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Sigmetnow

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Pope Francis' Encyclical on Climate Change
« on: March 11, 2015, 05:43:43 PM »
Perhaps no leader has the global reach of the Catholic pope.  His upcoming encyclical on climate change, and the discussion thereof, has the potential to sway the hearts and minds of millions.

Or does it?

Quote
Turkson argued that regulation alone won't stop global warming. He said a "changing of human hearts" is required and that religious teachings can "help to orient and integrate us as humans within the wider universe, to identify what is most important to us, what we revere, sustain and protect as sacred."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/03/10/pope-francis-climate-change--encyclical_n_6843424.html
« Last Edit: March 11, 2015, 06:03:34 PM by Sigmetnow »
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AbruptSLR

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Re: Pope Francis' Encyclical on Climate Change
« Reply #1 on: March 11, 2015, 06:15:51 PM »
Here is a link to more discussion about what the Pope's Climate Change Encyclical will say:

http://www.rtcc.org/2015/03/11/cardinal-hints-at-main-themes-in-popes-climate-change-encyclical/
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OldLeatherneck

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Re: Pope Francis' Encyclical on Climate Change
« Reply #2 on: March 12, 2015, 01:18:09 AM »
There is a question that must be asked of every Catholic member of Congress, here  in the US:

What is more important to you;,obeying the teachings of your spiritual leader and the scriptures upon which his mandates are based, or the funding you receive from the Koch brothers, foundations that deny the proven science of Climate Change and the 1%ers that believe they are entitled to grow their wealth at the expense of the billions of people living in abject poverty?
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Pope Francis' Encyclical on Climate Change
« Reply #3 on: March 17, 2015, 09:53:23 PM »
Almost all sides agree the Pope can have an influential role regarding climate change.
But Heartland says he should remember the poor need coal.   ::)

Quote
Several of those following the talks said Francis has been working behind the scenes to reach out to leaders of different faiths, perhaps in hopes of issuing a joint statement or declaration ahead of the Paris negotiations.
http://www.bna.com/influential-role-seen-n17179924039/
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AbruptSLR

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Re: Pope Francis' Encyclical on Climate Change
« Reply #4 on: March 23, 2015, 03:33:05 PM »
The linked USA Today opinion piece discusses the impact of Pope Francis's climate change policy on the US GOP:

http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2015/03/22/pope-climate-change-gop-column/25192839/
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Pope Francis' Encyclical on Climate Change
« Reply #5 on: March 24, 2015, 05:31:11 PM »
Head of US Episcopal church says climate denial is immoral
Quote
The Episcopalian church will host a webcast on 24 March to kick off a month-long action campaign designed to encourage church members to reduce their own carbon footprints and lobby government and international corporations to fight climate change.

An oceanographer before she was ordained at the age of 40, Bishop Jefferts Schori said she hoped to use her visibility as a church leader to help drive action on climate change.

As presiding bishop, she oversees 2.5m members of the Episcopal church in 17 countries, and is arguably one of the most prominent women in Christianity. The two largest denominations in the US, Roman Catholics and Southern Baptists, do not ordain women.
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/mar/24/climate-change-denial-immoral-says-head-episcopal-church
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Pope Francis' Encyclical on Climate Change
« Reply #6 on: March 31, 2015, 02:27:41 PM »
Anglican church must divest fossil fuels to cope with climate crisis, bishops say
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/mar/30/anglican-church-divest-fossil-fuels-bishops-say-climate-crisis
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Pope Francis' Encyclical on Climate Change
« Reply #7 on: April 03, 2015, 08:47:04 PM »
Catholics prep for Pope Francis to tackle climate in upcoming encyclical.
Quote
In a recent interview, Ramanathan said that he believed religious leaders can provide insight on climate change that neither scientists nor national leaders could command. "Climate change has become sort of a moral and ethical issue," said Ramanathan in a recent interview. "We are asking people to change their behavior. I think that religious leaders have much more authority to speak about that than scientists or political leaders."
...
Vatican-watchers see signals that Pope Francis plans to offer the strongest papal statement on the environment yet. In a homily he offered last November on All Saints' Day, Pope Francis gave a possible preview of his encyclical when he decried environmental destruction and the culture of waste.

"We are capable of devastating the Earth far better than the angels," he said. "And this is exactly what we are doing, this is what we do: we destroy creation, we devastate lives, we devastate cultures, we devastate values, we ravage hope.”
http://www.dailyclimate.org/tdc-newsroom/2015/03/pope-encyclical-climate-change-green-religion
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Pope Francis' Encyclical on Climate Change
« Reply #8 on: April 16, 2015, 05:18:07 PM »
Vatican Announces Major Summit On Climate Change
Quote
Catholic officials announced on Tuesday plans for a landmark climate change-themed conference to be hosted at the Vatican later this month, the latest in Pope Francis’ faith-rooted campaign to raise awareness about global warming.

