Cardinals join in plea for mandatory rules to stop man-made climate change
September 23, 2014
Two Catholic cardinals have joined with other religious leaders in a public statement affirming that human-based climate change is leading to disaster, and calling for international regulations to require curbs on fossil-fuel emissions.
Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga of Tegucigalpa, Honduras, and Cardinal John Onaiyekan of Abjua, Nigeria, signed the final document produced by an Interfaith Summit on Climate Change. Cardinal Maradiaga is the president of the international charitable consortium Caritas, and chair's the 9-member Council of Cardinals advising Pope Francis on Vatican reforms.
The statement claimed that “we see the manifestations of climate change everywhere.” The religious leaders also argued that “climate change stands today as a major obstacle to the eradication of poverty.” Economists have observed that restrictions on fossil-fuel emissions would retard economic growth, also aggravating the plight of the poor. The religious leaders’ statement suggests that any economic burden imposed by such restrictions should be borne primarily by wealthy nations.
The statement from the Interfaith Summit asserts that the scientific debate about climate change has been resolved, although the signatories say they remain willing to discuss the issues:
We acknowledge the overwhelming scientific evidence that climate change is human-induced and that, without global and inclusive action towards mitigation and unless fully addressing its fundamental causes, its impacts will continue to grow in intensity and frequency. At the same time, we are ready to dialogue with those who remain skeptical.
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Posted by: -
Sep. 26, 2014 8:55 PM ET USA
Perhaps this Climate Change Clerics might explain how they intend to stop so-called "man made" climate other than reducing the number of men? After all, the only way to reduce man's "Carbon Footprint" is to reduce the number of feet. When man learned to use "fire" he was able to cook his food, reducing food bourn pathogens, and proving warmth, to reduce the ravages cold produced illness and death. Of course they believe that reducing carbon producing fuels, such as Nigeria's petrochemicals.
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Posted by: claude-ccc2991 -
Sep. 24, 2014 12:46 PM ET USA
There's plenty of evidence of climate change but no evidence of a manmade cause. In fact, there's evidence that it's not primarily manmade, i.e., the absence of a tropospheric hotspot that the computer models say is a fingerprint of manmade warming. Also absent: increases in hurricane & tornado activity, flooding, rainfall & drought (yes, they try to have it both ways). Worst of all, the computer models on which dire future predictions are based can't even replicate 20th century climate.
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Posted by: unum -
Sep. 24, 2014 10:38 AM ET USA
This is more clear evidence that the attention of the cardinals & bishops is directed at worldly political PR, not at serving the faithful of their dioceses. Most U.S. Catholics don't know their bishops and hear little from them except during diocesan financial appeals. We are still mostly a pray, pay, and obey Church in the U.S., despite the Pope's calls for reform!
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Posted by: skall391825 -
Sep. 23, 2014 8:33 PM ET USA
Ignorance on parade.
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Posted by: [email protected] -
Sep. 23, 2014 7:43 PM ET USA
Yes there is climate change and there always has been climate change. Is it caused by man? There is no agreement scientifically on the truth of that matter. These Cardinals need to be careful as they are dancing with the devil. Those who are pushing for the controls on carbon and CO2 are also pushing for fewer humans. It is only the rich who will benefit from what is being proposed. The poor will not benefit at all as everything will cost more for them.
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Posted by: TheJournalist64 -
Sep. 23, 2014 6:45 PM ET USA
When someone sounds off like this, I like to ask them "what scientific data was so overwhelmingly convincing to you that you decided to make a public statement on this issue." Generally, they don't have any, only the "overwhelming scientific consensus."
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Posted by: jg23753479 -
Sep. 23, 2014 12:53 PM ET USA
I'm not interested in learning what Beyoncé may think about, say, international banking and finance. So why should I care in the least what two churchmen happen to believe concerning "global warming" or the the price of cucumbers in New Zealand? Let them opine about matters they actually may know something about instead of adding their names to meaningless lists of supposedly prestigious people who know no more than I about this complicated issue.
