Climate Change 8-30-2015

30, August 2015                     Climate Change

The Pope deserves credit for issuing an encyclical on climate change. He called for a cultural revolution to change our lifestyles and become better stewards of our fragile planet. The document is 184 pages but here is a brief summary:

In his ten commandments he urged citizens to:

1.       Avoid the use of paper and plastic and reduce water consumption;

cook only what can be reasonably consumed, turn off lights, plant trees to counteract carbon emissions; separate recyclable from refuse.

2.      Be increasingly concerned about future generations and do everything possible to ensure the survival of the planet and its future inhabitants.

3.      Embrace alternative energy sources. Replace polluting energy sources such as coal, oil, gas with clean energy.

4.      Consider the impact of pollution on the poor and impoverished.

5.      Develop mass transportation to replace gas guzzling vehicles.

6.      Develop humility and awe for the great gift of creation.

7.      Don’t become fixated with gadgets like cell phones. This will lead to sensory overload and mental confusion.

8.      Don’t trade online relationships for real ones.

9.      Be ever vigilant of changing conditions that may adversely impact the world.

10.   Caring for one another is a moral imperative and will go a long way in creating a more humane society.

Following on the heels of the publication of Pope Francis’s encyclical on the environment, a group of leading Islamic scholars have issued a declaration calling on the world’s 1.6 billion Muslims to eliminate dangerous greenhouse gas emissions and switch to renewable energy sources. The declaration urges world leaders meeting in Paris later this year to commit to a 100 percent zero-emissions strategy and to invest in renewable energy in order to reduce poverty and the catastrophic impacts of climate change. 60 leading Islamic scholars, links climate change to the economic system, stating: "We recognize the corruption that humans have caused on the Earth due to our relentless pursuit of economic growth and consumption." 

Perhaps it is time for Hindu, Sikh and other major faiths to urge their followers to support these noble efforts and do what is necessary to preserve this beautiful and fragile planet before global warming obliterates all of humanity. Leading climate scientist, James Hansen, predicts that if current trends continue, sea levels will rise ten feet by the end of this century engulfing most of the coastal cities of the world. 2015 was the hottest year since records began. This portends a dark and dismal future for the world’s inhabitants unless we make drastic changes to combat the effects of climate change.