I recently read through an article (unfortunately now behind a paywall on the Wall Street Journal), that discussed the recent actions by Pope Francis in calling widespread attention to the issue of climate change. Pope Francis recently released an encyclical, or basically an announcement of Catholic doctrine, that addressed the issue of climate change. Pope Francis, who was a scientist in his earlier days, addressed the matter directly and forcefully, basically stating that climate change is a serious issue that affects everyone on earth and that people who deny it (often religious conservatives) need to start taking action to change it.
There are clear moral implications in all facets of this announcement and the issues being referenced here. One could consider protecting the environment and reducing humanity's effect on climate change to be a moral duty of everyone, as we need to ensure the survivability of earth for future generations. It could be considered unethical to contribute massive amounts of pollution that leads to climate change, while simultaneously harming the environment for future generations and lining one's own pockets or just making their own lives easier.
The Pope took a step in a positive direction by calling attention to this exact moral dilemma and also making it the responsibility of people of all religions to consider the effects we are having on the environment as a whole. Science and religion rarely coincide or interrelate, but there is a clear effort being made here, by one of the most powerful religious leaders on the planet, to ensure that the large populations of religious individuals aren't disregarding the issue and ignoring the threat to our future on this planet. It should provide a needed push to ensure that everyone is making positive contributions to this serious and rapidly approaching issue.
Source:
http://www.wsj.com/articles/scientists-back-pope-francis-on-global-warming-1434648362
well done Andrew
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