Facing Climate Change
Posted on 21. Sep, 2017, in Christian Values, Ecology, Faith and Justice2 Comments
The Caribbean Island have recently been hit by storms of unprecedented strength. Irish priest and well-known eco-theologian, Fr Sean McDonagh SSC, says that we can no longer afford to be complacent. These storms and worse will continue to hit until we take climate change seriously.
Pointing out that Ireland has the carbon emissions of four hundred of the poorest countries, he emphasises that we can and must do better. He also points to Ireland’s over reliance on meat and dairy as being the primary reason why we won’t meet our 2020 agreed reduction.
Sean continues to be an outspoken critic of policies that allow for the systematic degradation of the environment, emphasising the moral obligation that Pope Francis pointed to in Laudato Si on developed countries, in particular, to cut carbon emissions. He also pointed to the need for climate change justice as the changed climate has disproportionately increased the suffering of the poor. He explained more to Miriam Gormally
Sean is the author of numerous articles and nine books including Climate Change: The Challenge to All of Us, Greening the Christian Millennium, Care for the Earth and Dying for Water. He highlights the causes and consequences of issues such as global warming, genetically engineered food, water pollution, the nuclear industry and loss of biodiversity. He is a patron of Christian Ecology Link and writes a weekly column in The Universe Catholic newspaper.
I am glad to hear Seán once again talking such good sense about the obvious effects of climate change but this interview also disturbs me at a deep level. I/we are not changing our lifestyle enough. Your choice to be vegan, Miriam, lifts my mood somewhat and I notice that more vegetarian options are available in restaurants. However, the central message I am getting from this interview is that climate change is speeding way beyond the rate of change of human lifestyle. How many more hurricanes do we need to experience? Meanwhile, I cheer Seán onwards and can only hope that I/we will listen soon.
Hi Suzanne – thanks for you comment. Is a topic close to my heart, so was delighted to interview Sean on it. Hopefully his book will have the desired impact – but it is hard not to be disturbed by our collective lack of response to something as impotant as climate change