Universe

How seriously do I think about Climate Change?

How can we imagine that our planet, Earth, is in dire need for us as humans to change? In the different places we live signs would be clearer than in other places. But it is hard to encourage people to change their style of living especially in industrial countries.

There are still doubters “… but the majority of the world’s scientific community agree that emissions of man-made greenhouse gases, particularly carbon dioxide from the burning of fossil fuels, are leading to an inexorable warming of the earth’s atmosphere, and that this in turn is causing potentially disastrous changes in global climate patterns.

“It is incontrovertible that the burning of fossil fuels is altering the chemistry of the atmosphere,” says Dr Greg Marland of the Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Centre, “and there is pretty compelling evidence that that is causing climate change.”

The effects of climate change are already apparent, with increasing incidence of floods, storms, droughts, water shortages and rising sea levels, phenomena that are expected to grow in severity over the course of the next century, and which are likely to hit the world's poorest countries hardest.” (Principal Voices—Time Magazine, 2005)

Each of us I am sure could look around our country and see signs of the cause of our planet’s struggle. “Global warming is a symptom of our disconnection from the Earth” said Lorna Howarth in Resurgence 2005.

Climate Change is full of complexity but one of the issues is protection of biodiversity. Sean McDonough said recently in Australia: “The destruction of life is one of the most important ecological and religious issues of our time... A report released by the World Conservation Union during the last week of October 2005 announced that, without intervention, half of the world’s coral reefs will be gone by 2045… The first thing we need to do is to realise that we are living in a finite planet. Lifestyles of high material consumption must yield to the provision of greater sufficiency for all. For the rest of the world to reach US or Australian levels of consumption with existing technologies would require four more planets like our present one. The Church should also support international agreements that promote awareness and action in the area of biodiversity.”

Fundamental in addressing global change is our attitudes towards Gaia. As Anne Primavesi asserts, “We will never accept our role in the Gaian Community until we see ourselves as part of the ‘Earthscape’.”

Thich Nhat Hanh, at Green Mountain Center in Vermont, during a retreat spoke about “… recognising the qualities of a mountain in oneself: inner strength, stability, the ability to weather the inevitable ups and downs of life. Mountains are sacred symbols of abiding presence and stillness… The sun moves and the seasons change, the light and colour on the side of the mountain continually shift, but the mountain itself never moves.” (Resurgence 2005)

In working to encourage our world to change a particular way of living these are the qualities we need — those of the mountains.

There are many actions we can take to turn the tide of climate change. I know lots of people are doing small things – saving energy, switching to green power, looking at their fuel consumption, eating organically, etc, etc. We can also advocate our governments and church. There needs to be public awareness for through that, changes can come which help shift policy, law and ultimately how we generate and consume energy and how we judge a good life. It will not be easy; it will ask sacrifice of each of us.

Bishop Christopher Toohey presented the Bishops’ position paper at the Climate Change Conference in Canberra 2005. He concluded the Conference with these words:

“As a matter of justice and out of a pastoral concern, we Bishops address ourselves to the Catholic communities and ask them to lead by example, to see care for our planet Earth as a ‘vocation’. We encourage all Catholics to help our nation by developing an ecological ethic and to face up to the radical changes required for tackling global climate change. Our nation, in turn, may become an example to other nations both for the wise choices it takes internally and the generous spirit it shows to devel-oping nations. God is not mean, nor should we be.”

Sheila Quonoey pbvm, Wagga Wagga

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