Knowledge Zone
Why learn more?
We care about what we know and understand but it can be overwhelming to read about environmental issues, so what do we really need to know? There’s so much information available it can be helpful to be pointed at some relevant resources. That’s what we aim to do here.
There are courses you can take, films and talks to watch, publications to read and lots of online information to inform you about the science and to help you target your actions.
Is a global temperature rise of 2 degrees rather than 1.5 degrees centigrade dangerous?
The film below is a brief explanation by the Met Office of the IPCC 2018 report. This infographic also describes the differences.
What is the Knowledge Zone?
The Knowledge Zone is focused on the science and facts of the climate emergency and biodiversity crisis. We’ve listed some tips below. Have a read, then scroll down to search through the resource table.
What is the climate crisis?
What does it mean for me as a Christian?
God calls us to look after his world. Watch a video series from Bishop Olivia on how and why we should care for creation.
What do I need to know before I get started?
Check out the resources below to build your knowledge base.
Moving on...
When you’re ready, move on to the Action Zone. There you can see what others are doing and explore ways in which we can help you make practical action.
For best results, tip your phone to landscape
Topic | Title | Description | Link | Who's it for? | What is it? | Keywords | Zone | |
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Scientific - Climate | Scientific - Climate | Hope in Hell by Jonathon Porritt. It is not too late to act on climate "But it won’t stay ‘not too late’ much longer. Which is what makes this the decisive decade" | http://www.jonathonporritt.com/hope-in-hell/ | Individuals | Publications | Knowledge | ||
Scientific - Climate | Scientific - Climate | The World We Made by Jonathon Porritt. "The World We Made is told through the words of Alex McKay, a teacher looking back from 2050, to tell the story of how we got from where we are today (in a pretty bad way, environmentally) to a much better place in the future." | http://www.jonathonporritt.com/the-world-we-made/ | Individuals | Publications | Knowledge | ||
Theological reading - Environment and faith | Theological reading - Environment and faith | John Ray Institute. Environmental and theological resource library. Briefing papers on a variety of subjects, bible studies and group resources, reports from conferences and other events. Donation requested for their use. | http://www.jri.org.uk | Individuals | Online reading | audio visual, in depth, academic,ecology, bible | Knowledge | |
Scientific - Climate | Scientific - Climate | Six Degrees: Our Future on a Hotter Planet by Mark Lynas (Harper Perennial, 2008) — What does the earth look like with one degree of global warming? With two? With more? A journalist sets out the scenarios based on scientific research and shows urgent action is required. | https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/Six-Degrees-by-Mark-Lynas/9780007209057 | Individuals | Publications | Knowledge | ||
Scientific - climate | Scientific - climate | Carbon Copy. A map showing what net zero deadlines Local Authorities have stated in their climate declatations. | https://carboncopy.eco/local-climate-action | Individuals | Online reading | climate emergency, council, | Knowledge | |
Scientific - Climate | Scientific - Climate | NASA - Climate Change: How do we know? Evidence, facts, causes, effects, scientific consensus, vital signs. | https://climate.nasa.gov/evidence/ | Individuals | Online reading | science | Knowledge | |
Scientific - Climate | Scientific - Climate | NASA - Climate Kids. Facts and data for children. | https://climatekids.nasa.gov/ | Individuals | Online reading | youth, young people | Knowledge | |
Scientific - Climate | Scientific - Climate | The Future We Choose: Surviving the Climate Crisis by Cristiana Figueres and Tom Rivett-Carnac (Bonnier, 2020) - The former head of the UN climate talks and her chief political strategist look at the world we’re creating and the world we must create to survive. | https://globaloptimism.com/the-future-we-choose/ | Individuals | Publications | Knowledge | ||
Scientific - Climate | Scientific - Climate | The impacts of climate change at 1 .5oC, 2oC and beyond explained in an interactive way | https://interactive.carbonbrief.org/impacts-climate-change-one-point-five-degrees-two-degrees/?utm_source=web&utm_campaign=100percentContentBox | Individuals | Audio/Visual | Knowledge | ||
Scientific - Climate | Scientific - Climate | Operation Noah. Climate science information for Christians. | https://operationnoah.org/home/science-informed/ | Individuals | Online reading | environment, faith, data | Knowledge | |
Scientific - Climate | Scientific - Climate | The Royal Society information on energy, environment and climate. Includng: Reversing biodiversity loss; Sustainable synthetic carbon based fuels for transport; Royal Society climate change briefings; Net-zero carbon infographic. | https://royalsociety.org/topics-policy/energy-environment-climate/ | Individuals | Publications | science | Knowledge | |
