When Pope Francis issued Laudato Si in 2015, media outlets treated this historic encyclical on climate change and the environment as a “game-changer.” One Jesuit priest told National Public Radio that the encyclical would have a “far-reaching impact,” because it would encourage Catholics “to make major changes in what they consume and how they live Read more
For Catholics who put their faith first, before anything else, there is one way – above all others – to view the life and death issues facing local communities, the nation and the world: and that is, through the lens of the Gospel and Catholic social teaching! But instead, it clearly appears that more often Read more
Yes, we’ve got an ocean of bad news. Climate change is warming and acidifying seawater, stressing or destroying coral reefs. Marine species ranging from whales to algae are endangered; overfishing is crushing many subsistence fisheries. Coastal ecosystems have been wiped out on a grand scale; key ocean currents may be faltering; mining firms are preparing Read more
Scientists are warning us that because of global warming, civilization is headed toward the worst catastrophe in human history. Unlike a war, a pandemic or a depression, this is not a disaster we can recover from in a few decades. This is a calamity that will take centuries, if not millennia, to recover from, if Read more
A flash new bike parking facility on Auckland’s North Shore, complete with charging and repair stations, CCTV and toilets, is missing one important thing – bicycles. The bike park is part of the $36.1 million Toka Puia car park with 420 car parking spaces on Huron St, which opened last December to replace the loss Read more
Climate change is a serious matter, one which we need to get practical resolve on, National MP, Gerry Brownlee said Thursday in a conversation with Green MP, Golriz Ghahraman. He made the comments on a new podcast, “The Backroom of Politics”. However, while taking climate change seriously, Brownlee says he does not use the term Read more
Twenty companies are responsible for producing more than half of all the single-use plastic waste in the world, fuelling the climate crisis and creating an environmental catastrophe, new research reveals. Among the global businesses responsible for 55% of the world’s plastic packaging waste are both state-owned and multinational corporations, including oil and gas giants and Read more
There are two prayers I love which both connect me to Mother Earth. The first is one my uncle said, as a grace before we ate as a family. I loved the rhythm of this prayer and although I do not recall the exact words, he would begin by giving thanks to God the Creator Read more
New Zealand’s emissions target is likely to toughen if the Climate Change Minister, James Shaw, gets his way. Commenting on advice he received, Shaw says the current target is too weak to match the Government’s commitment to helping save the world and keep the world’s heating within 1.5 degrees celsius. Shaw says conclusive advice from Read more
Investors should remove their support from companies not committed to the environment, says Pope Francis. On Saturday he added his voice to calls from a number of world leaders for an more environmentally sustainable economic model. Speaking in a video message for an online event called “Countdown Global Launch, A Call to Action on Climate Read more