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East County News Service
December 29, 2014 (San Diego)—Pope Francis, who has voiced concerns over climate change impacts, is set to issue an edict calling on 1.2 billion Catholics worldwide to take action on climate change—and a San Diego scientist may have played a role in influencing the Pope to take action.
The Guardian newspaper reports that the Pope intends to publish an encyclical on climate change which will be sent to all 4,000 bishops and 400,000 priests worldwide, who in turn will share the information with parishioners. In addition, the Pope seeks to influence United Nations climate talks in Paris late next year, as well as political leaders convening in New York for a General Assembly meeting in September.
Pope Francis plans to draw attention to the devastation he believes has been caused by climate change by visiting regions stricken by natural disasters.
In recent months the Pope has been speaking out, calling for a new financial and economic system to stop ecological devastation as well as human inequality. He has denounced an economic system that needs to “plunder nature” to fuel consumption.
Speaking in South America, the Pope said, “The monopolizing of lands, deforestation, the appropriation of water, inadequate agro-toxics are some of the evils that tear man from the land of his birth. Climate change, the loss of biodiversity and deforestation are already showing their devastating effects in the great cataclysms we witness.”
Papal encyclicals are rare and meant to convey serious attention to important issues. But the Pope’s action is expected to meet with resistance by some conservative forces that deny climate change, including some U.S. evangelical churches. Calvin Beisner with the Cornwall Alliance for the Stewardship of Creation has said the Pop e should “back off.”
But the Pope has made clear that he believes science and religion can be compatible and that the future of our planet is imperiled by deniers basing their views on no more scientific evidence that the “Flat Earth Society” patrons who long denied the earth was round long after Columbus’ voyage; modern day members of the Society continue this denial even after the Apollo space mission took photos from outer space showing the world was round.
The Pope’s decision to prioritize climate change comes not long after the pontiff met with a scientist from San Diego’s Scripps Institute of Oceanography, Veerabhadran Ramanathan, who organized a meeting at the Vatican on climate concerns. Scripps has been a global leader for decades in climate science research.
A member of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, Ramanathan believes that despite scientific consensus that climate change is real, dangerous and caused by human activity, religious leaders are now better positioned to inspire the public to take action.
He told KPBS, “People need to hear—when they go to temples, churches or synagogues—that this is not some scientific conspiracy. This is something that is happening.”
The San Diego scientist confirmed that the Vatican has agreed to help lead a massive mobilization of public opinion about the seriousness of climate change and why it’s our responsibility to be good stewards of our planet.
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