Pope Francis and the environment
For inspiration on the environment.
Laudate Deum: uniting faith and science
The hidden beauty of polination
Louis Schwartzberg
Gratitude
Louis Schwartzberg
Environmental responsibility
We have witnessed historic fires in California, burning millions of acres. California itself has seen some of the highest temperatures in the world these past few months. We hear of Antarctic ice shelves melting at alarming rates. Some scientists tell us that the animal population worldwide is decreasing far more rapidly than we thought possible. People suffer, especially the poor when they are directly impacted by the effects of a changing environment.
We cannot simply stand by and wring our hands saying this is so sad. It is time, and past time, to marshal large numbers of people actively fighting against environmental diminishment. As Catholics and other Christians, we cannot simply be content with saying our prayers and reading our Bibles. We too must engage with other people of goodwill in doing what we can to turn the tide of this environmental crisis. We recall that the etymology of the word catholic means “concerned about the whole or universal” – we are open to and concerned about all life.
When we read Luke’s Gospel, we see Jesus reminding us that a disciple is not superior to his teacher; but when fully trained, every disciple will be like his teacher. Jesus goes on to ask us, “remove the wooden beam from your eye first. Then you will see clearly to remove the splinter in your brother’s or sister’s eye. (Luke 6:39 – 42).
Do we have a splinter in our eye when it comes to facing our environmental crisis? Does not the Spirit of Christ present among and within us demand action on our part? How much discernment do we need to recognize the voice of the Spirit calling us to engage together in helping to heal our wounded planet? How are we becoming fully trained disciples of Jesus when facing our global disasters?
We pray in Psalm 81, “How lovely is Your dwelling place, Lord, mighty God. Even the sparrow finds a home and the swallow a nest in which she puts her young … The Lord withholds no good thing from those who walk with sincerity.”
The Earth, our home, is truly a lovely and God-given dwelling place for all God’s creatures, including all people. But we are entrusted with the responsibility of caring for it. I asked myself today, “What specifically am I doing as a Catholic and as a member of the human race to help heal our world?”
We ask ourselves what specifically we are doing to lessen the impact of environmental degradation. It may involve driving our automobile less. It may involve joining with others to plant new trees on burnt hillsides. It might be helping to teach about the Church’s mission to show love and support to rejected humanity. We experience God’s love through the Earth with which we share life. How can we, as individuals and as communities, and like Christ, show love to the suffering Earth and its struggling humanity?
Sin against the environment
For human beings to destroy the biological diversity of God’s creation; for human beings to degrade the integrity of the earth by causing changes in its climate, by stripping the earth of its natural forests or destroying its wetlands; for human beings to contaminate the Earth’s water, its land, its air, and its life - these are sins. For “to commit a crime against the natural world is a sin against ourselves and a sin against God.”
Patriarch Bartholomew
Carbon credits
The strategy of buying and selling “carbon credits” can lead to a new form of speculation which would not help reduce the emission of polluting gases worldwide. This system seems to provide a quick and easy solution under the guise of a certain commitment to the environment, but in no way does it allow for the radical change which present circumstances require. Rather, it may simply become a ploy which permits maintaining the excessive consumption of some countries and sectors.
Pope Francis, Laudato si’, 171
New dialogue
I urgently appeal, then, for a new dialogue about how we are shaping the future of our planet. We need a conversation which includes everyone, since the environmental challenge we are undergoing, and its human roots, concern and affect us all.
Pope Francis, Laudato si’, 14
Environmental degradation
The human environment and the natural environment deteriorate together; we cannot adequately combat environmental degradation unless we attend to causes related to human and social degradation. In fact, the deterioration of the environment and of society affects the most vulnerable people on the planet.
Pope Francis, Laudato si’ 48
Weak international response
It is remarkable how weak international political responses have been. The failure of global summits on the environment make it plain that our politics are subject to technology and finance. There are too many special interests, and economic interests easily end up trumping the common good and manipulating information so that their own plans will not be affected.
Pope Francis, Laudato si’, 54
Water
We take water for granted. Our nation, along with many other nations, has an abundance of fresh water. If we want to drink clean water, all we do is open the water faucet in our house, or pull a bottle of chilled water from our refrigerator. We seldom give any thought to how difficult it is for other people in some corners of the world to obtain clean water. When we experience floods and hurricanes, with so much damage, we don’t think there is a water shortage.
Water is part of our religion. We were baptized with water. Water is a sign of new life and cleansing. We bless ourselves with holy water at the font of the church reminding us of baptism. But we seldom, if ever, think how many people around the world have no access to clean water.
