Presented by the Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha Conservation Center
Courtesy of USCCB
Global Climate Change
Introduction
There is increasing discussion of global climate change, also called "global warming," which refers to long-term increases in average global temperatures that result from natural variation and human activities. Although some uncertainty still exists as to the exact nature and effects of global climate change, a broad scientific consensus has developed that some significant warming has occurred, brought about in part by human activities. As the U.S. bishops expressed in their 2001 pastoral statement on climate change, this issue "…is about the future of God's creation and the one human family." To help us address contemporary questions, such as climate change, Catholics bring a long tradition of applying our Church's social teachings to complex issues.
Sacred Scripture calls believers to care for God's creation and all of God's children. As creation unfolded under God's loving hand, God saw all that He had made and found it "very good" (Genesis 1: 31). God created the human person in His "divine image" placing the human creature at the summit of the created order. "Being in the image of God, the human individual possesses the dignity of a person who is not just something but someone."1 God also blesses the other creatures who share the earth and makes clear the connection that exists between all living things (Genesis 1:27-31). God calls us as His stewards to care for the garden He created. The natural world serves as a source of inspiration for our faith and our love for the Creator. Through Biblical stories, psalms and parables, and the beauty of the natural world, we can come to know God more fully.
Catholic social teaching, which is rooted in Scripture and the tradition of the Church, is an instrument of evangelization2 and expresses the social doctrine of the Church outlining ethical principles to guide the development of a morally just society. These principles are particularly applicable to the many challenging social, political, economic and ecological questions of our times.
There are three themes from Catholic Social Teaching that apply in a particular way to the Church's concern for the environment. First, concern for the environment calls us to respect human life and dignity. Second, as the world becomes increasingly interdependent, we have a call to promote the common good and the virtue of solidarity. Finally, in caring for the environment, we have a special responsibility to the poor and vulnerable, who are most affected and least heard.3
Stewardship and the Common Good
"The fundamental message of Sacred Scripture proclaims that the human person is a creature of God, and sees in his being in the image of God the element that characterizes and distinguishes him."4 Because humans are social beings, they can find their fulfillment and pursue their individual good when they "come together in stable groups with the purpose of attaining a common good."5 In light of the human person's unique dignity and pre-eminent place within creation, "the relationship of man with the world is a constitutive part of his identity.6 As the US Catholic bishops point out in their statement, Renewing the Earth, as stewards, "we seek to explore the links between concern for the person and for the earth, between natural ecology and social ecology. The web of life is one."
In examining environmental questions, the concept of the "common good" is central in promoting the dignity, unity, and equality of all people.7 Achieving the common good requires us to recognize that we exist "with and for" others and that we act in such a way that respects and protects the fundamental rights of all humans. The common good also requires a concern for not only the people of today but for future generations as well. It compels us to work towards worldwide cooperation on issues of global concern.8
Special Concern for the Poor
God also calls His children to care for one another, most particularly the poor and those who cannot care fully for themselves. Our responsibility to the poor and vulnerable requires that we open our hands and hearts to those in need, taking special care to aid and comfort them (Deut. 15:7-11). We see the face of Christ in the poor, the vulnerable, and those living on the margins of society. By caring for them, we draw closer to the Lord, fulfilling and spreading the message of His love. We will be judged by our responsibility to the least of these. (Matthew 25:35-40). As part of one body in Christ, each believer has an obligation to use our God-given talents for the improvement of the human condition and the attainment of the common good (I Cor. 12:7, 12).
Poverty and Authentic Human Development
Global climate change poses one of the greatest threats to the most vulnerable among us. Because of poverty, age, health, and location, the poor are especially susceptible to the potential negative impacts of global climate change. The poor and vulnerable often do not have the economic and technological resources to either adapt to or ward off the expected impacts of climate change. Heat waves, droughts, and storms and consequent economic costs will fall most heavily upon the poor.9 Since the "least of these" are most at risk from the climate change, Christians have a particular duty to address the moral and human implications of climate change.
