investigation of Exxon Draws Attention of 17 Attorneys General,” InsideClimate News, March 30, 2016. Archived June 24, 2016. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/D2tlr 44Ben Jervey. “State Investigations Into What Exxon Knew Double, and Exxon Gets Defensive,” DeSmog, April 1, 2016.

Beisner writes that the attorneys generals’ actions are “a dead giveaway that you’re ignorant about climate science and related climate and energy policy.”

“[U]nlike in the case of tobacco’s health risks, there are innumerable and enormous holes in the case (not for human contribution to global warming but) for manmade global warming dangerous enough to justify spending trillions of dollars reinventing the world’s energy system to mitigate it, particularly when competing use of those trillions might bring far greater benefit,” Beisner addresses the attorneys general. And you, intelligent and learned all, are ignorant of those enormous holes.”45E. Calvin Beisner. “Open Letter to Attorneys General about Climate Change,” Cornwall Alliance, June 10, 2016. Archived June 24, 2016. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/N0m9z

Signatories of the Cornwall Alliance’s open letter include:46E. Calvin Beisner. “Open Letter to Attorneys General about Climate Change,” Cornwall Alliance, June 10, 2016. Archived June 24, 2016. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/N0m9z

February 25, 2016

Responding to a petition at the University of Chicago for the Board to divest from fossil fuel companies, Calvin Beisner of the Cornwall Alliance said that the University would “violate their obligations” if they acted on the open letter:

“For the trustees to make decisions based on politically correct ideology rather than on the actual financial wisdom of the investment is actually for them to violate their obligations for looking after the financial well-being of the institution,” he asserts.

“We can get far more energy from the use of far less land by fossil fuels than by wind and solar and other renewables,” he adds. “Furthermore, not only do fossil fuels help to protect the natural environment that way, they also lift people out of poverty.”47Chris Woodward. “Much to consider re:fossil fuels,” OneNewsNow.com, February 25, 2016. Archived March 21, 2016.

The original Faculty Open Letter is reproduced below:48“Faculty Open Letter to the Board of Trustees,” Google Forms. Accessed March 21, 2016. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.

TO THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO,
We, the undersigned faculty at the University of Chicago, urge the University to divest from the fossil fuel industry. We believe that profiting from these industries conflicts with the paramount social value of avoiding significant and permanent degradation of our planet that, if left unchecked, will adversely affect all of us, personally and as an institution. Because of the universal and existential nature of the threat climate change poses, we are not only compliant with but compelled by the Kalven Report to take action.

November, 2015

The Cornwall Alliance sent an email to over 2,900 faculty members of colleges and universities across the country asking them to endorse their “Open Letter on Climate Change to the People, their Local Representatives, the State Legislatures and Governors, the Congress, and the President of the United States of America.”49E. Calvin Beisner. “COMMENTARY: Saving the world from global warming will keep poorest 2 billion in ‘abject poverty’,” Christian Examiner, November 30, 2015. Archived March 21, 2016. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/aFXNz

September 11-14, 2015

The Cornwall Alliance published a series of videos online as part of a series titled “Greener On the Other Side: Climate Alarmism—Facts, Not Fear” featuring prominent climate change skeptics, and reiterating many previously debunked points regarding climate change. 

Video: “Greener on the Other Side – History and Myth: The CO2 Record”
Featured Speakers: 

  • H. Leighton Steward — “Earth is getting greener, and greener, and still greener as Earth’s CO2 level builds up:
  • Walter Cunningham — “On the Apollo Space Craft […] the alarm would go off if [CO2 levels] got to three thousand parts per million.”
  • Thomas Wysmuller — “Temperature has swung up…temperature has swung down.”
  • Roy W. Spencer — “If anything, there’s going to be net benefits, especially considering the fact life on earth requires CO2 and we’re already seeing evidence that more CO2 is causing global greening.”

Video: “Greener on the Other Side – Are Religion and Science in Conflict?”

Featured Speakers:

  • Thomas P. Sheahen — “God was the inventor of science. God invented mathematics. He invented logic.”
  • David Legates — “To be a true Christian means you have to believe and understand what we are being taught through the Bible and through God’s work.”
  • Jay Richards — “Fundamentally there is no conflict between Christian theology and science.”

Video: “Greener on the Other Side – Is CO2 as Dangerous as Commonly Thought?”

