Ten reasons to take notice of the Pope’s encyclical on climate change

Mark 3 Comments

Isn’t ‘encyclical’ a nice word?

presidencia.gov.ar [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
presidencia.gov.ar [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
The Pope has published his thoughts on climate change and they are well worth reading in full. But here is a good summary (taken from Time magazine).

Climate change is real and it’s getting worse

Human beings are a major contributor to climate change

Climate change disproportionately affects the poor

We can and must make things better

Individuals can help but politicians must lead the charge.

Now, I’ve been saying all those things for years but I have a feeling that the Pope saying them will have a rather bigger impact – thank God!

Here are ten reasons why the world will and should listen to the Pope on climate change:

  1. He doesn’t need to seek re-election – he can tell it as he sees it.
  2. He doesn’t have to deliver share-holder value – he can tell it as he sees it.
  3. He is a scientist by training – not that scientists all agree or are infallible.
  4. Popes are thought by some to be infallible
  5. He sounds like he means what he is saying.
  6. There are 1.2bn Catholics in the world – about one in six of the total population.
  7. The countries with the most Catholics are Brazil, Mexico, Philippines, USA and Italy – not bad places to start addressing rainforest loss and consumption.
  8. Jeb Bush doesn’t like it.
  9. Pope Francis is right…
  10. …no, really, he’s right!

 

 

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3 Replies to “Ten reasons to take notice of the Pope’s encyclical on climate change”

  1. The Pope’s encyclical would have a much greater impact if he added world over-population by homo sapiens to it!

    Sorry not to have seen you at the Climate Change rally in Westminster on Wednesday, Mark. Over 300 MPs turned out to meet the 9000+ petitioners. Thought it might have been one of your things but you can’t do everything! Didn’t see any HH shirts but plenty of supporters.

    1. Richard – would have liked to have been there but have a deadline to meet at end of month.

      Would have liked to have seen you (both) and lots of other friends too.

      Funnily enough I was using the library at The Lodge that day.

  2. Well done Pope Francis ! What a fantastic and timely development at a point where it is hard not to despair at the behaviour of so much of the business elite and the majority of politicians in power. It’ll be interesting to see what impact there is in the US where presumably many of the climate change deniers are also Catholics. In particular, his highlighting the way CC disproportionately impacts the poor – and that we in the first world bear a huge responsibility – is a hugely important counterblast to the movement for the rich to get richer, whatever the suffering their unnecessary wealth causes.

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