The summit, which is scheduled for April 28 and entitled “Protect the Earth, Dignify Humanity. The Moral Dimensions of Climate Change and Sustainable Development,” will draw together a combination of scientists, global faith leaders, and influential conservation advocates....
http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/04/15/3647548/vatican-announces-major-summit-climate-change/
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Pope Francis' Encyclical on Climate Change
« Reply #9 on: April 17, 2015, 09:49:35 PM »
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AbruptSLR

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Re: Pope Francis' Encyclical on Climate Change
« Reply #10 on: April 29, 2015, 01:04:31 AM »
The link leads to a pdf of the Pontifical Academies of Sciences and Social Sciences declaration that CoP21 represents the last effective chance to remain below the 2C limit:

http://www.pas.va/content/dam/accademia/pdf/declaration.pdf
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Sigmetnow

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Sigmetnow

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Re: Pope Francis' Encyclical on Climate Change
« Reply #13 on: May 01, 2015, 09:32:19 PM »
Church Of England Divests From Coal And Tar Sands, Citing ‘Moral Responsibility’
http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/05/01/3653767/church-of-england-divests/
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Pope Francis' Encyclical on Climate Change
« Reply #14 on: May 12, 2015, 03:18:30 AM »
Faith leaders starting to address climate change
http://m.cantondailyledger.com/article/20150507/NEWS/150509518/
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AbruptSLR

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Re: Pope Francis' Encyclical on Climate Change
« Reply #15 on: May 13, 2015, 05:06:07 PM »
Per the following linked article: "Pope Francis’ closest adviser castigated conservative climate change skeptics in the United States Tuesday, blaming capitalism for their views."

http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/241769-popes-top-adviser-blasts-us-climate-skeptics

It appears to be time to take the gloves off and stop coddling denalists.
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Pope Francis' Encyclical on Climate Change
« Reply #16 on: May 15, 2015, 01:35:31 PM »
Pope Francis and the Art of Joy
Quote
... The church that put Galileo under house arrest for promoting sound science is now challenging the science deniers in power.

...Speaker John A. Boehner may find that he’s getting more than he bargained for, inviting the pope to become the first pontiff to speak before a joint session of Congress in September.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/15/opinion/pope-francis-and-the-art-of-joy.html
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Pope Francis' Encyclical on Climate Change
« Reply #17 on: June 01, 2015, 11:33:16 PM »
Yes, Religious Conservatives Accept Climate Change — Just Not The Ones You Think
Quote
Mooney, to his credit, noted in both of his posts that Pope Francis’ upcoming encyclical on the environment could very well make more white Catholics open to discussions of global warming, as it will likely encourage Catholic clergy to discuss the subject with their parishioners. Indeed, PRRI’s report showed a strong link between pastors who talk about climate change in their sermons and congregations that voice concern for the environment: 70 percent of Hispanic Catholics said their clergy leader discusses climate change “often” or “sometimes,” as did a majority of black Protestants. By contrast, only 20 percent of white Catholics, who are generally skeptical of climate science, said they heard about climate change from their priest.
http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/05/31/3664513/yes-religious-conservatives-believe-climate-change-just-not-ones-think/
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Pope Francis' Encyclical on Climate Change
« Reply #18 on: June 04, 2015, 10:08:45 PM »
Pope's eagerly awaited environmental encyclical due June 18
Quote
VATICAN CITY (AP) -- Pope Francis' eagerly awaited environment encyclical will be published June 18.

The Vatican took the unusual step Thursday of announcing the release date in advance "to avoid confusion over the diffusion of unconfirmed information."

No papal document in recent times has elicited as much anticipation and anxiety as Francis' encyclical. The Vatican has helped fuel interest by mounting an unprecedented roll-out, featuring conferences, speeches and book launches tied to it.

Environmentalists are thrilled the pope is lending his moral authority to the climate change debate ahead of U.N. climate talks this year in Paris. Climate skeptics have voiced alarm that the pope is getting involved.

This week, U.S. Republican presidential hopeful Rick Santorum said he wanted the pope to stop talking climate change and "leave science to the scientists."
http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_REL_VATICAN_ENCYCLICAL?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Pope Francis' Encyclical on Climate Change
« Reply #19 on: June 13, 2015, 12:25:59 AM »
WOW!

The Pope’s Climate Encyclical Now Has an Epic Hollywood Trailer
Quote
If you’re like me and eagerly anticipating Pope Francis’ encyclical on climate change—due out Thursday, June 18—stop what you’re doing and watch...
http://www.slate.com/blogs/future_tense/2015/06/12/pope_francis_climate_encyclical_now_with_it_s_own_hollywood_trailer.html
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Pope Francis' Encyclical on Climate Change
« Reply #20 on: June 13, 2015, 01:06:26 AM »
How the Pope Could Turn U.S. Climate Politics Upside Down

Quote
Climate change is about to join the list of things faith leaders are always on our case about. Are the values celebrated in church preeminent in the workplace? Is our lifestyle consistent with what we believe? These are questions Francis wants Catholics, and everybody else, to begin asking themselves when it comes to global warming and global poverty, closely related issues. 

