Why Does The Church Care About Global Climate Change
At its core, global climate change is not about economic theory or political platforms, nor about partisan advantage or interest group pressures. It is about the future of God's creation and the one human family. It is about protecting both 'the human environment' and the natural environment. (Global Climate Change: A Plea for Dialogue, Prudence and the Common Good, US Catholic Bishops, 2001)
Introduction
There is increasing discussion of global climate change, also called "global warming," which refers to long-term increases in average global temperatures that result from natural variation and human activities. Although some uncertainty still exists as to the exact nature and effects of global climate change, a broad scientific consensus has developed that some significant warming has occurred, brought about in part by human activities. As the U.S. bishops expressed in their 2001 pastoral statement on climate change, this issue "â¦is about the future of God's creation and the one human family." To help us address contemporary questions, such as climate change, Catholics bring a long tradition of applying our Church's social teachings to complex issues.