Pope Francis, in his encyclical Laudato Si’ urges us to become aware of the water crisis throughout the world. Often we have little awareness of our inequitable use of water, especially as it affects the poor. He states:
“Fresh drinking water is an issue of primary importance, since it is indispensable for human life and for supporting terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Sources of fresh water are necessary for healthcare, agriculture, and industry. Water supplies once were relatively constant, but now in many places demand exceeds the sustainable supply, with dramatic consequences in the short and long-term. Large cities dependent on significant supplies of water have experienced periods of shortage, and at critical moments these have not always been administered with sufficient oversight and impartiality. Water poverty especially affects Africa where large sectors of the population have no access to safe drinking water, or experience droughts which impede agricultural production. Some countries have areas rich in water while others endured drastic scarcity.” LS 28
The quality of water available is a serious problem. Unsafe water results in many deaths and the spread of water-related diseases, including those caused by microorganisms and chemical substances. Dysentery and cholera, linked to inadequate hygiene and water supplies, are significant causes of suffering and of infant mortality. For example, In the past 10 years, diarrhea has killed more children than all the people lost to armed conflict since World War II. Underground water sources in many places are threatened by pollution produced in certain mining, farming, and industrial activities, especially in countries lacking adequate regulation or control.
Drinkable water is a basic human right. We find a growing tendency for multinational companies to want to privatize water as a resource. In this way, privatized water becomes a commodity to be bought and sold on the market. Then, only those who have resources can purchase water, while the poor may not be able to afford water. If this basic universal human right is not protected, then humanity, especially the poor, is unable to exercise other human rights. Water is a precondition for the exercise of other human rights.
Since the Church is concerned about the poor, then it seems we must work to help the poor to have access to clean drinking water. If they are denied this right, then they are denied the right to a life consistent with their God given human dignity.
Scarcity of clean drinking water has economic effects. It leads to an increase in the cost of food and other necessary projects. It impacts the health care cost of many people. It results in the inability to work and sustain oneself and one’s family. And it may become a major source of conflict in the coming years.
How can we respond? Here are a few suggestions. We need to become aware of the global water crisis. If we are unaware, then we will not be concerned, and our attitudes toward the use of water will not change. We need to become aware how lack of clean water has a serious impact on the poor, particularly as it relates to health issues and premature deaths.
We can encourage our government representatives to financially support smaller scale, locally built and maintained, water systems. This is preferable to international aid organizations spending large amounts of money on centralized, large-scale water systems which require highly trained and skilled workers to build and maintain. People need smaller-scale systems designed, built, and operated by local people. We need to empower people at a local level to provide the water they need, rather than having corporations profit on building and maintaining water plants that don’t meet the needs of the people.
We need to find ways to support the education of people about hygiene, sanitation, and water quality. Education will help motivate people to seek and provide for themselves the quality clean water they need.
Water is a basic human right and need which we too often take for granted. The price of failure to provide clean water and sanitation will be paid by the poorest of the world, in sickness, lost educational and employment opportunities, and for many, premature death. They will be denied their right to dignified and productive human lives.
The Church claims to be an advocate of the poor. Hence, we must search out ways to facilitate clean water for the millions of people who need it.
God enters creation and invites
The universe didn’t just happen. It began as an expression of love – God’s love. The source of all that exists goes by many names. Christians use the name “God.” God didn’t cause the universe to begin merely to show off God’s power. God-love “emptied himself” into the universe and “creates” from within by evolution. We see in the history of the universe an ever-growing complexity of being – from the tiniest particles of matter, to the galaxies, to the earth orbiting the sun, to life, to humanity upon earth, conscious of the scope and wonder of the universe, and humanity’s unique role. At the proper time God revealed himself in Jesus of Nazareth, who Christians understand was the incarnation or human manifestation of God. The Church grew from Jesus of Nazareth, after his short ministry, death by crucifixion, and resurrection into a new form of being human. The Church sees itself as followers or disciples of Jesus. It believes it is guided by the Spirit of Jesus, now called the Christ or Messiah. The Church understands it has a unique role – that of awakening God’s dream for humanity, the earth, and all that lives upon it. The Church itself needs to grow in its awareness of its important mission of witnessing to God’s dream.
The earth is our mother
Tucson, Sabino Canyon
Sabino Canyon in Arizona reveals Mother Earth's extravagant beauty. The beauty of this place is dazzling after the rains. We often forget we have come from the earth and belong to the earth. We are "earthlings." But, now that humanity is moving away from its "teenage years" toward "adulthood," we also are privileged to play an essential role in protecting the earth. We now must become responsible to care for our Mother Earth who brought us to birth.