Pope Francis issued a stern and challenging call to world leaders on Wednesday, urging them to commit to binding targets aimed at slowing down climate change before it reaches a critical "point of no return." He cautioned that the Earth's escalating warming, seen as God's creation, is fast approaching a dire situation.
In an updated version of his significant 2015 encyclical on the environment, Pope Francis raised the alarm about the "irreversible" damage already inflicted upon both humanity and the planet. He lamented that, once again, the world's impoverished and most vulnerable populations bear the brunt of these consequences.
The Pope took specific aim at the United States, highlighting that per-capita emissions in the US are twice as high as in China and seven times greater than the average in impoverished nations. While individual and household efforts are helpful, he emphasized the necessity for a broad shift away from the unsustainable Western lifestyle model.
The document, titled "Praise God," was released on the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, the Pope's namesake, and was designed to inspire negotiators to commit to binding climate targets at the upcoming UN talks in Dubai.
Using precise scientific data, strong diplomatic arguments, and some theological reasoning, Pope Francis presented a moral imperative for transitioning away from fossil fuels toward clean energy, calling for measures that are "efficient, obligatory, and readily monitored."
He stressed that the responsibility lies with humanity for the legacy left behind as we pass from this world.
While Pope Francis' 2015 encyclical, "Praise Be," was a watershed moment for the Catholic Church, marking the first time a Pope had used one of the most authoritative teaching documents to frame the climate debate in moral terms, he felt that an update was needed due to inadequate responses and the world's continued decline.
He criticized those, including some within the Church, who question mainstream climate science about greenhouse gas emissions, expressing his impatience with their profit-driven mentality.
He shamed doubters for their reliance on "supposedly solid scientific data" and debunked their arguments regarding potential job losses from transitioning to clean energy. Pope Francis also cited data showing that emissions and global temperatures have risen significantly since the Industrial Revolution, particularly over the last 50 years.
He asserted that doubting the human origin of climate change is no longer tenable, emphasizing that inaction is not an option. Devastation is already occurring, with some harm to biodiversity and species loss considered "irreversible."
Pope Francis warned that small changes can lead to greater, unforeseen consequences due to inertia factors, ultimately resulting in a cascade of events with a snowball effect, from which intervention becomes impossible once the process is underway.
The document's tone was unusual for a papal exhortation, resembling more a UN scientific report or a speech at a youth climate rally. It carried a sharp, uncompromising tone and contained numerous references to UN climate reports, NASA data, and Pope Francis' previous encyclicals rather than religious scripture.
"Praise God" was released in advance of the upcoming UN climate talks, beginning on November 30 in Dubai. As he did with his 2015 encyclical, "Praise Be," which was issued ahead of the Paris Climate Conference, Pope Francis aimed to frame the issue of global warming in stark moral terms to compel world leaders to make courageous decisions.
In the 2015 Paris Agreement, countries worldwide agreed to limit global warming to either 1.5 degrees Celsius or at least 2 degrees Celsius since pre-industrial times. Already, temperatures have risen approximately 1.1 degrees Celsius since the mid-1800s.
Pope Francis indicated that the Paris target will be exceeded, possibly reaching 3 degrees Celsius soon, and the effects are already evident, with warming oceans, melting glaciers, record-breaking heatwaves, and extreme weather events.
He warned that even if we do not reach the point of no return, the consequences would be catastrophic. Urgent action is imperative, as inaction would entail enormous costs and grave social and economic effects.
Since 2015, the world has emitted over 288 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, and CO2 levels have risen significantly. In addition, the record-hot summer of 2023 was warmer than the summer of 2015, and Antarctica and Greenland have experienced significant land ice loss.
In the United States alone, there have been 152 climate or weather disasters causing at least $1 billion in damage since the Pope's first climate message, with costs adjusted for inflation.
Pope Francis concluded his document by calling on the US to improve its emissions rate and emphasizing the folly of human beings attempting to take God's place, becoming their own worst enemies in the process.
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