It Must Become a Priority for People in Politics

By Tom Sheridan

Despite its characterization as just a lot of hot air, it is the task of politics to resolve the world’s ever-worsening global warming problem.

There will be continuing debate – ideological debate – over what causes global warming, despite findings just recently released. The climate is changing and while human activity is certainly part of it, the negative effects – drought, water shortages, coastal flooding and the rest – must be addressed by politicians for the sake of us all.

Ideology can’t fix it; politicians must.

While politics is often defined as the “art of compromise,” ideology is anything but. And that’s the rub.

Global warming is a clear reality. Less clear is what to do about it.

An international group of scientists meeting in Paris in February presented what they said was “unequivocal” proof that human activities over the past half-century have nudged the average global temperature upward. This trend, they say, will continue for “hundreds of years.” The culprit is our use of fossil fuels – coal, oil and natural gas – for industry and transportation.

The result will be coastal cities awash from rising ocean levels as icecaps melt, droughts in now-fertile lands that will threaten world food output, reduced supplies of fresh water and increased catastrophic storms.

These climatic changes, which could begin within a lifetime, pose a severe threat to humanity, the scientists warned.

In other words, global warming is more an act of man than of God. Failure to respond would be ignoring the Christian call to be “stewards of the earth.”

The Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, citing Pope John Paul II’s encyclical “Centesimus Annus,” maintains that “the environment is one of those goods that cannot be adequately safeguarded or promoted by market forces.” The pope called care of creation “a moral and ethical challenge.”

Scientific pronouncements notwithstanding, the debate over the causes of the planet’s climate changes likely will go on. However, the question remains: Can we change the pattern or do we develop ways to prepare sanely for the inevitable?
These are political questions, as well as scientific. But it’s not something best left to ideology.

Anti-climate change ideology in U.S. politics and industry has so far muted the response to the dangers cited by scientists. Unfortunately, ideology rather than political reality continues to rule.

Following the release of the February report of the scientists, the Bush administration’s energy secretary, Sam Bodman, maintained that the U.S. is a “small contributor (to the problem) when you look at the rest of the world.”

While other nations are indeed part of the problem, the U.S. is the world’s major consumer of energy. Such ideological responses should not override the political responsibility – and political will – to find a solution.

Is there a solution? There are no limits to suggestions, beginning with replacing fossil fuels with solar and other sources of power to planning now to counter the predicted flooding and heat waves. In a recent joint statement, bishops from Australia and Canada said that countering global warming would certainly involve changes in our way of life, changes that would include the economy, energy use, employment and more.

A proper political response will address those lifestyle changes. But, as in a 12-step response, first we have to admit there is a problem.

Tom Sheridan is editor emeritus of The Catholic New World, newspaper of the Archdiocese of Chicago, and writes from Ocala, Fla.

It Must Become a Priority for People of Faith

By Liz Quirin

Catholics believe in stewardship, at least we talk about it. But if we really believe it, as followers of Jesus Christ we can no longer turn a blind and consumptive eye to the way we devour this planet’s natural resources to the detriment of ourselves and future generations.

This planet is, after all, the only “home” we have, and we have not lived as good stewards in the global community or, in many cases, in a local neighborhood.

Just Google “global warming” and you’ll see that it is a “hot topic.” Scientists, politicians, economists believe at the very least in “climate change” that has been, and is being, driven by Mother Earth’s inhabitants.

Global warming must take center stage now, though not to the exclusion of all other issues on our Catholic “plate.” If we don’t address this issue, those other important issues – about life, justice, a preferential option for the poor – won’t ring true for people moving their beach-front addresses inland or who are Googling the Internet in search of drinking water.

We talk about learning to live simply, to be good stewards, but we need to wake up to the idea that we are impacting our planet negatively on a global scale. We need to stop talking and take action.

We in the U.S. are greedy consumers, taking anywhere from 30 percent to 40 percent of the world’s natural resources to fuel our lifestyles.

But global warming isn’t an issue affecting only the U.S. It affects our entire world, and it doesn’t matter where we live or what strata of society we occupy. We say that China and India, to name just two countries, have more people and must be contributing more to global warming. But not yet.

While we continue to keep Catholic social teaching in front of us, we turn to our leaders – religious and political – to see what example they are setting, how they are answering the clarion call to care for our planet. In 2001 the U.S. bishops wrote: “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.”

While important ideas continue to be discussed, we need to listen and act, to change our lifestyles, to be the good stewards we believe we should be. We need to review a series of questions about our transportation – what kind of cars we drive; about our comfort levels – what the thermostats read in our homes; about our conservation – the amount of trash we produce and recycle. And those questions just scratch the surface.

As people of faith we come together to worship, find strength, lift one another in hope. Within our communities, parishes and dioceses, we can – and need to – step forward to change our world. Many parishes have made environmental stewardship a priority, discussing issues and formulating plans of action.

We can’t stop global warming, but we can make an impact on the future – our children’s future – with the actions we take today. Today’s “hot topic” can produce life-changing opportunities for us and our world.

Liz Quirin is editor of The Messenger, the newspaper of the Diocese of Belleville, Ill.

Your Views on global warming are welcome. Is it for real or a hoax? Are there practical ways we can reverse the trend? What can parishes do to increase awareness? Is this an issue for the faith community or not? Write to Viewpoints, The Tablet, 310 Prospect Park West, Brooklyn, NY, 11215; or email to ewilkinson@thetablet.org.