By Leela Ramdeen, Chair, CCSJ
Pope Benedict XVI’s general prayer intention during the month of November is: “That all the men and women in the world, especially those who have responsibilities in the field of politics and economics, may never fail in their commitment to safeguard creation.”
I don’t think everyone in TT is aware of the gravity of the ecological problems the world faces and the desperate need for humanity to pull back from the brink. As TT gets ready for the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting which will focus on the theme: Partnering for a more equitable and sustainable future, it is important that we pray that the leaders who will be meeting here will truly understand what ‘partnership’ means.
The leaders who will gather here cannot talk about a sustainable future without taking into account the factors that adversely impact on sustainable development e.g. climate change.
I have been following the reports of negotiations that are in train in advance of the UN Climate Change Conference which takes place in Copenhagen from Dec 7 – 18. Many developing countries and small island states fear that no binding agreements will be forged in Copenhagen after the lengthy negotiations that have been going on since the launch in Bali in 2007 when all parties agreed to work towards the Bali Action Plan.
World leaders have called for a comprehensive, fair international climate change deal to be agreed at the UN meeting in Copenhagen in December. But are they all committed to doing what is right for our planet? Tarequl Islam Munna, who writes on behalf of World Wildlife Fund, says:
“As time winds down before the Copenhagen meetings, poor countries are complaining that rich nations seem to be on a path to carve out a new agreement that forces them to cut their emissions, while rich nations will get away with minimal cuts.”
Developed countries are responsible for almost all of the excess carbon in the atmosphere. We know what the emitters of greenhouse gases are and what we need to do to halt global warming and save the planet. What we need is the will – by all of us- individuals, businesses, communities, states/ countries, but more particularly, by our leaders/politicians.
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Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor said on 30 Nov., at the end of a two-day meeting of EU leaders: “It is realistic to say that in Copenhagen we will not be able to conclude a treaty”.
And while we all wait with baited breaths, the ice caps continue to melt, deserts are spreading, greenhouse gas emissions continue to pollute the atmosphere, the temperature is rising, lakes are drying, crops are withering, food production is declining, weather patterns continue to be unpredictable. The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales said: “Our destructiveness can silence creation’s song of praise to God; our care for creation can be a true expression of our own praise.”
Our Archdiocesan’s Mission Statement calls us to reconciliation with God, neighbour, creation and self. If we are to achieve this mission, we must change our lifestyles and develop an ethic and practice of care for God’s creation. We are called to be stewards of God’s creation.
On Saturday CCSJ ran a workshop to consider the implications of Pope Benedict XVI’s 3rd encyclical, Charity in Truth, for our Archdiocese/TT. He identifies and analyses a broad range of social/current issues, shining the light of the Gospel on our current circumstances.
In articles 48 – 52 of the encyclical, the Pope focuses specifically on the moral dimensions of the environment. He says that:
“The Church has a responsibility towards creation and she must assert this responsibility in the public sphere. In so doing, she must defend not only earth, water and air as gifts of creation that belong to everyone. She must above all protect mankind from self-destruction. There is need for what might be called a human ecology, correctly understood. The deterioration of nature is in fact closely connected to the culture that shapes human coexistence: when ‘human ecology’ is respected within society environmental ecology also benefits…
“The environment is God’s gift to everyone, and in our use of it we have a responsibility towards the poor, towards future generations and towards humanity as a whole.”
In the lead up to the meeting in Copenhagen, I hope to share with you some of the issues raised by the Holy Father in his encyclical in relation to the environment. In the meantime, keep praying and taking action to reduce your own carbon footprint and slow global warming.
