In class this week we read the Pope’s encyclical on climate change. We compared it to the Paris agreement and learned that surprisingly the Pope takes a more extreme stance on the solution to climate. The main difference between the Paris agreement and the Pope is that the Pope directly isolates the cause of climate, namely human consumerist behavior.

The Pope, like many climate change activists, holds corporations and governments accountable for endorsing policies that encourage pollution. However, he recognizes that the incentives for these collections of people to act they way they do arises from consumer and voter preferences. If we lived in a world where people preferred eco-friendly products and recognized the immediate importance of climate change, governments and corporations wouldn’t have such an immense effect on the environment.

Pope Francis also dedicates a part of a chapter entirely to discussing the importance of education in relation to climate change. He holds that scientific knowledge is important to understanding our connection to nature, but it is not the only way in which we should relate to the environment. However, spirituality, to the Pope, is integral to cultivating a healthy relationship between human beings and nature. This is because the root cause of pollution is our incessant need to feel fulfilled by material objects. Without this consumer culture, climate change would not be such a ridiculous issue.

References:

Encyclical Letter, LAUDATO SI,’ “On Care for Our Common Home”