“This is not about Al Gore,” says Mitch Hescox, head of the Evangelical Environmental Network, which promotes care of the earth among evangelical Christians. “This is about being a disciple of Jesus Christ.”
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-06-12/how-the-pope-could-turn-u-s-climate-politics-upside-down
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Pope Francis' Encyclical on Climate Change
« Reply #21 on: June 13, 2015, 10:17:29 PM »
Quote
Pope Francis’ encyclical “‘Laudato Sii’—on the care of our common home” will be given a high-powered ecumenical and scientific launch on June 18, the Vatican announced today, indicating the utmost importance it attaches to this magisterial text that even before its release is attracting enormous interest worldwide.

Cardinal Peter Turkson, President of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, will be one of three persons on the panel that present the text but, surprisingly, he is the only Vatican representative on it.  The other two panelists are big hitters: one from the Orthodox Church, the other from the world of Science respectively, Metropolitan John (Zizioulas) of Pergamon, and Professor John Schellnhuber, the founding Director of the Postdam Institute for Climate Change. 
http://americamagazine.org/content/dispatches/high-level-launch-popes-encyclical-vatican-june-18
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Pope Francis' Encyclical on Climate Change
« Reply #22 on: June 15, 2015, 07:16:42 PM »
It's no longer about the science, USA Today writes.

Scientists say pope may be the key player on climate change.
Quote
I'm not a religious person at all," said Gavin Schmidt, a NASA climatologist. But he sees faith-based efforts to shift thinking on climate action as very promising.

"The pope's encyclical is probably going to have a bigger impact than the Paris negotiations," he said.
...
Many people have this rosy view that there's this knowledge deficit, and that if we just provided more information or if we explain the science better or if we package it better, maybe with colored graphics, or write another scientific paper, that will be the one to convince (doubters)," said climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe of Texas Tech University.

"But the reality is it's not a scientific issue (any longer). It is an ideological issue. We have to appeal to people based on values. Not just on data and facts. And for me as a scientist to say that is very unusual," Hayhoe said. "So from that perspective the pope is a very effective messenger."
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2015/06/14/climate-pope-scientists-encyclical-paris-negotiations-environment/71056004/
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Pope Francis' Encyclical on Climate Change
« Reply #23 on: June 16, 2015, 01:19:27 AM »
Slate:  Pope Gets a Little Apocalyptic in Leaked Draft of Climate Change Document
By Eric Holthaus
http://www.slate.com/blogs/future_tense/2015/06/15/pope_francis_in_leaked_climate_change_encyclical_we_re_on_a_path_to_destroy.html
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Pope Francis' Encyclical on Climate Change
« Reply #24 on: June 18, 2015, 08:01:25 PM »
New York Times:

Pope Francis Aligns Himself With Mainstream Science on Climate
Quote
The new papal encyclical on the environment is a ringing call to action, a critique of consumerism and a prophetic warning about the dangers of ignoring what Pope Francis calls “the ecological crisis.”

But amid all his soaring rhetoric, did the pope get the science right?

The short answer from climate and environmental scientists is that he did, at least to the degree possible in a religious document meant for a broad audience. If anything, they say, he may have bent over backward to offer a cautious interpretation of the scientific facts.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/19/science/earth/pope-francis-aligns-himself-with-mainstream-science-on-climate.html
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carmiac

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silkman

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Re: Pope Francis' Encyclical on Climate Change
« Reply #26 on: June 18, 2015, 09:44:33 PM »
Interestingly Pope Francis couldn't play the "I'm not a scientist" card, even if he wanted to. He has an MA in Chemistry and his informed views could be massively influential.

It's just a shame that religion, politics and history will continue to conspire against pulling the obvious lever that could help greatly to address the fundamental issue of population growth.

Now that would really make a difference!

Sigmetnow

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Re: Pope Francis' Encyclical on Climate Change
« Reply #27 on: June 18, 2015, 09:59:38 PM »
Pope Francis: “Every Person Living on This Planet” Should Act on Climate
By Eric Holthaus
http://www.slate.com/blogs/future_tense/2015/06/18/pope_francis_encyclical_laudato_si_reframes_climate_change_as_a_human_rights.html


The Pope Is The Climate Change Churchill Humanity Desperately Needs
Joe Romm at Think Progress quotes Churchill:
Quote
“...Owing to past neglect, in the face of the plainest warnings, we have entered upon a period of danger…. The era of procrastination, of half measures, of soothing and baffling expedience of delays, is coming to its close. In its place we are entering a period of consequences…. We cannot avoid this period, we are in it now….
http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/06/17/3670578/pope-climate-change-churchill-humanity-needs/
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Tor Bejnar

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Re: Pope Francis' Encyclical on Climate Change
« Reply #28 on: June 18, 2015, 10:33:03 PM »
Pope Francis does not have an "advanced degree" (MA or MS) in Chemistry, despite what some have seen in reputable press.  See, for example, Snopes.com.
Quote
While it's true that Pope Francis has a background in chemistry, the level of his education in that area has been unclearly stated. According to the pontiff's official biography on the Vatican's web site, Pope Francis "graduated as a chemical technician" before entering the priesthood, received a degree in philosophy and theology from the Colegio de San José in San Miguel, and taught literature and psychology at both the Immaculate Conception College in Santa Fé and the Colegio del Salvatore in Buenos Aires. However, the only mention of the Pope's chemistry education was the notation that he graduated as a "chemical technician"; whether his training constituted the equivalent of a university degree, and where he undertook that course of study, was not specified.
Quote
In the Argentine system, "the título (same word used for a secondary diploma or a university degree) was earned at about age 19 after an extended secondary program," Liebscher said. "Not everyone who goes to secondary school gets one of those diplomas, and the título really represents something beyond our high-school diploma, something akin a certificate from a community college in the U.S."
Read more at http://www.snopes.com/politics/religion/popechemistry.asp#ORYbJ1zSXUcJcqFI.99
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silkman

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Re: Pope Francis' Encyclical on Climate Change
« Reply #29 on: June 18, 2015, 11:37:42 PM »
You just can't trust anyone these days... Not even the reputable press!