Featured Speakers:

  • Anthony Watts — “The Earth has experienced large swings in climate in the past.”
  • David Legates — “CO2 has been much higher than it is today. […] CO2 and things that have changed in the past haven’t resulted in completely destroying the planet.”
  • Walter Cunningham — “The climate has been much, much more variable than anyone alive today has ever felt. […] All life on the planet developed by adapting to the climate. […] It’s not an issue of whether the climate has been changing or not. It’s been changing for 3.8 billion years. The question is what impact do humans have on that change—and it is trivial.”
  • Robert M. Carter — “We’ve now spent 25 years, several hundred billion dollars, trying to measure the impact of human carbon dioxide emissions on planetary temperature. We cannot detect it.”

Video: “Greener on the Other Side – CO2: Pollutant, or Plant Food?”

Featured Speakers:

  • H. Leighton Steward — “We all learned in the third grade that CO2 is what plants eat. […] That the EPA administrator called CO2 a pollutant is scientifically embarrassing.”
  • Harold H. Doiron —  ”CO2 is a very special chemical that is here to sustain all life.”
  • Robert M. Carter — “Carbon dioxide is a trace gas in the atmosphere, and it is the elixir of life.” 
  • S. Fred Singer — “The idea that there might be some climate effect from CO2 is very natural. The question is can you measure it. Is it large enough to be measureable? From what we know now, the answer is it’s hardly measureable.”
  • Anthony Watts — “If you look at the figures from satellites from the last decade, you’ll see that the Earth has actually been greening due to the increased CO2 in the atmosphere.”
  • Patrick J. Michaels — “Carbon dioxide warms the surface temperature up a little bit and it makes plants grow a lot better.

September 9, 2015

The Cornwall Alliance created a petition titled “For the Sake of the Poor, Don’t Fight Global Warming!” According to the petition, global warming is a “non-problem” and fighting it will harm the poor and elderly.50“For the Sake of the Poor, Don’t Fight Global Warming!” Cornwall Alliance for the Stewardship of Creation. Archived September 16, 2015. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/ZAH9A Signatories can be viewed here.51“Signers of ‘Petition: For the Sake of the Poor, Don’t Fight Global Warming!’” Cornwall Alliance, September 9, 2015. Archived September 16, 2015. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/kKFrO

The petition was later re-titled “Forget ‘Climate Change’, Energy Empowers the Poor!” however the text remains unchanged. 

Apri, 2015

Calvin Beisner is one of a group of “experts” who appeared at a press conference at the Hotel Columbus in Rome, and later delivered deliver lectures at the Palazzo Cardinal Cesi on climate change. Beisner delivered a “Message to Pope Francis” regarding the encyclical on the environment.52E. Calvin Beisner. “Message to Pope Francis: Protect the Poor from Harmful Climate Policies,” Christian Examiner, April 27, 2016. Archived March 21, 2016. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/CHliF

“Adding carbon dioxide to the atmosphere isn’t going to cause dangerous global warming, but it sure will enhance all life on earth—including human life, especially among the poor,” Beisner claimed.

“CO2‘s impact on global temperature is real but so tiny as to be insignificant,” says Beisner. “Trying to reduce our emissions will neither protect the earth nor dignify humanity.”

[…] “Pope Francis, a long-time defender of the poor, needs to understand this before he issues a planned encyclical on the environment and climate change,” Beisner added. “We and the climate scientists and other scholars meeting in Rome will do our best to make it clear.”53E. Calvin Beisner. “Message to Pope Francis: Protect the Poor from Harmful Climate Policies,” Christian Examiner, April 27, 2016. Archived March 21, 2016. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/CHliF

March 17, 2015

Calvin Beisner, founder and national spokesperson for the Cornwall Alliance, authored an article in the Opinion section of the Christian Post where he criticized a video series by the Christian Reformed Church titled “Climate Conversation: Kenya.” The video series documented first-hand the impacts of climate change on East Africa.54E. Calvin Beisner. “Is Fighting Global Warming the Solution to Water Shortages in Kenya Or Elsewhere?“ Christian Post, March 17, 2015. Archived March 21, 2016. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/WnqId

John Elwood writes that “What we discovered was absolutely staggering. In farms, village churches and government offices, Kenyans from all walks of life told us a familiar story: Climate patterns were changing radically, destroying food supplies and family farms, spreading hunger, and driving migration into squalid urban slums.”55John Elwood. “Christian Reformed Church Takes ‘Go and See’ Attitude on Climate Disruption: Challenges Cornwall Alliance on Kenya,” Christian Post, March 30, 2015. May 10, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/qt8eH

