A Catholic Response to Global Warming

A Priority for the Poor: We are deeply concerned that the poor and vulnerable in our country and around the world will have little or no voice in this vital discussion. Their needs and burdens are likely to be ignored or overwhelmed by more powerful forces. Poor families and children, vulnerable workers, and farmers will likely be most impacted by climate change and bear the greatest burdens as we address its causes and consequences. The poor have the fewest resources and capacity to escape the costs of climate change. We all know too well who is left behind and who pays the greatest price when disaster, floods or droughts occur. The impact on poor communities and nations require priority attention as proposals for action are shaped and assessed.

The Pursuit of the Common Good: The challenge of global climate change is a pre-eminent example of how our debate and decisions should reflect the pursuit of the common good, rather than the search for economic, political or other narrow advantage. Our obligation to pass on the gift of God’s creation to future generations without doing irreversible harm is but one aspect of the demands of the common good. We urge you to resist and restrain predictable interest group pressures and narrow appeals. Instead, we urge to you to help build up common ground for common action to advance the common good.

The Practice of Prudence: The IPCC report makes clear that “the warming of the climate is unequivocal” and that “continued greenhouse gas emissions at or above current rates would cause further warming and induce many changes in the global climate system during the 21st century that would very likely be larger than those observed during the 20th century.” (Climate Change 2007: The Physical Science Basis, IPCC WGI Fourth Assessment Report, pp. 3 and 10, available at http://www.ipcc.ch). The traditional virtue of prudence suggests that we do not have to know with absolute certainty everything that is happening with climate change to know that something seriously harmful is occurring. Therefore, it is better to act now than wait until the problem gets worse and the remedies more costly. This precautionary principle leads us to act now to avoid the worst consequences of waiting. Prudence sometimes keeps us from acting precipitously. In this case, it requires us to act with urgency and seriousness.

—Bishop Thomas G. Wenski, Chairman, Committee on International Policy, Letter to Congress, Feb. 7, 2007

via Treehugger via CBC Radio: BC Almanac

Comments

[Wil Cone]

"We urge to you to help build up common ground for common action to advance the common good." Hear! Hear!

[Sylvia]

No doubt he will get a reprimand from the Vatican for promoting communism!