Scientists turn to Pope Francis and world’s religions to save the planet

[cbayer]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/environment/climatechange/11107434/Scientists-turn-to-Pope-Francis-and-worlds-religions-to-save-the-planet.html

Forget past arguments over Darwin or Galileo – scientists set sights on unlikely alliance with the world’s religious leaders to combat climate change


Scientists turn to Pope Francis and world’s religions to save the planet Photo: AP

By John Bingham, Religious Affairs Editor
7:21PM BST 18 Sep 2014

It has been one of the most fraught relationships of recent centuries, at least in the popular imagination.

But a group of scientists are pinning their hopes for the salvation of the planet, in the face of climate change and habitat destruction - on religion.

Their case, set out in an essay in the journal Science, is being described a “watershed moment” for scientists and faith leaders alike.

It argues that engaging religious leaders, rather than relying on politicians, could hold the key to mobilising billions of people around the world to change aspects of their lifestyles to help prevent catastrophic climate change.

more at link

[silverweb]

1. Religion motivates a lot of people.

[font color="navy" face="Verdana"]Whatever works.

[cbayer]

2. Agree. There is a growing movement among evangelicals

in the US to promote environmental causes, and that is a very good thing, imo.

[Brettongarcia]

3. The most best thing the Church could do to help global warming: drop the ban on contraception

Surprisingly, there are signs the Church might do that: the current Pope chastised Catholics (like Fr. Frank Pavonne, and Priests for Life?) for an "obsession" with abortion.

There are many things causing global warming: 1) high energy consumption, fossil fuels. But also? 2) Population increase is the key multiplier in pollution and environmental problems: the more people, the more consumption, and the more production of pollution (all other factors being equal).

We can work to have cleaner energy production; but I suggest that birth control would be the easier and more effective and cheaper solution to global warming.

Scientists by the way, are hinting that the Catholic Church or other churches, need to make adjustments to their current policies, if they want to help global warming. Churches backing off their sometimes-adamant resistance to birth control, would be the solution.