He also writes that “we weren’t surprised” to find Calivin Beisner’s rebuttal:

“‘The relevant facts in Kenya don’t support these claims,’ Beisner said. And to support his rebuttal, he presented data from a World Bank website indicating that for Kenya as a whole, neither average monthly temperature nor rainfall had changed materially over the last century. ‘Are poor Kenyans suffering from water shortages?’ asked Beisner. ‘Yes. Is that because of global warming—manmade or natural? No. Is fighting global warming the solution? No.’

We suspect that Beisner’s article might have sounded persuasive and pragmatic to many readers, but not to us. And that’s because he cited country-wide data to invalidate the experience of people living in microclimates which are experiencing massive changes – obvious to us when we went to look for ourselves.”56John Elwood. “Christian Reformed Church Takes ‘Go and See’ Attitude on Climate Disruption: Challenges Cornwall Alliance on Kenya,” Christian Post, March 30, 2015. May 10, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/qt8eH

June 17, 2015

Calvin E. Beisner released a statement regarding Pope Francis’s Encyclical on the Environment, posted in a press release at the Heartland Institute website:

“Sad to say, despite Pope Francis’s best intentions, the policies he recommends to mitigate global warming would make it far more difficult to overcome poverty. And, ironically, by prolonging and even spreading poverty, those policies would put more of the natural environment at risk.

“People worried about putting food on the table, clothes on the back, and a roof over the head can’t afford to care or do much about air, water, and solid waste pollution. Gathering enough twigs and branches to cook tonight’s measly meal and heat a miserable hut take precedence over any concerns about deforestation, soil erosion, and biodiversity loss.

“Wealth enables people to afford better environmental stewardship. Pope Francis should champion economic development as a solution both to poverty and to environmental degradation. Unfortunately, at least as regards climate change, the leaked draft of the new encyclical does the opposite.”57(Press Release). “Participants in Heartland Institute Mission to Vatican Comment on Pope Francis’s Encyclical on the Environment,” The Heartland Institute, June 17, 2015. Archived June 19, 2015. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/SzSaG

April, 2015

The Cornwall Alliance published “An Open Letter to Pope Francis on Climate Change,” claiming that the science is not settled on whether man-made carbon dioxide emissions are contributing to global warming. 

The open letter advocates having no restrictions on fossil fuel use:

“Truly, ‘The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims his handiwork’ (Psalm 19:1). By using fossil fuels to generate energy to lift billions of God’s precious children out of poverty, we liberate from the tomb of the earth the carbon dioxide on which plants and therefore all the rest of life depend. This beautifully reveals the Creator’s wisdom and care for all of His creation—people, animals, plants, and the earth itself.”58“An Open Letter to Pope Francis on Climate Change,” Cornwall Alliance for the Stewardship of Creation. April 27, 2015. Archived June 18, 2015. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/G34e2

September 17, 2014

The Cornwall Alliance published “Ten Reasons to Oppose Harmful Climate Change Policies,” inviting signatories to endorse the declaration and “call on political leaders to abandon fruitless and harmful policies to control global temperature.” The “10 reasons” are reproduced below:59“Protect the Poor: Ten Reasons to Oppose Harmful Climate Change Policies,” Cornwall Alliance for the Stewardship of Creation. September 17, 2014. Archived July 22, 2015. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/XKEp8