Nonetheless I suspect the Pope's technical education gives him a decent perspective on the issue. I'm still happy to regard him as a fellow scientist.

Tor Bejnar

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Re: Pope Francis' Encyclical on Climate Change
« Reply #30 on: June 19, 2015, 03:13:15 PM »
...
Nonetheless I suspect the Pope's technical education gives him a decent perspective on the issue.  ...
I concur!
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Pope Francis' Encyclical on Climate Change
« Reply #31 on: June 19, 2015, 08:59:02 PM »
Pope Francis: We're turning Earth into 'immense pile of filth'
By Associated Press

Quote
The encyclical “Laudato Si, (Praise Be): On Care for Our Common Home” is 180 pages of pure Francis, named for a prayer penned by his namesake, the nature-loving St. Francis of Assisi.

It’s a blunt, readable booklet full of zingers by the Argentine “slum pope” that will make many conservatives and climate doubters squirm, including in the U.S. Congress where Francis will deliver the first-ever papal address in September.

No encyclical has ever drawn this much popular and sustained attention, even after having been leaked earlier this week. The hashtag #LaudatoSi was trending Thursday on Twitter.

Deke Arndt, a top U.S. federal climate scientist and Catholic, was brought to tears by the eloquence of the document.

“There are certain things that science will never be able to say so beautifully,” he said. “I think it speaks across the spectrum of human experiences ... It speaks to the soul and the inner part of us.”
http://m.jacksonville.com/news/2015-06-18/story/pope-francis-were-turning-earth-immense-pile-filth
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Re: Pope Francis' Encyclical on Climate Change
« Reply #32 on: June 20, 2015, 10:59:04 AM »
the encyclical is here for those who wish to read the original (english version): http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/encyclicals/documents/papa-francesco_20150524_enciclica-laudato-si.pdf

oops, already posted by carmiac , but as a member of the Lutheran sect I think this bears repeating.

Sigmetnow

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Re: Pope Francis' Encyclical on Climate Change
« Reply #33 on: June 20, 2015, 01:21:07 PM »
.
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Pope Francis' Encyclical on Climate Change
« Reply #34 on: June 20, 2015, 06:56:29 PM »
Quote
@billmckibben: Fascinating--@NRGDavidCrane, ceo of US's biggest power provider, pens a strong salute to the Pope's encyclical https://t.co/KKAKD93u5F
A Spiritual Awakening About Climate Change
By David Crane, President and CEO, NRG Energy
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-crane/nrg-david-crane-placehold_b_7607058.html
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Pope Francis' Encyclical on Climate Change
« Reply #35 on: June 21, 2015, 12:50:06 PM »
How climate-change doubters lost a papal fight
Quote
“We all want the poor to live better lives, but we just don’t think the solution to that is to restrict the use of fossil fuels, because we don’t think CO2 is causing a climate crisis,” Lakely said. “So if that’s our message in a sentence, that message was not reflected in the encyclical, so there you go.”
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/how-climate-change-doubters-lost-a-papal-fight/2015/06/20/86af3182-15ce-11e5-8457-4b431bf7ed4c_story.html
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oren

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Re: Pope Francis' Encyclical on Climate Change
« Reply #36 on: June 22, 2015, 12:09:49 AM »
the encyclical is here for those who wish to read the original (english version): http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/encyclicals/documents/papa-francesco_20150524_enciclica-laudato-si.pdf

oops, already posted by carmiac , but as a member of the Lutheran sect I think this bears repeating.

So I must say I've quick-read about 40 pages into the document, and it's written very well. It's amazing that this was written by the Catholic Church, or for that matter by any religious organization. The science references are good, but it goes beyond trying to prove the science to simply accepting the science and moving on to consequences and solutions. Even population controls are hinted at, though only for certain very densely populated locations.
And in a way, the pope is right. The only thing that *might* make masses of people live more sustainable lives and to place self-limits on their consumerism is religion.

