Shout-Out

While it's sort of fun to see yourself in the paper, having someone call and tell me that everytime they call an author, the author dies within a few months was a little creepy.

The reporter did a good job.

Walking the Walk

One of the things that impresses me the most about Pope Benedict's environmental stand is that he doesn't just pontificate (all puns intended) about his beliefs, but he actually puts them in practice.

His most recent move was to allow solar panels to be installed on his private home in Regensburg, Germany. According to Catholic News Service, 580 square feet of photovoltaic solar panels will be used which will generate about 5,800 kilowatt hours of energy a year, which corresponds to saving 11 barrels of petroleum. By providing the German electricity grid with energy, the panels will generate about $3500 year in income which will go to an association that offers skills and job training to disadvantaged youths.

This is a total win/win in my book!

What Does It Mean To Be Green?

Pope Benedict is sometimes called "The Green Pope," not because of his proclivity for wearing green vestment, but because of his environmental stand. Although his predecessor John Paul II also spoke out on environmental issues, Benedict has been much more vocal and much more involved.

Which brings me to the question of the day: what does it mean to be green?

Some people seem to have the idea that to be green means we have to become an organic vegan whose only means of transport is a bicycle and whose political bent is somewhere left of liberal. What makes Benedict's message so relevant is that he points out that being green simply means that we do what we can to take care of the earth. If each of us took one small action each day, we could save the earth.

Today I invested in a stainless steel water bottle which, with any luck, should last me the rest of my life. It's even a lovely shade of lime green.

So what can you do today to be a little greener?

Benedict Understands Humanity Must Modify the Earth

The Holy See stresses out that human intervention that modifies some characteristics of living things is not wrong, as long as it respects their place in the ecosystem.
As Cardinal Renato Martino, president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, stressed at a conference on climate change and development, "Nature is for the human person and the human person is for God…In considering the problems associated with climate change, one must look to the social doctrine of the Church," which "neither supports the absolutization of nature, nor the reduction of nature to a mere instrument."
"Nature is not an absolute, but a wealth that is placed in the person's responsible and prudent hands," he added.
Pope Benedict understands that humanity will, merely by virtue of living on it, will modify the earth. That modification is not wrong, so long as it is done with “creativity and responsibility.”

For more information on Pope Benedict and his environmental stands, read 10 Commandments for the Environment available at http://tinyurl.com/dhme8t

Three Things You Can Do Today

In keeping with Pope Benedict's urgent plea "Save the planet before it's too late," here are three things you can do right now.

1. Recycle. At the very least recycle your paper, junk mail, cardboard, glass and cans. Every little bit helps.

2. Turn off the water when you brush your teeth. The faucet doesn't need to run while you are brushing and flossing.

3. Lower your thermostat. Put on a sweater if you are cold. And if you in an area where it's now warm, raise the a/c a few degrees. And take off the sweater.

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Woodeene.

Odd, but that user name wasn't taken.

The Importance of Clean Water

One of the environmental concerns that appears to trouble Pope Benedict the most is the need for clean, potable water. Not long after his investiture as pontiff, the first-ever Working Group on Water and the Environment was sponsored by the Pontifical Academy of Sciences. The scientists and ethicists who met at the Vatican in November 2005 examined both the conservation of water and its equitable distribution as well as its impact on world politics as resources become increasingly scarce. This concern for water carried over to the Vatican’s participation in the Fourth World Water Forum in Mexico City. Although the Vatican presentation was penned by the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, its central statement is aligned with Benedict’s personal philosophy and there is no doubt he is supportive of its message.

Benedict Puts His Money Where His Mouth Is

Benedict has demonstrated practical leadership in various green areas, including solar energy, replacing the cement roof tiles of the Paul VI auditorium with 2400 solar panels that convert sunlight into some 300,000 kilowatt-hours of power each year, which is equivalent to the needs of about 100 families. The cells generate energy to light, heat and cool the 6000-seat hall. When the hall isn’t in use, any surplus energy will be used by the Vatican power network. The panels are expected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by about 225 tons and save the equivalent of 80 tons of oil each year. In addition, another solar-panel system will be installed above the Vatican’s employee cafeteria which will provide 60 to 70% of that building’s power.

The Green Pope

“It's tantalizing to imagine the moral force and power of persuasion a green pope might have on the world,” pondered the website WorldChanging, a global network of secular journalists dedicated to finding solutions to the environmental issues facing the earth, upon the death of Pope John Paul II in 2004.

No one imagined Cardinal Josef Ratzinger would become that pope.

When he was elected the 266^th pope, the world anticipated the scholarly German theologian would spend his years issuing edicts on morality, faith, doctrine and dogmas, not making what amounts to virtual campaign speeches on the need for clean water, solar energy and the reduction of CO2 emissions. Much to the surprise of fans and foes alike, the man who was once seen as the Pope’s Rottweiler has quietly, with passionate resolve, spread a message that seems more in keeping with an environmental scientist than a spiritual leader—“Save the planet!”

Perhaps realizing that at his age, he had little time to waste, the Holy Father even spoke about the environment in his homily at the inauguration of his papacy:

The external deserts in the world are growing, because the internal deserts have become so vast. Therefore the earth’s treasures no longer serve to build God’s garden for all to live in, but they have been made to serve the powers of exploitation and destruction. The Church as a whole and all her Pastors, like Christ, must set out to lead people out of the desert, towards the place of life, towards friendship with the Son of God, towards the One who gives us life, and life in abundance.

For more information on Pope Benedict and his environmental stands, check out 10 Commandments for the Environment at http://tinyurl.com/dhme8t