Catholics Should Speak More Boldly on Environmental Issues
Freshman Democratic Representative (and noted Catholic) Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York has been the talk of the nation on both sides of the aisle in the past year. At only age 29, many consider her the future of the party while those on the right seem to view her with the equivalent level of concern considering the constant attention she receives on conservative outlets. Regardless of what you may think of Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez’s political stances, it is undeniable that she has almost single-handedly shifted the political discourse in our country. Namely, through her signature policy proposal, the Green New Deal, she has struck a nerve in the zeitgeist of our culture that very few politicians — let alone public figures her age — are able to do. Every major Democratic presidential candidate has taken a stance or spoken about it publicly. Many conservatives have used it as a rallying cry as example of government overreach and the move further to the left that young people seem to be taking. Through all of the hype and mischaracterizations, one thing remains true above all else: It is clear that Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez is deeply grounded in a desire to promote the common good which has illuminated her environmental proposal, and it should inspire more Catholics to take action and speak out on environmental issues.
For all Christians, protecting the planet we live on has biblical roots going back to the Garden of Eden. In the book of Genesis, God tells man and woman to “tend the Garden” and then gives them responsibility for it. As stewards, they are responsible for its care and upkeep. This command of God not only applies to our first human forerunners, but to us as well in the modern world. Throughout the Old Testament, there is an abundance of imagery that draws from this idea of preservation of the earth, which is God’s creation on loan to us. As Christians, this is still very much the case. Environmental care also has been a growing priority among the Church’s leadership within the scope of Sacred Tradition.
In a particular way, the centrality of the Gospel message is that it is Good News for the poor and oppressed. Environmental issues disproportionately affect those whom Jesus refers to in Matthew 25 as “the least among us.” Combatting climate change and environmental abuse is critical if we, as Christians, want to help our neighbor. During his visit to New Orleans in the 1980s, Pope John Paul II told a young audience in the Louisiana Superdome: “When Jesus tells us to love our neighbor, He does not set a geographical limit.” The environmental catastrophes that are to come if we choose not to act will not discriminate based on geographic borders.
Catholicism calls us to spread the Gospel by our words and deeds, which means speaking out for the oppressed and down-trodden. This means doing so regardless of how difficult it may be or how uncomfortable it may make us or those in positions of power. Our faith actually requires us to constantly challenge those in authority and the status quo. Many Catholics are quick to give their takes on issues within the scope of sexual morality — which is undoubtedly important — but speak out less frequently with as much gusto on environmental issues. While it is undeniable that topics related to sex, marriage, and human life are critical, we should treat climate issues just as seriously. For many of our brothers and sisters abroad and even here at home in the United States, it is a matter of life or death.
During the last decade, both Pope Francis and now-Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI have spoken about the dangers that humanity faces with regard to climate change and the overall laisses faire attitude toward action that has driven our civilization to the present condition. In one of his most lauded papal encyclicals to date, Laudato Si, the Argentine pontiff speaks out on what he calls the “throwaway culture.” Francis explains that: “Doomsday predictions can no longer be met with irony or disdain. We may well be leaving to coming generations debris, desolation and filth. The pace of consumption, waste and environmental change has so stretched the planet’s capacity that our contemporary lifestyle, unsustainable as it is, can only precipitate catastrophes, such as those which even now periodically occur in different areas of the world.” (Laudato Si161). Benedict XVI, his immediate predecessor, also explained in his papal encyclical, Caritas in Veritate: “The environment is God’s gift to everyone, and in our use of it we have a responsibility towards the poor, towards future generations and towards humanity as a whole. . . Our duties towards the environment are linked to our duties towards the human person, considered in himself and in relation to others. It would be wrong to uphold one set of duties while trampling on the other” (48,51).
The warning signs of what will come are beginning to manifest themselves in many ways, but we still have time — both individually and collectively — to act. Currently, the United States Department of Defense rates climate change as a serious long-term national security threat. In a recent report, the United Nations mentions that as many as one million animal species are in danger of extinction due to human activity. Each new year seems to break a record for being the warmest on record; the top 15 warmest years recorded all come from the twenty-first century. Climate change has exasperated refugee crises and will only get worse if action is not taken. As climate change intensifies, more dramatic and costly natural disasters like hurricanes, floods, and wildfires will take place. However, there are positive trends that can be capitalized on and scaled. Just this past month, renewable energy generated more electricity than coal for the first time ever in America. With a higher level of awareness from the public and advocacy to public leaders we can speed up other positive trends. There are also an increasing number of actions that everyday citizens can take to slow the effects of climate change.
As one of the nation’s most recognizable Catholics, Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez has used her platform to speak out boldly, confidently, and unapologetically about the dangers that our nation — and ultimately the world — faces from crescendoing environmental catastrophes if we choose not to act. The Green New Deal in its current state will not be the answer to all of our environmental problems, but it is a good framework to begin with. If nothing else, our political discourse has changed as a result of Ocasio-Cortez’s proposal and more people are becoming aware of the societal and political hurdles that must be overcome. Disregarding the gravity of environmental issues is a profound injustice to our neighbors in addition to an intergenerational affront to young people who will see the bulk of its consequences. More Catholics — lay and clergy — should follow the Bronx Congresswoman’s lead and speak out vigorously about the issue of climate and environmental issues, with a particular focus on its effects on the poor and the Global South. The Gospel promises us eternal life in the world to come, but part of getting there is taking care of and working for justice in the present one.