Scientific - Climate | Scientific - Climate | There is no Planet B: A Handbook for the Make or Break Years by Mike Berners-Lee (CUP, 2019) - In an engaging style takes big issues (how can we feed people in a warming world?), presents the scientific/economic/social questions involved and suggests positive changes. | https://theresnoplanetb.net/ | Individuals | Publications | Knowledge | ||
Scientific - Climate | Scientific - Climate | Prosperity without Growth by Tim Jackson (Routledge, 2016) — Do we really need exponential economic growth in order to prosper? And what is prosperity anyway? Are there other paths to human flourishing? What would a post-growth economics look like? Important and challenging. | https://timjackson.org.uk/ecological-economics/pwg/ | Individuals | Publications | Knowledge | ||
Scientific - Climate | Scientific - Climate | United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The Paris Agreement. The 2015 legally binding international treaty on climate change. Working to keep global temperatures ‘well below’ 2oC and ‘endeavour to limit’ them to 1.5oC. Includes a short video - What is the Paris Agreement? | https://unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/the-paris-agreement/the-paris-agreement | Individuals | Online reading | science | Knowledge | |
Scientific - Climate | Scientific - Climate | BBC Climate Change - The Facts documentary by Sir David Attenborough looks at the science of climate change and potential solutions to this global threat. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00049b1 | Individuals | Audio/Visual | TV | Knowledge | |
Scientific - Climate | Scientific - Climate | 39 Ways to Save the Planet (2021) BBC Radio 4, in partnership with the Royal Geographical Society, presents 39 ideas to relieve the stress that climate change is exerting on the planet. Each idea runs for about 15 minutes. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000qwt3 | Individuals | Audio/Visual | carbon, energy, technology, pollution, transport, farming, food | Knowledge | |
Scientific - Climate | Scientific - Climate | Don’t Even Think About It: Why Our Brains Are Wired to Ignore Climate Change by George Marshall (Bloomsbury, 2015) - When climate change is a threat, why are we so slow to act? This book explores why climate change is so hard for people to process and suggests ways forward. | https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/dont-even-think-about-it-9781620401330/ | Individuals | Publications | behavioural psychology | Knowledge | |
Scientific - Climate | Scientific - Climate | The Church of England's Environment Programme exists to enable the whole church to address — in faith, practice and mission — the issue of climate change. | https://www.churchofengland.org/about/environment-and-climate-change | Parishes / Benefices | Online reading | start, building, energy, power, green, biodiversity, churchyard, net zero, officer, Climate Sunday | Knowledge | |
Scientific - Climate | Scientific - Climate | Church of England. Why you should act - becoming an environmentally aware church. Including: What is climate change? The effects of rising temperatures and The Five Marks of Mission. | https://www.churchofengland.org/about/policy-and-thinking/our-views/environment-and-climate-change/why-you-should-act | Parishes / Benefices | Online reading | environment, faith, data, science | Knowledge | |
Scientific - Biodiversity | Scientific - Biodiversity | Church of England. Biodiversity information including; finding out what wildlife lives in your churchyard; encouraging wildlife; grassland management; wildlife in your church building. | https://www.churchofengland.org/resources/churchcare/advice-and-guidance-church-buildings/biodiversity | Individuals | Online reading | habitat, conservation, creation | Knowledge | |
Scientific - Climate emergency | Scientific - Climate emergency | Climate Emergency supports Local Authorities to declare climate emergencies & create action plans. Information on best practice & a network for organisation & groups to work together. Searchable database & map of climate emergency declarations. | https://www.climateemergency.uk/ | Individuals | Online reading | planning, environment | Knowledge | |
Scientific - Climate | Scientific - Climate | (Scroll down to) ‘The Basic Science of Human Induced Climate Change’ with Myles Allen — A series of five short (13 min) video presentations, originally done as evidence in a court case on climate change. Clear, succinct, and state of the art. | https://www.eci.ox.ac.uk/news/2018/0410.html | Individuals | Audio/Visual | teaching, learning, science, data | Knowledge | |
Scientific - Climate | Scientific - Climate | The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The executive summaries of the reports are short and clear; there is more detail in the full documents. Keep up to date by signing up for the Carbon Brief daily or weekly emails — full of useful information and analysis. | https://www.ipcc.ch/ | Individuals | Online reading | Knowledge | ||
Scientific - Climate economics | Scientific - Climate economics | Doughnut Economics: Seven Ways to Think Like a 21st-Century Economist by Kate Raworth (Random House, 2018) - How can we set a new economic goal to ‘meet the needs of all within the means of the planet’? | https://www.kateraworth.com/ | Individuals | Publications | social needs, planet resources, economy, finance, money | Knowledge | |
