Pope Francis has spoken out on the need for action on climate change in his new TED talk. Previously, in 2015 his Encyclical Laudato Si focused on the need to address the problems of consumerism, irresponsible development, environmental degradation and the global climate crisis.
According to the Associated Press, Pope Francis is speaking out in favour of action on climate change in his latest TED talk. This is not the first time the pontiff has spoken out about the environment.
“Science tells us, every day with more precision, that it is necessary to act with urgency – I am not exaggerating, science tell us this – if we want to have the hope of avoiding radical changes in the climate and catastrophes,” Francis said, according to the outlet.
He said that the world must act in the next decade and laid out three areas to take action on: educating people about the environment, making sure everyone has access to adequate food and potable water, and promoting a transition from fossil fuels to clean energy. “We have just a few years – scientists calculate roughly fewer than 30 – to drastically reduce the emissions of gas and the greenhouse effect in the atmosphere,” he shared.
Calling out investors to exclude companies ignoring environmental action was also part of his speech. Many faith-based organisations focus investments on socially-responsible companies already. “In fact, the earth must be taken care of, cultivated, and protected; we cannot continue to squeeze it like an orange. And we can say this, taking care of the Earth is a human right,” Francis said.
The Pope has spoken about climate change and human rights before, including the Amazon rainforest, urging President Trump to take steps on climate change, and encouraging everyone to protect animals. “This isn’t a time for self-centeredness because the challenge we’re facing is shared by all,” the pontiff said on Easter 2020 in Italy, a country hit hard by the coronavirus.
Original source: https://www.onegreenplanet.org