Our congregation has a goal to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, sometimes referred to as carbon dioxide. But, why? What are greenhouse gases, and how are they important to our commitment to work for ecological justice?
Earth is a miracle among planets. It is blessed with qualities that allow life to thrive, including its atmosphere. Earth’s atmosphere acts like a greenhouse, allowing sunlight in and trapping enough heat to keep the planet and all life warm and cozy. The greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are perfectly balanced to keep life on Earth not too hot and not too cold.
Greenhouse gas consists primarily of carbon dioxide. When we burn oil, coal, and natural gas, billions of tons of carbon dioxide are released into the atmosphere. With enough accumulation, the atmosphere’s delicate balance is upset, and that carbon dioxide acts like an overly warm blanket, keeping the planet too hot for many generations to come.
So, what does all this have to do with ecological justice? Because as greenhouse gases accumulate in the atmosphere and the planet warms, the effects that we are all experiencing- intense heat, forest fires, more frequent storms, floods, drought, ocean level rise, and ocean acidification- hit those who are oppressed and marginalized the hardest, including non-human life.
Pope Francis describes this well in Laudato Si’: “Many of the poor live in areas particularly affected by phenomena related to warming, and their means of subsistence are largely dependent on natural reserves and ecosystemic services such as agriculture, fishing and forestry. They have no other financial activities or resources which can enable them to adapt to climate change or to face natural disasters, and their access to social services and protection is very limited. For example, changes in climate, to which animals and plants cannot adapt, lead them to migrate; this in turn affects the livelihood of the poor, who are then forced to leave their homes, with great uncertainty for their future and that of their children.” [L.S. 25]
Jesus taught us that by helping those who are economically poor and suffering, those who are outcast and marginalized, we are answering God’s call. Pope Francis reminds us that by helping God’s creation, we are also helping the poor. Reducing our greenhouse gas emissions is part of helping both the economically poor and all other life on Earth. It is all one, an integral ecology, and an ecological justice.