Scientific - Climate | Scientific - Climate | Met Office - What is climate change? Evidence from the data. | https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/climate-change/what-is-climate-change | Individuals | Online reading | Knowledge | ||
Scientific - Environment and climate | Scientific - Environment and climate | Oxford Martin School information on many environmental and climate issues. Many recordings on their YouTube channel also: https://www.youtube.com/user/21school | https://www.oxfordmartin.ox.ac.uk/environment/ | Individuals | Online reading | science, education, research | Knowledge | |
Scientific - Climate | Scientific - Climate | The Uninhabitable Earth: A Story of the Future by David Wallace Wells (Penguin, 2019) (also available free in its original article format) —Forthright, occasionally controversial, US journalist Wallace Wells has helped to raise awareness of the climate emergency. | https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/309/309727/the-uninhabitable-earth/9780141988870.html | Individuals | Publications | Knowledge | ||
Scientific - Climate change | Scientific - Climate change | Climate Change in a Nutshell - Introduction to the science and politics of climate change. Public lecture by Dr Charlie JR Williams, Research Fellow Universities of Bristol and Reading, for Reading Culture Festival | https://www.readingculturelive.co.uk/events/climate-change-in-a-nutshell-introduction-to-the-science-and-politics-of-climate-change/ | Individuals | Audio/Visual | environment, presentation, video | Knowledge | |
Scientific - Climate | Scientific - Climate | Climate Change: A very short introduction by Mark Maslin (OUP, 2014) — useful introductory text | https://www.veryshortintroductions.com/view/10.1093/actrade/9780199641130.001.0001/actrade-9780199641130 | Individuals | Publications | Knowledge | ||
Scientific - Climate | Scientific - Climate | The Rough Guide to Climate Change by Robert Henson (Rough Guides, 2011) — useful introductory text. Available as an e-book. | https://www.worldcat.org/title/rough-guide-to-climate-change/oclc/747571515 | Individuals | Online reading | Knowledge | ||
Scientific - Climate | Scientific - Climate | What is Climate Change? Start Here presentation. Cuts through the detailed science and the politics, to get you what you need to know about what is at stake for our planet. | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcBXmj1nMTQ | Individuals | Audio/Visual | Knowledge | ||
Scientific - Climate | Scientific - Climate | What is Climate Change? Animation for children. | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ko6GNA58YOA | Individuals | Audio/Visual | youth, young people | Knowledge | |
Scientific - Climate economics | Scientific - Climate economics | Doughnut Economics: Seven Ways to Think Like a 21st-Century Economist by Kate Raworth. Aminated Summary. | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mkg2XMTWV4g | Individuals | Audio/Visual | Knowledge | ||
Scientific - Climate | Scientific - Climate | Christiana Figueres is a Costa Rican citizen and was the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change from 2010-2016. She led the 2015 Paris Agreement and talks here about the next steps. Her answers to questions from the audience at the end are very useful. | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-OYhBAuF1M | Individuals | Audio/Visual | Knowledge | ||
Scientific - Climate | Scientific - Climate | How do greenhouse gasses actually work? A short (3 minute) science animation by Minute Earth. | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTvqIijqvTg | Individuals | Online reading | Knowledge | ||
Scientific - Climate | Scientific - Climate | Oxford Martin School presentation 'Climate justice and achieving Net Zero'. Linking the issues of climate justice and poverty eradication. | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSsf_tCGMw4 | Individuals | Audio/Visual | discussion, expert | Knowledge | |
Scientific - Climate | Scientific - Climate | An Inconvenient Truth (2006) Al Gore’s early documentary film introducing climate change concerns for the global population and planet earth. Trailer linked here. | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnjx6KETmi4 | Individuals | Audio/Visual | film | Knowledge | |
Scientific - Climate | Scientific - Climate | Oxford Climate Society YouTube Channel, recordings of lectures, talks, workshops and discussions about climate and environmental issues | https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOoksFYBCHqZWwVBU9qewZg/videos | Individuals | Audio/Visual | energy, diet, food, sustainable, sustainability, technology, philosophy, science, net zero | Knowledge | |
Scientific - Climate | Scientific - Climate | The latest research and projects from Oxford University Environmental Change Instute | https://www.eci.ox.ac.uk/research/ | Individuals | Online reading | science | Knowledge | |
Scientific - Environment | Scientific - Environment | Leadership in Global Change Summer School on climate science and innovation or sustainability and the circular economy | https://oxfordearthacademy.org/summer-school | Individuals | Course | Youth, young people, student | Knowledge | |
Scientific - Climate | Scientific - Climate | Oxford Climate Society - The Oxford School of Climate Change. Look out for the next run. If online it is open to all for a minimal fee. | https://www.oxfordclimatesociety.com/the-oxford-school-of-climate-change.html | Individuals | Course | Youth, young people, student, anyone, science, education, lecture, study | Knowledge | |