  1. As the product of infinitely wise design, omnipotent creation, and faithful sustaining (Genesis 1:1–31; 8:21–22), Earth is robust, resilient, self-regulating, and self-correcting. Although Earth and its subsystems, including the climate system, are susceptible to some damage by ignorant or malicious human action, God’s wise design and faithful sustaining make these natural systems more likely—as confirmed by widespread scientific observation—to respond in ways that suppress and correct that damage than magnify it catastrophically.
  2. Earth’s temperature naturally warms and cools cyclically throughout time, and warmer periods are typically more conducive to human thriving than colder periods.
  3. While human addition of greenhouse gases, particularly carbon dioxide (CO2), to the atmosphere may slightly raise atmospheric temperatures, observational studies indicate that the climate system responds more in ways that suppress than in ways that amplify CO2’s effect on temperature, implying a relatively small and benign rather than large and dangerous warming effect.
  4. Empirical studies indicate that natural cycles outweigh human influences in producing the cycles of global warming and cooling, not only in the distant past but also recently.
  5. Computer climate models, over 95% of which point toward greater warming than has been observed during the period of rapid CO2 increase, do not justify belief that human influences have come to outweigh natural influences, or fears that human-caused warming will be large and dangerous.
  6. Rising atmospheric CO2 benefits all life on Earth by improving plant growth and crop yields, making food more abundant and affordable, helping the poor most of all.
  7. Abundant, affordable, reliable energy, most of it now and in the foreseeable future provided by burning fossil fuels, which are the primary source of CO2 emissions, is indispensable to lifting and keeping people out of poverty.
  8. Mandatory reductions in CO2 emissions, pursued to prevent dangerous global warming, would have little or no discernible impact on global temperatures, but would greatly increase the price of energy and therefore of everything else. Such policies would put more people at greater risk than the warming they are intended to prevent, because they would slow, stop, or even reverse the economic growth that enables people to adapt to all climates. They would also harm the poor more than the wealthy, and would harm them more than the small amount of warming they might prevent.
  9. In developed countries, the poor spend a higher percentage of their income on energy than others, so rising energy prices, driven by mandated shifts from abundant, affordable, reliable fossil fuels to diffuse, expensive, intermittent “Green” energy, will in effect be regressive taxes—taxing the poor at higher rates than the rich.
  10. In developing countries, billions of the poor desperately need to replace dirty, inefficient cooking and heating fuels, pollution from which causes hundreds of millions of illnesses and about 4 million premature deaths every year, mostly among women and young children. To demand that they forgo the use of inexpensive fossil fuels and depend on expensive wind, solar, and other “Green” fuels to meet that need is to condemn them to more generations of poverty and the high rates of disease and premature death that accompany it.

August 29, 2012
Calvin Beisner wrote about Cornwall’s efforts to produce grade school curriculum.60E. Calvin Beisner. “Your Tax Dollars at Work – Stealing Your Child’s Mind!” Cornwall Alliance, August 29, 2012. Archived March 29, 2023.

“For generations America’s public schools have indoctrinated our children with the dogma of Darwinism: life arose and developed by chance, no Creator involved. Now they’re poised to indoctrinate them with another dogma: catastrophic, global warming—not just global warming, but catastrophic, anthropogenic global warming (CAGW). Never mind that in both cases thousands of scientists reject the dogmas,” he wrote.

“One of the aims of In His Image 2012, the Cornwall Alliance’s new educational venture, is to prepare environmental stewardship curriculum for grades K–12—curriculum that will be firmly rooted in Biblical worldview, theology, and ethics, coupled with excellent science and economics. We plan to make a first edition of that curriculum suitable for Christian private and home schools, and a second edition suitable for public and secular private schools. The need just became more obvious than ever.”

November 10, 2010

The Cornwall Alliance released a campaign titled “Resisting the Green Dragon.”61Resisting the Green Dragon Homepage. Archived March 16, 2016. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/mMwGM

The DVD series portrays the entire green movement as a “false religion,” and part of a conspiracy to create a “global government.”

According to the Alliance, “it not only refutes the scientific case for dangerous manmade warming and other ‘crises,’ but also exposes how environmental organizations use sophisticated media campaigns and even seek increased global governance to promote their agenda among policy makers, religious leaders, and youth.”

Calvin Beisner, Cornwall Alliance founder and national spokesperson, said that “One of the greatest threats to society and the church today is the multifaceted environmentalist movement.”62“Sounding the Alarm about Dangerous Environmental Extremism,” The Cornwall Alliance, November 10, 2010. Archived March 20, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/SgnLp

James Wanliss, a senior fellow with the Cornwall Alliance, wrote the similarly-titled book The Green Dragon: Is Global Warming a Religion, also published by the Cornwall Alliance. Wanliss is also the author of a 2011 book adaptation of the DVD series.63“New Book, Resisting the Green Dragon: Dominion, Not Death, Now Available,” Cornwall Alliance for the Stewardship of Creation, January 19, 2011. Archived March 7, 2012. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/qYWcE

March 8–10, 2009

The Cornwall Alliance was a co-sponsor of the Heartland Institute’s 2009 International Conference on Climate Change.

