Creation / Ecology

All The World A Thin Place: An Urgent Call for Eco-Theology

Eco-theology is very much in the news – with some treating it with the utmost suspicion. However it is an area where great exploration is taking place. “All The World A Thin Place: An Urgent Call for Eco-Theology” is an essay carried by Progressing Spirit.that gives a taste of some recent thinking in this area.

The end of an era: In 2019, Bórd Na Móna will begin closing 62 bogs.

Sean McDonagh notes the end of an era with the decision by Bórd na Móna to “move away from harvesting peat because carbon emissions is having an adverse impact on climate change.”
While noting that turf is “one of the least climate-friendly way of producing heat and electricity” Sean acknowledges that the decision “will cost jobs, particularly in the Irish Midlands region where jobs are scarce now, and no other industry is being targeted for the area. Bórd Na Móna believes that 500 jobs will be lost, beginning early in 2019.”

The New View of Creation in Laudato si

John Feehan spoke at our AGM about “The New View of Creation in Laudato si
“I am not sure how many of us appreciate how radical it is: how radical for our thinking, for our behaviour; how radical for our understanding of the meaning of creation and of our role in the making of the world.
Twice in Laudato si’ Pope Francis refers to the created world as the ‘other’ book of revelation. Creation itself, the ‘other book’, the ‘magnificent book in which God speaks to us and grants us a glimpse of his infinite beauty and goodness; … God has written a precious book, ‘whose letters are the multitude of created things present in the universe.”

Ireland’s Care for Our Common Home

Sean McDonagh, Columban priest and president of An Taisce, reminds us that in his ‘On Care for Our Common Home’ Pope Francis asserted that “Christians realise that their responsibility within creation and their duty towards nature and the Creator, are an essential part of their faith.”
Sean says that “If our care of the environment is judged by our commitment to vision outlined in Laudato Si’ Ireland is not doing well at all. “

Plastics in the Oceans

Sean McDonagh draws our attention to important findings of research carried out by marine scientists of the National University of Ireland Galway on the amount of plastic in fish in the northwest Atlantic.
Sean asks ‘Should the Churches be involved in protecting our oceans? Has a Justice and Peace group in any parish or diocese challenged the fact that our retail stores still force us to use single-use plastics?’. 

We are Living with the Reality of Climate Change

Seán McDonagh in the wake of recent hurricanes in the Caribbean reminds us of what Pope Francis has said about climate change; “the scientific community has been “clear and precise” in linking human activities to the ongoing climate crisis…..,, Climate change is a “serious matter over which we cannot make jokes.”

Updated! Some go low, some go high, reactions to the election of the 45th President of the USA

Updated with comments by Sean McDonagh on the potential devastating consequences President elect Trump’s policies on the environment will have if implemented.

Last Tuesday, 08 November 2016, citizens of the U.S.A. elected their new President.
The resulting democratic election of Donald Trump led to joyous celebration among his followers and despair, despondency, and even a sense of fear among those who opposed his views and values.

Brendan Hoban, in his Western People column and Tony Flannery, on his own blog site, have shared some thoughts on the election of Donald Trump and possible implications for us in Ireland.

Laudato Si and the Path to COP 22

Seán McDonagh, SSC reports on a Joint Consultation on ‘Laudato Si’ and the Path to ‘COP 22’ organised by the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace and the Pontifical Academy of the Sciences.
He quotes Prof. Ramanathan Veerabhadran as saying “the effect of greenhouse gases on global warming is the most important environmental issue facing the world today.”
“At the end of the meeting the group released this document in preparation for the COP 22 which will take place in Marraakesh from November 7 to 18th 2016.
“ The Paris Climate Agreement is historic. For the first time since the signing of the 1992 UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), all countries have agreed to act in order to protect the planet. The core goals include: (1) keeping warming to “well below 2-degrees C” and “to pursue efforts to keep below 1.5-degree C”; (2) enabling countries to adapt to the adverse impacts already underway; and (3) ensuring the flow of fair and equitable financing to achieve the climate goals.”

Ecology, Economics, and Ethics

In response to Seán McDonagh’s call for more discussion in church about issues that matter and are relevant to the lives of all people rather than silly season tabloid fodder Joe O Leary replied with a long response that includes an article by Stefano Zamagni, on “Ecology, Economics, and Ethics”.
We carry it as a stand alone post rather than a reply as it is well worth reading. Our thanks to Joe.

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