The United States Catholic bishops’ (USCCB) investment strategies are at odds with its passionate climate advocacy. In a statement at COP28, the USCCB committee called decarbonisation of the economy the “preeminent environmental challenge faced by all nations” that must be addressed without burdening middle-and low-income citizens with increased costs. However, according to Reuters, the US Read more
Perhaps you are wondering, “What is Laudato Si’ Week?” And for that matter, what does Laudato Si’ mean? Laudato Si’ is medieval Italian for “Praise be to you.” It is a quote from St. Francis of Assisi’s beautiful Canticle of the Creatures: “Praise be to you, my Lord, through our Sister, Mother Earth, who sustains Read more
The number of electric vehicles on the world’s roads is surging, hitting a record number last year. That would seem to be good news, as the world tries to wean itself off fossil fuels that are wrecking the global climate. But as electric cars become more popular, some question just how environmentally friendly they are. Read more
We might think that being greener at home means being more mindful. But Bindi Chouhan and her family of seven, who generate less than five rubbish bins worth of waste per year, say that most sustainable things they do on a daily basis are mindless. The fourth-generation Indian-Zimbabwean grew up in a micro village of Read more
There’s a train coming and we’re all on the tracks. We know it’s coming, everybody’s talking about the train and how much it’s going to hurt when it arrives. But no one’s actually doing anything to stop it, or even slow it down. That’s how facing down climate change can often feel. Governments convene, agree Read more
Having one’s body composted after death and turned into about 1 cubic foot of soil could soon be an option for Washington state residents. The approach, called recomposition, is currently being discussed by lawmakers and, if approved, could become a legal third option for after-death care by 2020. “A lot of people might be reluctant Read more
Every minute, every single day, the equivalent of a truckload of plastic enters our oceans. In the name of profit and convenience, corporations are literally choking our planet with a substance that does not just “go away” when we toss it into a bin. Since the 1950s, some 8.3bn tons of plastic have been produced Read more
The Catholic Church has a rich history of being environment conscious. Blessed Pope Paul VI wrote Octogesima Adveniens, a 1971 apostolic letter that warned against the consequences of unchecked human actions. “Due to an ill-considered exploitation of nature, humanity runs the risk of destroying it and becoming in turn a victim of this degradation,” he wrote. In Read more
Catholic sisters have always responded to the pressing need of the historical moment, whether for hospitals, orphanages, and schools, or for peace, justice, and civil rights. Today we live in a world where, in the words of Pope Francis, “any genuine attempt by groups within society to introduce change is viewed as a nuisance based Read more
When it comes to automotive technology, green cars are certainly the latest trend yet, despite all the talk about the latest Tesla, many of us still don’t actually drive such a vehicle. Electric vehicles – or EVs for short – are certainly greener and the benefits speak for themselves. They don’t require fossil fuels and they’re Read more