"Caring for the environment is a challenge for all of humanity. It is a matter of a common and universal duty, that of respecting the common good."10 Every individual and institution must accept responsibility for caring for God's creation, and "[I]t is a responsibility that must mature on a basis of the global dimension of the present ecological crisis and the consequent necessity to meet it on a worldwide level, since all beings are interdependent in the universal order established by the Creator."11 Every creature depends upon the same global ecology, a series of separate yet interdependent systems that provide air, food, water, and basic resources. The planetary commons, comprised of these shared resources, are easily exploited when we fail to recognize the interconnected nature of God's creation. Therefore, common effort is required to preserve God's gifts to us.12
This attention to the environment also must reflect the special concern for the poorest members of the human community, as poverty and environmental degradation often go hand in hand.13 God created the bounty of the earth to be shared among all of his children, equitably and justly, and he commands us to be stewards of this great creation. To embrace our role as stewards of God's creation, we must employ "restraint and moderation in the use of material goods, so we [do] not allow our desire to possess more material things to overtake our concern for the basic needs of people and the environment."14 In fulfilling these duties, we promote a focus on authentic development, encouraging the economic and spiritual advancement of the poorest people on earth as a means to living out our Catholic faith.
The Virtue of Prudence
The virtue of prudence is required in both the dialogue and in our response to the challenges posed by global climate change. As the bishops said in their June 2001 statement, Global Climate Change: A Plea for Dialogue, Prudence and the Common Good, "Prudence not only helps us identify the principles at stake in a given issue, but also moves us to adopt courses of action to protect the common good. … It is not simply a cautious and safe approach, but rather a thoughtful, deliberate, and reasoned basis for taking or avoiding action to achieve a moral good." In the case of global climate change, we know enough to understand that scientific arguments for action on the reduction of greenhouse gases cannot be easily dismissed. It seems prudent then, not only to continue to research and monitor this phenomenon, but to take steps now to mitigate possible negative effects in the future. The efforts of our Church then are focused on the needs of the poor, the weak and the vulnerable, as inaction and inadequate or misguided responses to climate change may potentially pose greater burdens on the poor, particularly the poor in developing nations.
Source: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
Website of the USCCB Climate Change Justice and Health Initiative
http://www.usccb.org/sdwp/ejp/climate/wcc.shtml
Accessed March 27, 2011
Notes
Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 2004, #108.
Centesimus Annus, no. 54.
Renewing the Earth, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 1991, p. 5.
Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, no. 108.
Ibid., no. 150.
Ibid, no. 452.
Ibid p. 73.
Ibid.
Global Climate Change: A Plea for Dialogue, Prudence, and the Common Good, p. 6.
Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, no. 466.
Ibid.
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Global Climate Change: A Plea for Dialogue, Prudence, and the Common Good. (Washington, DC: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2001), p. 8.
Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church,#482, 483.
Global Climate Change: A Plea for Dialogue, Prudence, and the Common Good, p. 8.
The following quotes are from Renewing the Earth, a statement by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops delivered on November 14, 1991.
At its core, the environmental crisis is a moral challenge. It
calls us to examine how we use and share the goods of the earth, what we pass on
to future generations, and how we live in harmony with God's creation.
The environmental crisis of our day constitutes an exceptional call to conversion. As individuals, as institutions, as a people, we need a change of heart to save the planet for our children and generations yet unborn.
The human family is charged with preserving the beauty, diversity, and integrity of nature, as well as with fostering its productivity. Yet, God alone is sovereign over the whole earth.
For believers, our faith is tested by our concern and care for creation.
To ensure the survival of a healthy planet, then, we must not only establish a sustainable economy but must also labor for justice both within and among nations. We must seek a society where economic life and environmental commitment work together to protect and to enhance life on this planet.
Our tradition calls us to protect the life and dignity of the human person, and it is increasingly clear that this task cannot be separated from the care and defense of all creation.
The option for the poor embedded in the Gospel and the Church's teaching makes us aware that the poor suffer most directly from environmental decline and have the least access to relief from their suffering.
