Not everyone accepts
that we are experiencing “global warming” and many question (if there is global
warming) whether human beings are responsible for it.
In his encyclical Laudato si Pope Francis said, “A very solid scientific
consensus indicates that we are presently witnessing a disturbing warming of
the climate system” and “…a number of scientific studies indicate that most
global warming in recent decades is due to the great concentration of
greenhouse gasses (carbon dioxide, methane, nitrogen oxides and others)
released mainly as a result of human activity” (cf #23).
The problem with interpreting the facts and what the pope says here
focuses on his use of the restrictive term “a number of scientific studies.” Such a reference suggests there is not a consensus.
In a different area of
science, for example, there are a number of scientific studies which propose the existence
of gigantic halos of dark matter which hold the Bullet Cluster together, while
a number of other scientific studies propose MOND (Modified Newtonian Dynamics)
as the reason for the strong curvature around the two galaxies in this cluster
collision. Which thesis are we to accept?
Concern about our earthly
environment is obviously more immediate and important to us than theories about the Bullet Cluster, but the question remains whether
the available scientific data about global warming are sufficient to draw a reliable conclusion.
In previous writings on
safeguarding the environment, the Catholic Church’s social doctrine proposed a
solution when dealing with controverted opinions or theses. It suggested using the "precautionary principle." The Compendium of the Social Doctrine
of the Church, published by the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace,
2004, explained:
The
authorities called to make decisions concerning health and environmental risks
sometimes find themselves facing a situation in which available scientific data
are contradictory or quantitatively scarce. It may then be appropriate to base evaluations on the “precautionary principle,” which does not mean applying
rules but certain guidelines aimed at managing the situation of uncertainty
(469).
The precautionary principle promotes prudent
policies, comparing risks and benefits and discerning various possible
alternatives. “The circumstances of uncertainty and provisional solutions,” the
Compendium continues, “make it particularly
important that the decision-making process be transparent” (cf 469).
While Pope Francis
addresses many other issues related to protection of the environment (we know the results of pollution of rivers, the
smog of cities, the de-forestation of whole countries), it is likely that these
issues will be passed over and the focus, especially in politically correct
circles, will be on man-made global warming. Laudatio si is about much more, and chief among its concerns is the
effect of the environment on people, especially the poor.
It may seem a stretch
to suggest that we have something to learn from Native Americans and their
attitude toward the environment, but respect for God’s creation is a most
helpful step in preserving, protecting and promoting the environment for
ourselves and future generations.
The traditions of the
First Americans hold that everything the creator made has a spirit, and that
all things are related and all things are sacred. Even the Bible notes the
intimate relationship between human beings and the soil: “The Lord God formed
the man out of the dust of the ground” (cf Gen 2:7). Our English word “human”
derives from the Latin “homo” (man), which may in turn derive from a
hypothetical Proto-Indo-European word meaning “earthling.” And therefore (forgive
me if this seems a stretch) to be humane is to have feelings for the earth from
which we were made.
Larry Zimmerman in his Native North America (Duncan Baird Publishers,
London, 1996) writes, “Most Native peoples respect the earth as the source of an
endless cycle of generation, destruction and regeneration, through which all
things are believed to pass. The view of the earth as a powerful nurturing force
is expressed in the Native concept of Mother Earth…” (p 78).
Issues about water,
bio-diversity, and eco-systems are not unrelated to the quality of human life
and the breakdown of human society. Pope Francis has looked at these issues
through the lens of the Judaeo-Christian tradition and offers his perspective.
He does not speak as a scientist; he speaks as a religious leader and a
prophet. He is convinced that human beings have responsibility for the proper
use of the world’s resources. He asks people of good will to reflect upon the
environmental problems we face, to honor creation as a sacred gift from God,
and respond in a way that is motivated by responsibility and respect.
Even if we cannot agree
on whether global warming is man-made, we can agree on use of the precautionary
principle and continue our study and our prudent use of natural resources.
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