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Broad Coalition Asks Senate for Climate Change Legislation March 19th, 2010

The Missionary Oblates JPIC Office joined184 businesses and organizations, and 77 individual activists, calling on the Senate to legislate action to curb global warming. The letter, which was sent to all members of the Senate, argues that “greenhouse gas emissions can be cut swiftly and in an economically and environmentally sound way by means of a national emissions cap that is realized through a combination of aggressive energy efficiency and renewable energy standards.”

The organizations noted that “by focusing on this three-pronged strategy (i.e., carbon cap + efficiency + renewables), it may prove unnecessary – for the moment at least – to tackle either of the two most controversial options for addressing climate change: creating a “trading system” for emissions credits or imposing carbon taxes.”

The letter also stressed that “climate legislation that promotes continued or expanded use of fossil fuels and/or nuclear power, or which rolls back existing environmental safeguards, could result in a bill that might actually be worse than no bill at all.”

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Protection of Khasi Villages Overturned by Court Order March 19th, 2010

A January victory by the Khasi people in stopping logging on their lands has been overturned by a High Court decision issued in late February. Four indigenous villages in Bangladesh, with their 500 Khasi residents, will be destroyed if logging by a local tea estate owner is allowed to continue.

An Oblate priest, Fr. Joseph Gomes, OMI, along with other colleagues from the environmental community have been working with the Khasi people to protect the forest and their villages. We urge all parties in a position to do so, to raise serious concerns with the Government of Bangladesh regarding this situation.

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Canadian Ruling on Mines and Environmental Impacts Hailed in Central America March 15th, 2010

Ecologists in Guatemala see a recent ruling by Canada’s Supreme Court, which ordered Canadian mining companies to carry out rigorous environmental assessments, as a positive precedent that could help improve environmental controls over the mining industry in this Central American country.

In a case that focused on a Red Chris mining company project in the western Canadian province of British Columbia, the Supreme Court ruled that the federal government could not split projects into artificially small parts in order to avoid comprehensive environmental impact studies.

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Lenten Carbon Fast 2010 February 10th, 2010

“The environment is God’s gift to everyone, and in our use of it we have a responsibility towards the poor, towards future generations and towards humanity as a whole.” — Pope Benedict, Encyclical Caritas in Veritate

A Lenten Carbon Fast calendar is available from the Environmental Outreach Committee of the Archdiocese of Washington. Please use it as part of your Lenten discipline.

The calendar says: “As Catholic Christians we have a responsibility to be wise stewards of God’s Creation and each of us must decide how we can improve our stewardship to safeguard God’s creation now and for future generations. The Archdiocese environmental Outreach Committee suggests the following list of 40 carbon fasting actions everyone can consider as a part of your Lenten preparation for the Easter season. Each of these actions will reduce our production of climate change pollution and help to preserve God’s great gift of Creation.”

Download a PDF of the Lenten Calendar here…

Pope Benedict Denounces the Failure to Forge New Climate Treaty January 11th, 2010

Pope Benedict XVI strongly criticized the failure of world leaders to agree to a new climate change treaty in Copenhagen last month, saying that world peace depends on safeguarding God’s creation.

The Pope made his comments in a speech to ambassadors accredited to the Vatican, an annual appointment during which the pontiff reflects on issues the Vatican wants to highlight to the diplomatic corps.

Pope Benedict has been very vocal about the need to protect the environment, taking steps to decrease the carbon footprint of the Vatican. Protection of creation is a moral issue for the pontiff who highlighted the fact that climate change is particularly critical for island nations, and also for the African continent where the battle for resources and increasing desertification has led to armed conflicts.

In his speech, Benedict criticized the “economic and political resistance” to fighting environmental degradation and creating a new climate treaty at last month’s negotiations in Copenhagen.

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Spanish Environmental Brochures Now Available January 8th, 2010

Spanish language versions of the new OMI JPIC Environmental Brochures are now available for download and printing.

Visit our Spanish site and look for the post: Nuevos Folletos sobre Uso de Agua, Alimentos, Productos de Limpieza Inofensivos, Comercio Justo y Más!

Oblates interested in receiving printed brochures can request copies from the US Oblate JPIC Office. Please email Mary O’Herron.

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