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Re: Pope Francis' Encyclical on Climate Change
« Reply #38 on: June 23, 2015, 03:02:32 PM »
This encyclical is quite interesting. It is going to reach a lot of people. I was curious to see the Pope's take on sustainability, the 'Anthropocene' and that notorious passage in Genesis about man being given 'dominion' over everything else:

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"66. The creation accounts in the book of Genesis contain, in their own symbolic and narrative language, profound teachings about human existence and its historical reality. They suggest that human life is grounded in three fundamental and closely intertwined relationships: with God, with our neighbour and with the earth itself. According to the Bible, these three vital relationships have been broken, both outwardly and within us. This rupture is sin. The harmony between the Creator, humanity and creation as a whole was disrupted by our presuming to take the place of God and refusing to acknowledge our creaturely limitations. This in turn distorted our mandate to “have dominion” over the earth (cf. Gen 1:28), to “till it and keep it” (Gen 2:15). As a result, the originally harmonious relationship between human beings and nature became conflictual (cf. Gen 3:17-19). It is significant that the harmony which Saint Francis of Assisi experienced with all creatures was seen as a healing of that rupture. Saint Bonaventure held that, through universal reconciliation with every creature, Saint Francis in some way returned to the state of original innocence.[40] This is a far cry from our situation today, where sin is manifest in all its destructive power in wars, the various forms of violence and abuse, the abandonment of the most vulnerable, and attacks on nature.

67. We are not God. The earth was here before us and it has been given to us. This allows us to respond to the charge that Judaeo-Christian thinking, on the basis of the Genesis account which grants man “dominion” over the earth (cf. Gen 1:28), has encouraged the unbridled exploitation of nature by painting him as domineering and destructive by nature. This is not a correct interpretation of the Bible as understood by the Church. Although it is true that we Christians have at times incorrectly interpreted the Scriptures, nowadays we must forcefully reject the notion that our being created in God’s image and given dominion over the earth justifies absolute domination over other creatures. The biblical texts are to be read in their context, with an appropriate hermeneutic, recognizing that they tell us to “till and keep” the garden of the world (cf. Gen 2:15). “Tilling” refers to cultivating, ploughing or working, while “keeping” means caring, protecting, overseeing and preserving. This implies a relationship of mutual responsibility between human beings and nature. Each community can take from the bounty of the earth whatever it needs for subsistence, but it also has the duty to protect the earth and to ensure its fruitfulness for coming generations. “The earth is the Lord’s” (Ps 24:1); to him belongs “the earth with all that is within it” (Dt 10:14). Thus God rejects every claim to absolute ownership: “The land shall not be sold in perpetuity, for the land is mine; for you are strangers and sojourners with me” (Lev 25:23).

68. This responsibility for God’s earth means that human beings, endowed with intelligence, must respect the laws of nature and the delicate equilibria existing between the creatures of this world, for “he commanded and they were created; and he established them for ever and ever; he fixed their bounds and he set a law which cannot pass away” (Ps 148:5b-6). The laws found in the Bible dwell on relationships, not only among individuals but also with other living beings. “You shall not see your brother’s donkey or his ox fallen down by the way and withhold your help… If you chance to come upon a bird’s nest in any tree or on the ground, with young ones or eggs and the mother sitting upon the young or upon the eggs; you shall not take the mother with the young” (Dt 22:4, 6). Along these same lines, rest on the seventh day is meant not only for human beings, but also so “that your ox and your donkey may have rest” (Ex 23:12). Clearly, the Bible has no place for a tyrannical anthropocentrism unconcerned for other creatures.

69. Together with our obligation to use the earth’s goods responsibly, we are called to recognize that other living beings have a value of their own in God’s eyes: “by their mere existence they bless him and give him glory”,[41] and indeed, “the Lord rejoices in all his works” (Ps 104:31). By virtue of our unique dignity and our gift of intelligence, we are called to respect creation and its inherent laws, for “the Lord by wisdom founded the earth” (Prov 3:19). In our time, the Church does not simply state that other creatures are completely subordinated to the good of human beings, as if they have no worth in themselves and can be treated as we wish. The German bishops have taught that, where other creatures are concerned, “we can speak of the priority of being over that of being useful”.[42] The Catechism clearly and forcefully criticizes a distorted anthropocentrism: “Each creature possesses its own particular goodness and perfection… Each of the various creatures, willed in its own being, reflects in its own way a ray of God’s infinite wisdom and goodness. Man must therefore respect the particular goodness of every creature, to avoid any disordered use of things”.[43]"

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Re: Pope Francis' Encyclical on Climate Change
« Reply #39 on: June 23, 2015, 03:26:56 PM »
Where did the encyclical get outside advice on its climate science and economics? It is scarcely possible that the Pope would have time to  regularly read the sea ice blog or associated forums -- if so, this might show up in google analytics.

Chasing this down, things like no to carbon credit trading would have been vetted by Jeffrey Sachs who became a full professor of economics at Harvard at age 28. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeffrey_Sachs

The climate science advice came from Hans Joachim Schellnhuber, director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (1980 theoretic physics PhD, 240 publications on climate science https://www.pik-potsdam.de/members/john/public)

So it is very likely the economics and science will be quite mainstream. [Disclosure: Confession: I have not read the encyclical start to finish yet.]

