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COMMENTARY
Our Common Home Really Needs Your Help !
May 23 , 2017 | The Valley Catholic
By Tony Magliano
Internationally syndicated social justice and peace columnist
“ A very solid scientific consensus indicates that we are presently witnessing a disturbing warming of the climatic system ,” warns Pope Francis in his landmark environmental encyclical Laudato Si ’ (“ On Care for Our Common Home ”).
Indeed , the scientific consensus is very solid . According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration ( NASA ), “ 97 percent or more of actively publishing climate scientists agree : Climate-warming trends over the past century are very likely due to human activities .” ( see : http :// climate . nasa . gov / scientific-consensus ).
The Earth ’ s hottest year on record was 2014 . That was until 2015 , which then became the hottest year . And that was until 2016 , which is now the Earth ’ s hottest year .
As reported in The New York Times , of the 17 hottest years on record , 16 have now occurred since 2000 . ( see : http :// nyti . ms / 2jx2c3X )
For decades scientists have warned that humanity is on a disastrous global warming course – increasing floods , droughts , storms , wildfires – by failing to drastically reduce fossil-fuel use – coal , oil and gas
– and move quickly to clean sustainable wind , solar and geothermal energy .
Yet climate change deniers – with little sustainable scientific evidence – insist that global warming is not happening . And the president of the United States is their chief spokesperson . Trump posted on Twitter that climate change is a hoax devised by China to secure an unfair trade advantage .
He has irresponsibly proposed cutting necessary funding to the Environmental Protection Agency by approximately 30 percent , and has promised to pull the U . S . out of the crucial international Paris Agreement on climate change ( see : http :// cnn . it / 2pFBuJ2 ).
Leading us in the opposite direction of Trump , Pope Francis in his environmental encyclical Laudato Si ’ (“ On Care for Our Common Home ”) insists “ public pressure has to be exerted in order to bring about decisive political action . Society … must put pressure on governments to develop more rigorous regulations , procedures and controls . Unless citizens control political power – national , regional and municipal – it will not be possible to control damage to the environment .”
The recent People ’ s Climate March in Washington , D . C . was good , but far from enough . The citizen pressure the Holy Father is urging must be strong and ongoing . Because most politicians don ’ t see the light until they feel the heat !
Consider signing up to receive information and
action alerts from the Catholic Climate Covenant ( see : catholicclimatecovenant . org ), and the Union of Concerned Scientists ( see : www . ucsusa . org ). And parishes would do well to order / download the Eco-Parish Guide for Catholic Parishes ( see : catholicclimatemovement . global / eco-parish ).
Skeptical Science is a scholarly website recommended to me by a highly respected climate scientist . I hope you find it as informative as I do . ( see : https :// skepticalscience . com / argument . php ).
Each month I purchase 100 percent clean renewable energy for my home . And you and your parish can too ( see : ht t p :// bit . ly / 2p9K xyS ).
Like Saint Francis , Pope Francis sees all of God ’ s creation as interrelated and worthy of protection . And so should we !
In “ On Care for Our Common Home ” – a must read – ( see : ht t p :// bit . ly / 1Gi1BTu ) the Holy Father warns : “ When we fail to acknowledge as part of reality the worth of a poor person , a human embryo , a person with disabilities – to offer just a few examples – it becomes difficult to hear the cry of nature itself ; everything is connected .”
And thus Francis invites us to live with an attitude of the heart , fully present to each person , and accepting “ each moment as a gift from God to be lived to the full .”
Tony Magliano is available to speak at diocesan or parish gatherings . Tony can be reached at tmag @ zoominternet . net .
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By Gregory Kepferle
CEO , Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County and President , Charities Housing Development Corporation
What does it mean to have an “ open heart ”, to be “ open-hearted ”? If we take it literally , it can be quite risky and painful . Years ago as a lay hospital chaplain , I had the opportunity to attend an open heart surgery . In my memory it was both an efficient practical ballet by competent medical professionals and a holy intimate moment of witnessing a wounded heart exposed in order to be healed . The physicians and nurses had their own “ open hearts ” to save the life of another human being .
A few weeks ago , I had the honor of attending an audience with Pope Francis at Saint Peter ’ s in Rome . After the audience was over , he made the slow journey of greeting dignitaries , guests , and the faithful lined up behind barricades around the piazza . I was struck by his gentle , joyful countenance as he greeted each person and as he waved to us . I thought , here is a man with an open heart , whose heart is open to the Spirit .
Each of us is invited to feel this same joy as we are filled with compassion for others in need . Even as we address terrible human challenges , we can be filled with joy because of our faith and our hope in that same Holy Spirit who came upon the first disciples , as we trust that ultimately God ’ s love will prevail .
Yes , we have too much homelessness and hunger in the midst of plenty in this valley . Yes , there are too many people with mental illness who are not being helped . Yes , immigrant families are fearful of being split up and war refugees fear for their very lives . Yes , isolated seniors feel neglected and lonely and , yes , youth in tough neighborhoods are tempted to join gangs to protect themselves . Yes , former prisoners have a hard time finding work and a place to live . Yes , flood survivors are still not back in their homes . And yes , at the same time , we have thousands of generous people with open hearts who care for these very vulnerable neighbors .
This is the joy that I am privileged to experience at Catholic Charities , the joy of witnessing so many open hearts who truly are changing lives for good . I invite you to open your own heart and experience the joy of the Spirit . For more information please visit , www . catholiccharitiesscc . org .