The recent encyclical by Pope Francis, subtitled “On the care for our common home”, calls on every human being to take responsibility for the wellbeing of the earth and its inhabitants.
Acknowledging the scientific consensus that human activity is the major cause behind today’s global warming, the Pope highlights the very real consequences that people all around the world will face, including the fact that “rises in the sea level mainly affect impoverished coastal populations who have nowhere else to go” (paragraph. 48).
With the major climate negotiations by members of the UNFCCC set to take place in Paris in December 2015, DS hopes that the voice of the Pope and that of millions of others around the world will be heard and acted upon by the world’s leaders. Communities all around the world are already being displaced by climate change. It is crucial that binding agreements are reached to curb emissions of greenhouse gases, so that the displacement of hundreds of millions of people can be prevented along with the many other potential consequences of climate change.
Pope Francis’ encyclical can be accessed here.