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Re: Pope Francis' Encyclical on Climate Change
« Reply #40 on: June 23, 2015, 08:46:04 PM »
Analysis of Pope Francis’ Encyclical Laudato Si, June 18, 2015.
Eight climate scientists have analyzed the article and they estimate its overall scientific credibility to be ‘high’.
http://climatefeedback.org/evaluation/Laudato_Si_Pope_Francis_2015-06-18.html
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Re: Pope Francis' Encyclical on Climate Change
« Reply #41 on: June 23, 2015, 09:48:34 PM »
This encyclical is quite interesting. It is going to reach a lot of people. I was curious to see the Pope's take on sustainability, the 'Anthropocene' and that notorious passage in Genesis about man being given 'dominion' over everything else:

Thanks for those quotes, A-Team. I don't have time to read the whole thing.
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Re: Pope Francis' Encyclical on Climate Change
« Reply #42 on: June 24, 2015, 07:43:44 PM »
Katharine Hayhoe: Responding to the Pope
The most important take-away from the encyclical will be a call to action.

Also: her one-minute "elevator pitch" on climate change.  She says she wouldn't start with the science, but rather with, "I care about...."

http://climatecrocks.com/2015/06/23/katharine-hayhoe-responding-to-the-pope/
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Re: Pope Francis' Encyclical on Climate Change
« Reply #43 on: June 24, 2015, 08:24:39 PM »
In my view, most media commentary on the encyclical has completely missed the point. The point is St. Francis. Not just that the Pope chose this papal name, nor that Laudato Se are the first words of the canticle blessing the creatures, nor that Francis is designated patron saint of ecology (John Paul II) -- the whole encyclical is about respecting biodiversity.

It’s instructive to contrast changed attitudes towards wolves in the town of Gabbo in the year 1220 with the wolf slaughter going on right now in Canada, US and astonishingly, trust-fund Norway. Of course the wolf is just a case study as the larger metaphor is our whole botched relationship with nature, including climate.

There’s been quite a bit of commentary to the effect the Pope is not expected to be an expert on climate, economics or sustainability so therefore he’s not speaking ex cathedra (infallibly) so it’s okay, especially for cafeteria Catholics, to prudentially dispute or ignore inconvenient truths in the encyclical.

However when the Pope interprets Genesis 1:26 ( ‘dominion’) or says species extinction is immoral as in Laud Se 3:33, that falls squarely within infallability. Thus a newbie Catholic like Bush might choose to be grossly disrespectful whereas a blue-collar Catholic like Boehner, 9th of 12 children, invites the Pope to address Congress.

I’m not remotely Catholic (being a foundling raised by walruses near Qaanaak) but from this analysis can now tell deniers "the Pope has spoken on climate change, His Holiness is infallible, that’s all I need to know, and by the way, you’re going to hell."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_of_Assisi#Nature_and_the_environment
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolf_of_Gubbio
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/georgemonbiot/2012/nov/20/norway-predators-wolves
http://www.wordonfire.org/resources/blog/st-francis-and-the-wolf-of-gubbio/4657/

Here are some extracts from the encyclical on biodiversity:

Laud Se 1:24. Warming has effects on the carbon cycle. It creates a vicious circle … leading to the extinction of part of the planet’s biodiversity… and an unprecedented destruction of ecosystems, with serious consequences for all of us.

Laud Se 3:32. The earth’s resources are also being plundered because of short-sighted approaches to the economy, commerce and production. The loss of forests and woodlands entails the loss of species which may constitute extremely important resources in the future, not only for food but also for curing disease and other uses.

Laud Se 3:33. It is not enough, however, to think of different species merely as potential “resources” to be exploited, while overlooking the fact that they have value in themselves. Each year sees the disappearance of thousands of plant and animal species which we will never know, which our children will never see, because they have been lost for ever. The great majority become extinct for reasons related to human activity. Because of us, thousands of species will no longer give glory to God by their very existence, nor convey their message to us. We have no such right.

Laud Se 3:34. It may well disturb us to learn of the extinction of mammals or birds, since they are more visible. But the good functioning of ecosystems also requires fungi, algae, worms, insects, reptiles and an innumerable variety of microorganisms. Some less numerous species, although generally unseen, nonetheless play a critical role in maintaining the equilibrium of a particular place….  a sober look at our world shows that the degree of human intervention, often in the service of business interests and consumerism, is actually making our earth less rich and beautiful, ever more limited and grey, even as technological advances and consumer goods continue to abound limitlessly. We seem to think that we can substitute an irreplaceable and irretrievable beauty with something which we have created ourselves.

Laud Se 2:34. It may well disturb us to learn of the extinction of mammals or birds, since they are more visible. But the good functioning of ecosystems also requires fungi, algae, worms, insects, reptiles and an innumerable variety of microorganisms. Some less numerous species, although generally unseen, nonetheless play a critical role in maintaining the equilibrium of a particular place. Human beings must intervene when a geosystem reaches a critical state.

Laud Se 2:35. In assessing the environmental impact of any project, concern is usually shown for its effects on soil, water and air, yet few careful studies are made of its impact on biodiversity, as if the loss of species or animals and plant groups were of little importance. Highways, new plantations, the fencing-off of certain areas, the damming of water sources, and similar developments, crowd out natural habitats and, at times, break them up in such a way that animal populations can no longer migrate or roam freely. As a result, some species face extinction. 