But in most countries today, including our own, it is the poor and the powerless who most directly bear the burden of current environmental carelessness...Too often, the structure of sacrifice involved in environmental remedies seems to exact a high price from the poor and from workers...[they] shoulder much of the weight of economic adjustment.
Nature is not, in Catholic teaching, merely a field to exploit at will or a museum piece to be preserved at all costs. We are not gods, but stewards of the earth.
Regrettably, advantaged groups often seem more intent on curbing Third World births than on restraining the even more voracious consumerism of the developed world. We believe this compounds injustice and increased disrespect for the life of the weakest among us.
We in the developed world ... are obligated to address our own wasteful and destructive use of resources as a matter of top priority.
Humanity is at a crossroads. Having read the signs of the times, we can either ignore the harm we see and witness further damage, or we can take up our responsibilities to the Creator and creation with renewed courage and commitment.
It is to the Creator of the universe ... that we are accountable for what we do or fail to do to preserve and care for the earth and all its creatures.
We are charged with restoring the integrity of all creation. We must care for all God's creatures, especially the most vulnerable. How, then, can we protect endangered species and at the same time be callous to the unborn, the elderly, or disabled persons? Is not abortion also a sin against creation? If we turn our backs on our own unborn children, can we truly expect that nature will receive respectful treatment at our hands? The care of the earth will not be advanced by the destruction of human life at any stage of development.
A just and sustainable society and world are not an optional ideal, but a moral and practical necessity. Without justice, a sustainable economy will be beyond reach. Without an ecologically responsible world economy, justice will be unachievable. To accomplish either is an enormous task; together they seem overwhelming. But 'all things are possible' to those who hope in God (Mk 10:27). Hope is the virtue at the heart of a Christian environmental ethic....We can proceed with hope because, as at the dawn of creation, so today the Holy Spirit breathes new life into all earth's creatures. Today, we pray with new conviction and concern for all God's creation: Send forth thy Spirit, Lord and renew the face of the earth.
Excerpts from Renewing the Earth: An Invitation to Reflection and Action on Environment in Light of Catholic Social Teaching (November 14, 1991, U.S. Bishops' Statement) Copyright © 1994 by the U.S. Catholic Conference, Inc.: Washington, D.C. All rights reserved.
The Church addresses population issues in the context of its teaching on human life, of just development, of care for the environment, and of respect for the freedom of married couples to decide voluntarily on the number and spacing of births. In keeping with these values, and out of respect for cultural norms, it continues to oppose coercive methods of population control and programs that bias decisions through incentives or disincentives. Respect for nature ought to encourage policies that promote natural family planning and true responsible parenthood rather than coercive population control programs or incentives for birth control that violate cultural and religious norms and Catholic teaching.
Caring for God's creation and acting on environmental problems require parish committees to work together. Every parish committee, as well as the parish community as a whole, has some responsibility for addressing environmental justice concerns.
Farm owners and farm workers are the immediate stewards of the natural resources required to produce the food that is necessary to sustain life. These resources must be understood as gifts of a generous God. When they are seen in that light and when the human race is perceived as a single moral community, we gain a sense of the substantial responsibility we bear as a nation for the world food system. Meeting human needs today and in the future demands an increased sense of stewardship and conservation from owners, managers, and regulators of all resources, especially those required for the production of food. (#228)
All people on this globe share a common ecological environment that is under increasing pressure. Depletion of soil, water and other natural resources endangers the future. Pollution of air and water threatens the delicate balance of the biosphere on which future generations will depend. The resources of the earth have been created by God for the benefit of all, and we who are alive today hold them in trust. This is a challenge to develop a new ecological ethic, that will help shape a future that is both just and sustainable.
The biblical vision of creation has provided one of the most enduring legacies of Church teaching. To stand before God as the creator is to respect God's creation, both the world of nature and of human history. FROM THE PATRISTIC PERIOD TO THE PRESENT, THE CHURCH HAS AFFIRMED THAT MISUSE OF THE WORLD'S RESOURCES OR APPROPRIATION OF THEM BY A MINORITY OF THE WORLD'S POPULATION BETRAYS THE GIFT OF CREATION SINCE "WHATEVER BELONGS TO GOD BELONGS TO ALL.
