Blog from Rome on the "Sustainable Humanity, Sustainable Nature: Our Responsibility" Conference


Dan Misleh, Executive Director of the Catholic Climate Covenant has been writing a blog about the conference on Sustainable Humanity, Sustainable Nature: Our Responsibility  at the Pontifical Academy of Sciences in Rome, from May 2-6, 2014.

A quote from Dan's May 7th entry:

" . . . . perhaps most essential will be the participation of people of faith who are perfectly capable of grasping the science of climate change and environmental degradation but must contribute new ways of seeing (not just looking) at a world under pressure.  We must quickly find new symbols and generate new ways of applying lessons from our traditional stories to help make sense of this moment in time.  We must look beyond ourselves and integrate deeply within our bones the fact that our behaviors today condemn–and even eliminate–future generations.


This challenge to people of faith must include hope so that we can rise each day full of purpose to do what must be done, to appreciate ever more deeply the goodness of creation, to feel the pain of our brothers and sisters and do all we can, with joy, to alleviate their suffering."

See Dan's Blog From Rome, which includes a variety of links to related items.

. . . and yet hope prevails

There is reason for HOPE and LOVE prevailing in the global challenge of Caring for Creation!

The joint Workshop of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences and the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences has just ended in Rome.  The conference topic was Sustainable Humanity, Sustainable Nature: Our Responsibility.


 Link to DotEarth blog
Scientists who participated in the joint workshop met with Pope Francis.

Andrew Revkin's DotEarth blog provides a summary of his impressions of the meeting.   Revkin's closing thoughts say MUCH to those of us who are taking on the challenge of addressing these issues within the context of our FAITH:

It says much that even some of the most accomplished scientists at this meeting articulated that progress on climate, energy, equity, education and conservation of living resources will be driven by values and faith more than data and predictive models.

 In a discussion over dinner, Walter Munk, at 96 one of great oceanographers of modern times, spoke not of gigatons of carbon or megawatts of electricity:
“This requires a miracle of love and unselfishness,” he said.