Laud Se 2:38. Let us mention, for example, those richly biodiverse lungs of our planet which are the Amazon and the Congo basins, or the great aquifers and glaciers. We know how important these are for the entire earth and for the future of humanity. The ecosystems of tropical forests possess an enormously complex biodiversity which is almost impossible to appreciate fully, yet when these forests are burned down or levelled for purposes of cultivation, within the space of a few years countless species are lost and the areas frequently become arid wastelands.… Yet this can seriously compromise a biodiversity which the new species being introduced does not accommodate. Similarly, wetlands converted into cultivated land lose the enormous biodiversity which they formerly hosted.

Laud Se 3:115. Modern anthropocentrism has paradoxically ended up prizing technical thought over reality, since “the technological mind sees nature as an insensate order, as a cold body of facts, as a mere ‘given’, as an object of utility, as raw material to be hammered into useful shape... The intrinsic dignity of the world is thus compromised. When human beings fail to find their true place in this world, they misunderstand themselves and end up acting against themselves...

Laud Se 3:116. Modernity has been marked by an excessive anthropocentrism which today, under another guise, continues to stand in the way of shared understanding and of any effort to strengthen social bonds… An inadequate presentation of Christian anthropology gave rise to a wrong understanding of the relationship between human beings and the world. Often, what was handed on was a Promethean vision of mastery over the world, which gave the impression that the protection of nature was something that only the faint-hearted cared about. Instead, our “dominion” over the universe should be understood more properly in the sense of responsible stewardship.

Laud Se 4:167. The 1992 Earth Summit proclaimed that “human beings are at the centre of concerns for sustainable development”... it enshrined international cooperation to care for the ecosystem of the entire earth, the obligation of those who cause pollution to assume its costs, and the duty to assess the environmental impact of given projects and works. It set the goal of limiting greenhouse gas concentration in the atmosphere, in an effort to reverse the trend of global warming. It also drew up an agenda with an action plan and a convention on biodiversity….

Laud Se 5:169. As far as the protection of biodiversity and issues related to desertification are concerned, progress has been far less significant. With regard to climate change, the advances have been regrettably few. Reducing greenhouse gases requires honesty, courage and responsibility, above all on the part of those countries which are more powerful and pollute the most... We believers cannot fail to ask God for a positive outcome to the present discussions, so that future generations will not have to suffer the effects of our ill-advised delays.

Laud Se 5:190. Here too, it should always be kept in mind that “environmental protection cannot be assured solely on the basis of financial calculations of costs and benefits. The environment is one of those goods that cannot be adequately safeguarded or promoted by market forces”. Once more, we need to reject a magical conception of the market, which would suggest that problems can be solved simply by an increase in the profits of companies or individuals. Is it realistic to hope that those who are obsessed with maximizing profits will stop to reflect on the environmental damage which they will leave behind for future generations? Where profits alone count, there can be no thinking about the rhythms of nature, its phases of decay and regeneration, or the complexity of ecosystems which may be gravely upset by human intervention. Moreover, biodiversity is considered at most a deposit of economic resources available for exploitation, with no serious thought for the real value of things, their significance for persons and cultures, or the concerns and needs of the poor.

Laud Se 3:195. The principle of the maximization of profits, frequently isolated from other considerations, reflects a misunderstanding of the very concept of the economy. As long as production is increased, little concern is given to whether it is at the cost of future resources or the health of the environment; as long as the clearing of a forest increases production, no one calculates the losses entailed in the desertification of the land, the harm done to biodiversity or the increased pollution. In a word, businesses profit by calculating and paying only a fraction of the costs involved. Yet only when “the economic and social costs of using up shared environmental resources are recognized with transparency and fully borne by those who incur them, not by other peoples or future generations” can those actions be considered ethical.

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Re: Pope Francis' Encyclical on Climate Change
« Reply #44 on: June 28, 2015, 02:11:41 PM »
Pope Francis recruits Naomi Klein in climate change battle
Social activist ‘surprised but delighted’ to join top cardinal in high-level environment conference at the Vatican
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jun/28/pope-climate-change-naomi-klein
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Re: Pope Francis' Encyclical on Climate Change
« Reply #45 on: June 28, 2015, 06:53:05 PM »
Here is an interesting account on how to get on the Pontifical Academy of Science advisory committee and what to say to the Pope in your two minute meeting in a parking lot:

"Professor Veerabhadran Ramanathan is a man of science who deals in data-driven evidence and provable facts, but he is absolutely convinced religion is the key to stopping global warming. "The problem is getting worse, and society isn't fixing it," Ramanathan said. Religion, he says, is the missing link.

"While we need science and technology to solve it, the underlying solution we need is to change our attitude toward nature," Ramanathan said, adding the only authority that he can see actually making that happen is a religious leader.
He had a particular one in mind: Pope Francis. But how did a man of science get to that point?
 
It took Ramanathan, an atmospheric scientist at the University of California San Diego, 30 years. Thirty years of research. Thirty years of trying to change policy and attitudes and make people believe that humans were helping to give the earth a nasty fever that would come back to haunt generations to come. Thirty years of frustration and sometimes depression when no one took action.

In 1975, Ramanathan's research did lead to a major change American policy. He proved a game-changing theory that it wasn't just fossil fuels damaging the Earth's atmosphere but substances such as Freon and the manufacturing process for aerosol sprays that contributed to global warming.

