Open Forum: The pope knows climate change is a problem - The Winchester Star
Open Forum: The pope knows climate change is a problem | Winchester Star | winchesterstar.com
CHARLES UPHAUS
“How many divisions has the Pope?” Stalin cynically queried at one point. Well, that moral strength and clarity can make up for missing divisions is clearly shown in the lives of Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela, and of Pope John Paul II, who inspired Poland to overthrow Soviet domination without a single soldier at his command or a single shot fired.
Similar moral strength and clarity are being shown by the current pope, Francis, on the subject of climate change. He addressed this subject eight years ago, in his encyclical “Laudato Si.” He has now revisited the subject in another letter to the church, “Laudate Deum,” in which he lays it on the line.
“You don’t need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows,” Bob Dylan sang. It’s pretty clear which way the wind is blowing when it comes to climate change. It’s happening, and the manifestations are becoming increasingly evident. Still, it’s commonplace, especially for conservative politicos, when pressed on the question of climate change, to preface any remarks by saying “I’m not a scientist,” before casting doubt on the science.
Well, the Pope is a scientist, or at least was trained as a chemist before entering the priesthood. He is at ease speaking on scientific issues. Among his points:
• It is no longer possible to doubt the human — “anthropic” — origin of climate change.
• Despite all attempts to deny ... gloss over or relativize the issue, the signs of climate change are here and increasingly evident. No one can ignore the fact that in recent years we have witnessed extreme weather phenomena ... that are only a few palpable expressions of a silent disease that affects everyone.
• (W)ith the passage of time, I have realized that our responses have not been adequate, while the world in which we live is collapsing and may be nearing the breaking point.
• Once and for all, let us put an end to the irresponsible derision that would present this issue as something purely ecological, “green,” ... frequently subject to ridicule by economic interests. Let us finally admit that it is a human and social problem on any number of levels.
He also cites the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (Global Climate Change Background, 2019), “our care for one another and our care for the earth are intimately bound together. Climate change is one of the principal challenges facing society and the global community. The effects of climate change are borne by the most vulnerable people, whether at home or around the world.” Christians are enjoined to take particular care of the marginalized of this world — those, in this country and around the world, who are most at risk and are already being adversely affected by a rapidly changing climate.
The pope has no divisions. What he has are climatological, economic and sociological facts plus his unique position and his voice. Will that be enough?
Related Knowledge Center: Climate science
What began as a theory in the 1890s — that industrial emissions of carbon dioxide could increase global temperatures — had progressed to a scientific fact a century later. Scientists across a range of disciplines are studying the impact of the still-growing concentration of carbon dioxide and other so-called “greenhouse gases” in the atmosphere as they call for industrial and governmental policies to slow, then halt, the warming of the planet.