July 25, 2006

Hosted a panel discussion with The Heritage Foundation surrounding the ISA“s “Call to Truth, Prudence and the Protection of the Poor: An Evangelical Response to Global Warming.”

According to the event description, “The ISA paper lays forth solid scientific, economic, ethical, and theological arguments against mandatory carbon-emissions reductions called for by the ECI to mitigate global warming.”64“Call to Truth, Prudence and the Protection of the Poor: An Evangelical Response to Global Warming,” The Heritage Foundation, July 25, 2006. Archived July 22, 2015. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/HHhQQ

Speakers included David R. Legates, E. Calvin Beisner, and Kenneth Chilton. The event was hosted by Becky Norton Dunlop.

Cornwall Alliance Contact & Address

As of May, 2016, the Cornwall Alliance’s contact and phone number were listed as follows:65“Contact,” Cornwall Alliance For the Stewardship of Creation. Archived May 27, 2016. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/lxMMu

The Cornwall Alliance
9302-C Old Keene Mill Road
Burke, VA 22015
Ph: 703-569-4653

Email
[email protected] — Office
[email protected] — Megan Toombs, Communications and Outreach Coordinator

James Partnership Contact

Notably, the above contact address and phone number is identical to that of the James Partnership, according to a charity registration search. “Other Names Used” by the James Partnerhsip are listed as follows:66“Charitable Solicitations Program Charity Profile Report: Registration #27467,” Secretary of State Charities Program. Archived May 27, 2016. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.

  • 1Voice Films
  • Advent Filmmakers
  • Churches And Villages Together
  • Cornwall Alliance

The James Partnership

The Cornwall Alliance appears to be a creation of the James Partnership, a nonprofit group run by Chris Rogers and Peter Stein.67“The oily operators behind the religious climate change disinformation front group, Cornwall Alliance,” ThinkProgress, June 19, 2010. Archived July 22, 2015. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/w7MeE According to the James Partnership’s website, their “principal projects” include The Cornwall Alliance for the Stewardship of Creation, Churches and Villages Together, and 1Voice Films.68“The James Partnership Homepage. Archived March 17, 2016. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/Iq9Dp

The James Partnership’s Chris Rogers runs a media and public relations firm called CDR Communications, and has worked with David Rothbard,69“CFACT Staff,” Cfact.org. Archived March 18, 2016. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/4k2RY the co- founder and President of the Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow (CFACT)70.“About Us,” Churches and Villages Together. Archived March 18, 2016. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/wca6l 71“The oily operators behind the religious climate change disinformation front group, Cornwall Alliance,” ThinkProgress, June 19, 2010. Archived July 22, 2015. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/w7MeE

As of 2010, Thinkprogress reported that the following entities have all been registered to the same physical address at 9302-C Old Keene Mill Road Burke, VA 22015, an office park in suburban Virginia:72“The oily operators behind the religious climate change disinformation front group, Cornwall Alliance,” ThinkProgress, June 19, 2010. Archived July 22, 2015. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/w7MeE

According to public tax records, approximately one quarter of The James Partnership’s income was spent on hiring Calvin Beisner, the founder and spokesperson for the Cornwall Alliance, for “contract services” ($98,030 in 2013).73“The James Partnership” (PDF), 2013 Form 990. 

Council for National Policy (CNP)

Joyce Nelson wrote that the Cornwall Alliance is a “key member of the Council for National Policy (CNP) – a secretive organization that is considered one of the pillars of the New Right in the US.”74Joyce Nelson. “The Harper government and evangelical capitalism,” Rabble.ca, February 6, 2015. Archived March 21, 2016. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/2DoMn

“According to author/activist Chris Hedges, the CNP brought together dominionist Evangelicals and the ‘right-wing industrialists willing to fund them.’ The CNP meets in utmost secrecy three times per year and gives billions of dollars to right-wing Christian organizations. Its membership and donor lists are not disclosed, and its events are closed to the public and the press. The Council for National Policy is known, however, to have given an award to the billionaire Koch Brothers, who are heavily involved in the tar sands and in funding the Fraser Institute,” he writes.75Joyce Nelson. “The Harper government and evangelical capitalism,” Rabble.ca, February 6, 2015. Archived March 21, 2016. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/2DoMn

Publications

The Cornwall Alliance listed the following “Landmark Documents” on their website as of July, 2015:

Other Resources

Resources

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