Scientific - COP26 | Scientific - COP26 | COP26 Explainer infographic, useful summary of the 26th Conference of the Parties on climate change in 2021. What it is, who attends and why it matters. | https://www.oxford.anglican.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/COP_26_Explainer-05-05-21.pdf | Individuals | Online reading | Youth, young people, student, clergy, anyone, science, education, study | Knowledge | |
Environment - education | Environment - education | Education plans produced by A Rocha UK for children age 3-14, to aid exploring nature and caring for our planet through or indoor and outdoor activities. Suitable for schools, community groups and churches. Some plans have specific faith-based content and all are linked to the national curriculum and use scientific enquiry to educate. | https://arocha.org.uk/education-plans/ | Schools | Online reading | children, young people, youth, groups, nursery, sunday school, club, parishes, benefices | Knowledge | |
Scientific - Climate | Scientific - Climate | KidsCan: Empowering children to take action on climate change. Lesson plan, fact buster and climate challenges. | https://www.lowcarbonhub.org/p/projects/kids-can/ | Schools | Online reading | lesson plan, climate, children, KS2, age 7-11 | Knowledge | |
Theological talks - Environment and faith | Scientific - Climate | TED Countdown a selection of online international TED talks on the climate and environment. | https://www.ted.com/series/countdown | Individuals | Audio/Visual | YouTube, video, podcast, presentation, net zero carbon, COP26 | Knowledge | |
Theological course - climate | Theological course - climate | Christianity and climate change - a nine-part film series from Tearfund featuring Katharine Hayhoe, the internationally renowned Christian climate scientist | https://www.tearfund.org/campaigns/christianity-and-climate-change-film-series | Individuals | Course | Parishes / Benefices, bible, natural world, climate change, poverty, energy, care, advocacy, fossil fuel, church, threat, future, action | Knowledge | |
Education - climate | Education - climate | Reading University Climate Education Summit for schools keynote talks. Considering how climate and sustainability education can provide young people with relevant skills and knowledge. | https://www.reading.ac.uk/planet/climate-education-summit/event-recordings | Schools | Audio/Visual | School, primary, junior, middle, secondary, environmental, curriculum, teaching, learning, activity, resource, National Climate Education Action Plan | Knowledge | |
Climate - science | Climate - science | Climate Change: The Facts - BBC documentary with David Attenborough. Stories of the lives of the people affected by climate change, and those fighting it. | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9WyLPgyuqo | Individuals | Audio/Visual | people, anthropcene, future, tv, | Knowledge | |
Climate - buildings & lifestyle | Climate - buildings & lifestyle | Abingdon Carbon Cutters recorded presentations on various changes to make our houses and lifestyles produce less carbon | https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLCR7PvRniTiWKOhPPnO-xw/videos | Individuals | Audio/Visual | heat pump, solar panel, insulation, climate postive home, houses, housing, plastic, CEE, car free living, | Knowledge | |
Climate - impacts | Climate - impacts | Thank You for the Rain. A film which tells the story of Kisilu, a smallholder farmer in Kenya who has used his camera to capture the life of his family, and the human costs of climate change. Christian Aid encourage & facilitate showings to raise awareness. | https://thankyoufortherain.com/ | Individuals | Audio/Visual | environmental impact, | Knowledge | |
Climate - science | Climate - science | Global Weirding with Katharine Hayhoe YouTube Channel. Excellent short videos covering climate science and theology. | https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi6RkdaEqgRVKi3AzidF4ow | Individuals | Audio/Visual | environment, technical, fun, educational | Knowledge | |
Environment - education | Environment - education | Wild & Wonderful - environmental teaching resources for children's group and schools for age 4-12 by Petra Crofton. | https://www.wildandwonderful.uk/ | Schools | Online reading | Children, young people, youth, Sunday school, childrens groups, educational, activity, outdoors, ecology, course | Knowledge | |
Learning - Environment and faith | Learning - Environment and faith | A selection collated by the John Ray Institute of 'green' Grove Books, short informative booklets on a variety of environmental topics. | https://jri.org.uk/resources/green-grove/ | Individuals | Publications | sustainability, plastic, vegan, vegetarian, plant based, ocean, climate, creation, Isaiah, Covid, ethics, mission | Knowledge | |
Climate Science | Climate Science | Royal Meteorological Society Blog | https://www.rmets.org/metmatters | Individuals | Online reading | weather, climate, science, environment | Knowledge | |
Climate Science | Climate Science | Royal Meteorological Society Events | https://www.rmets.org/events/all | Individuals | Audio/Visual | weather, climate, science, global, forecasting, environment | Knowledge |