"For a long time, we thought carbon dioxide from fossil fuels was the main man-made greenhouse gas harming the planet. That changed overnight when in 1975 I published this paper in which I discovered that there are other gases in the atmosphere which are even more potent," Ramanathan said.

Three years later the United States banned chlorofluorocarbons after Ramanathan proved  "One molecule of this chlorofluorocarbon can cause more global warming than ten thousand molecules of carbon dioxide."

It seemed like a game changer that he thought would make people understand they had to change. But 30 years later, Ramanathan got a nasty surprise that reminded him people were still having a seriously detrimental effect on the Earth's atmosphere. His realization was especially painful when he looked at the data from his scientific drones, which had flown over South Asia.

"I wanted to collect direct observations, measurements of how pollution from human beings is changing the climate," Ramanathan said, "And we found to our total shock that these pollutants are directly related to the melting of the mammoth Himalayan Tibetan glaciers. After 30 years of work, I find the problem is getting worse, no action from society."

He went home only to find what you might call divine intervention, in the form of an email from then Pope John Paul II.
"I thought it was spam. I almost deleted it," Ramanathan said. Instead his curiosity got the better of him and he opened it. Ramanathan was invited by the Pope to join the prestigious Pontifical Academy of Sciences for a lifetime appointment.

And then came Ramanathan's moment to brief the one person they were hoping would send the message to the world.
"I was handed a slip of paper," he said. He scurried to meet with the Pope Francis. To his surprise, it wasn't in the ornate and breathtaking halls where he had passed other pontiffs. This time it was in a parking lot.

Ramanathan was given two minutes to make his pitch. He hoped it would make its way into the encyclical on climate change. "I told him first two things; we are all concerned about climate change and the next sentence I said is, we are most concerned about the poorest three billion who had the least to do with this and are going to suffer the worst consequences," Ramanathan said.

"The Pope gave me a disarming smile, and then they said, the Holy Father wants to know what he can do about it. So I told him, 'In your speeches if you can please include us people to be better stewards of the planet.' "

Ramanathan is not Catholic nor are many of the scientists that make up the Pontifical Academy of Sciences. But he and many of his learned colleagues believe Pope Francis can make a difference. "This Pope has become a figure like Gandhi, or John F Kennedy, going beyond their own cultural surroundings. This Pope has gone beyond Catholicism. Of course he's leader of the Catholics, but many accept him as a moral leader," Ramanathan said.

"For someone like me -- who had worked on this problem for 40 years and became depressed last 10 years that I see the change happening but no action taken -- we see him as the hope." http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/17/world/pope-climate-change-conversation/index.html

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Re: Pope Francis' Encyclical on Climate Change
« Reply #46 on: July 01, 2015, 07:03:57 PM »
Neil deGrasse Tyson’s Message To People Who Think Pope Francis Shouldn’t Talk About Climate Change
http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/06/30/3675747/neil-degrasse-tyson-pope-francis-climate-change/
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Re: Pope Francis' Encyclical on Climate Change
« Reply #47 on: July 04, 2015, 03:08:14 PM »
Episcopal church votes to divest from fossil fuels: 'This is a moral issue'
Warning of threat to ‘human life itself’, Christian denomination commits to re-investing in clean energy following pope’s pastoral letter on the environment.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jul/03/episcopal-church-fossil-fuel-divestment
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Re: Pope Francis' Encyclical on Climate Change
« Reply #48 on: July 04, 2015, 03:35:50 PM »
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@billmckibben: Must read: @NaomiAKlein's superb statement at Vatican. 'Don't make the difficult the enemy of the possible.' http://t.co/2SF0LiJQsr 
Quote
The truth is that we have arrived at this dangerous place partly because many of those economic experts have failed us badly, wielding their powerful technocratic skills without wisdom. They produced models that placed scandalously little value on human life, particularly on the lives of the poor, and placed outsized value on protecting corporate profits and economic growth.

http://thischangeseverything.org/watch-naomis-press-statement-at-the-vatican/
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Re: Pope Francis' Encyclical on Climate Change
« Reply #49 on: July 09, 2015, 03:21:38 AM »
Did the Catholic Church Endorse Fossil-Fuel Divestment?
The pope’s powerful encyclical on poverty and climate change is likely to transform the investment policies of religious institutions across America.
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Divestment advocates, like 350.org co-founder Bill McKibben and a growing number of institutional investors, feel that engagement is no longer an appropriate response to the climate crisis. In their view, the unforgiving deadline for rescuing the atmosphere can no longer be met through the slow extraction of small concessions from reluctant executives. The only solution is to reject the fossil-fuel industry economically, politically, and morally through divestment and government action, and to immediately pursue the complex task of moving to a low-carbon economy. “The pope has managed to do what no global leader has done in the past,” says McKibben. “He has issued a clarion call to say that climate change is putting the entire human family and the planet we live on at risk, and that only a rapid, deep, and structural response will succeed. However well intended, the past efforts at dialogue, engagement, and diplomacy have fundamentally failed us. The pope looks at the human condition through the lens of centuries, and he has now told us unsparingly that we must make huge changes immediately.”
http://www.thenation.com/article/did-the-catholic-church-endorse-fossil-fuel-divestment/
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