‘Green Pope’ reveals burning desire to save planet from climate

Pope Francis speaks at the conference titled "Educating today and tomorrow", at Paul VI audience hall on November 21, 2015 at the Vatican. Pope Francis’ encyclical –Laudato Si -brings out the vintage Pope Francis – a connoisseur of climate science. PHOTO | AFP

What you need to know:

  • Three years into his papacy, he has not shied away from using the pulpit to voice guiding principles that humanity needs to embrace, especially principles of inclusion and tolerance.
  • He calls for renewable fuel subsidies and “maximum energy efficiency.”
  • Hopefully, the encyclical will convince the world, especially the developed conservative circles, that are playing down the enormous shattering effect of climate change.

Pope Francis’ encyclical –Laudato Si -unmasks him not only as a ‘green pope’, but also as a climate change policy wonk.

The document discusses a wide range of topics - from climate change and global warming to abortion and population control - describing the earth as “our common home,” that is facing an unfolding environmental crisis marked by water insecurity, pollution, disappearing species and deforestation.

And if you thought the document is a checklist of how to save the planet, you are wrong.

Instead, it is a call for renewed, ecological humanism and moral vision in a world increasingly controlled by technology and materialism.

This encyclical brings out the vintage Pope Francis – a connoisseur of climate science who brings out the link between global warming and the overarching theme of his papacy — fighting inequality and global poverty.

Pope Francis’ message resonates with people throughout the world, especially the youth.

He emerges as the people’s pope – always on the forefront in defence of the poor, including immigrants looking to build a better life.

Three years into his papacy, he has not shied away from using the pulpit to voice guiding principles that humanity needs to embrace, especially principles of inclusion and tolerance.

Laudato Si lays out a green view of faith that embraces the moral imperatives of everything from animal rights to solar panels.

The encyclical, more than any in recent decades, strikes at the heart of how humanity must live upon and relate to the rest of mother earth.

The clear language of this encyclical and its depth of thought reaches far beyond the Catholic Church.

INTEGRAL ECOLOGY

In it, Pope Francis is calling out: "You may not believe in God, but if you believe in ecology, you can’t ignore this.”

It goes beyond pure science to connect the dots between religious doctrine and the environment.

Not one to shy away from sensitive topics, Pope Francis dives into gender, writing that humans must have power over their bodies before they can have power over creation.

Through scripture and tradition, through science and ethical reasoning, Pope Francis offers precious answers to some of the world’s most nagging environmental questions, clearly reminding all and sundry that our lives depend on mother earth and on each other.

Pope Francis calls for global regulatory norms to prevent unacceptable actions, such as powerful companies and industries in the developed world, dumping toxic wastes offshore or in poor countries.

He laments against the breakdown of society through global inequality, “synthetic agrotoxins” that harm birds and insects and “bioaccumulation” from industrial waste.

He calls for renewable fuel subsidies and “maximum energy efficiency.”

As a call to action, Pope Francis encourages the rich to leave their pollutant cars home and take public transport, share cars, plant more trees, turn off unnecessary lights, recycle instead of throwing away— and generally embrace “ecological conversion.”

He insists on “Integral ecology” - attention to the necessary interaction and wholeness of relationships with God, other people, creations and with ourselves.

He does not mince words when lambasting humanity’ misguided and hyper-consumptive habits, and its selfish propensity for technological and economic dominance.

Pope Francis’ call is bound to generate debate in global forums.

It comes ahead of the most important United Nations climate change conference for decades, set for Paris between November 30 and December 11 where the world is expected to forge a broad new global treaty on climate change.

CHANGING THE STATUS QUO
Already, the encyclical is eliciting sharp reactions, especially from the developed world, which takes much of Pope Francis’ flak, with some American lawmakers demanding that he keeps his papal nose out of global warming debates and confine himself to matters of faith and the Church.

They forget this Pope is Jesuit, with a master’s degree in chemistry among other things!

Unlike his predecessors who also criticised unbridled capitalism and the growing global disparity between the rich and poor, Pope Francis speaks and writes from experience.

His formation was among the poorest on Earth, those ground down and thrown away by the global economy and brutal politics.

As such, he does not hesitate to state where the buck stops on climate change and paying the price.

It is not poverty that destroys the environment, he says; it is wealth, consumption and waste; it is the poor who are footing the bill of environmental destruction.

In conclusion, Pope Francis has put before us one of the most profound spiritual questions of our time: Will we embrace our moral obligation to be responsible stewards of the world that has been entrusted to our care, or preside over its ruin?

Hopefully, the encyclical will convince the world, especially the developed conservative circles, that are playing down the enormous shattering effect of climate change.