This means that all of us must examine our way of living in the light of the needs of the poor. Christian faith and the norms of justice impose distinct limits on what we consume and how we view material goods. The great wealth of the United States can easily blind us to the poverty that exists in this nation and the destitution of hundreds of millions of people in other parts of the world. Americans are challenged today as never before to develop the inner freedom to resist the temptation constantly to seek more. Only in this way will the nation avoid what Paul VI called "the most evident form of moral underdevelopment," namely greed.
All members of society have a special obligation to the poor and vulnerable. From the Scriptures and church teaching, we learn that the justice of a society is tested by the treatment of the poor.
-- Economic Justice for All: A Pastoral Letter on Catholic Social Teaching and the U.S. Economy
As people of faith, we are convinced that 'the earth is the Lord's and all it holds' (Ps 24:1). Our Creator has given us the gift of creation: the air we breathe, the water that sustains life, the fruits of the land that nourish us, and the entire web of life without which human life cannot flourish. All of this God created and found 'very good.' We believe our response to global climate change should be a sign of our respect for God's creation.
At its core, global climate change is not about economic theory or political platforms, nor about partisan advantage or interest group pressures. It is about the future of God's creation and the one human family. It is about protecting both 'the human environment' and the natural environment. It is about our human stewardship of God's creation and our responsibility to those who come after us.
As Catholic bishops, we make no independent judgment on the plausibility of "global warming." Rather, we accept the consensus findings of so many scientists and the conclusions of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) as a basis for continued research and prudent action.... The virtue of prudence is paramount in addressing climate change.
The global climate change debate cannot become just another opportunity for some groups—usually affluent advocates from the developed nations—to blame the problem on population growth in poor countries. Historically, the industrialized countries have emitted more greenhouse gases that warm the climate than have the developing countries. Affluent nations such as our own have to acknowledge the impact of voracious consumerism instead of simply calling for population and emissions controls from people in poorer nations.
A more responsible approach to population issues is the promotion of "authentic development," which represents a balanced view of human progress and includes respect for nature and social well-being. Development policies that seek to reduce poverty with an emphasis on improved education and social conditions for women are far more effective than usual population reduction programs and far more respectful of women's dignity.
We should promote a respect for nature that encourages policies fostering natural family planning and the education of women and men rather than coercive measures of population control or government incentives for birth control that violate local cultural and religious norms.
Working for the common good requires us to promote the flourishing of all human life and all of God's creation. In a special way, the common good requires solidarity with the poor who are often without the resources to face many problems, including the potential impacts of climate change.
Each of us should carefully consider our choices and lifestyles. We live in a culture that prizes the consumption of material goods. While the poor often have too little, many of us can be easily caught up in a frenzy of wanting more and more—a bigger home, a larger car, etc. Even though energy resources literally fuel our economy and provide a good quality of life, we need to ask about ways we can conserve energy, prevent pollution, and live more simply.
As people of religious faith, we bishops believe that the atmosphere that supports life on earth is a God-given gift, one we must respect and protect. It unites us as one human family. If we harm the atmosphere, we dishonor our Creator and the gift of creation. The values of our faith call us to humility, sacrifice, and a respect for life and the natural gifts God has provided.
--Global Climate Change: A Plea for Dialogue, Prudence, and the Common Good, June 15, 2001.
The Church has as one of its primary functions the educative role of helping believers and other people of good will form their consciences so that they can see environmental issues as having moral content.
The Church is obliged to deal with global issues like the environment and has the institutional and community capacity to do so.
--From Let the Earth Bless the Lord
On a planet conflicted over environmental issues, the Catholic tradition insists that we show our respect for the Creator by our stewardship of creation. Care for the earth is not just an Earth Day slogan, it is a requirement of our faith. We are called to protect people and the planet, living our faith in relationship with all of God's creation. This environmental challenge has fundamental moral and ethical dimensions that cannot be ignored.
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