Environmental Issues

^{Click below for a message from RePower Missouri.

"Who's under your carbon footprint?" asks the headline on the Catholic Climate Covenant website. The text continues: "The impact of climate change falls heaviest on the world's poor." As faithful Catholics, we have a moral obligation to care for both Creation and the poor. Pope Benedict XVI insists, "˜Before it is too late, it is necessary to make courageous decisions to curb climate change."

Climate change, as over-arching as it is, is only one of the environmental issues that affect all of us: pollution of water and air, devastation of natural resources, depletion of soils, and so on. Humanity has never faced a crisis anything like this, and wise persons among us know that only if we all work together, starting now, can we avoid its catastrophic effects.

In 2006, the U. S. Catholic Bishops established the Catholic Coalition on Climate Change. In April 2009, a survey showed the vast majority of Catholics believe we have a serious responsibility for creation care. Many Catholics are already acting to care for creation and many more are willing to act. It is our hope, in this diocese, to take up the Bishops' challenge by intentionally engaging the parishes of this diocese in responsible and effective action on environmental issues.}
Ever heard of the Green Team? Our diocese now has a team, and many parishes have started up their own parish Green Teams, in an effort to work together to make a change.

Important upcoming Green Team events:

- Speaker training opportunity. Work with Catholic Coalition on Climate Change! See more info here.

- Stay tuned for upcoming events.

Check out the Green Team Blog for updates, meetings, events, and parish postings!

Questions? Email RoseTherese Huelsman or Carol Meyer.

Check out these great links:

Catholic Coalition on Climate Change
www.350.org, over 100 countries on climate awareness & action
Carbon footprint calculator
See stats on Society of St. Andrew, a vegetable gleaning group