Transcript KKH-pre-Ambassador-talk-St-Alberts-5-2-11

CARING FOR GOD’S CREATION
IN THE 21ST CENTURY
Reflections on Theology, Science, Climate Change
and Our Interconnected Global Environment
Katie Hirschboeck, PhD
Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research &
Chair, Global Change Graduate Interdisciplinary Program
The St. Albert the Great Forum on Theology & Science
The University of Arizona Catholic Newman Center
2 May 2011
Some St. Albert’s presentations through the years . . . .
How does this presentation
build on the others?
American Geophysical Union
study in 1998
http://www.policyarchive.org/handle/10207/bitstreams/5662.pdf
AGU’s 1998 STUDY CONCLUSIONS: “public paralysis
& frustration”
“Our research suggests that there
are a number of reasons why people may be stuck:
1. Most people do not really understand global warming.
2. No accepted source of information.
“Clearly the scientific community has not conveyed a sense of
unanimity on the subject of global warming. As a result of the
fact that they have not heard a clear scientific voice on this
subject, people turn to anecdotal and impressionistic
evidence as to whether there is such a thing as global warming.”
This AGU study preceded the 2001 (third) and 2007 (fourth) Climate Change
Assessment Reports from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
(IPCC). The 2007 report contained strongest, consensus statement ever:
"Warming of the climate system is unequivocal.“
“Most of the observed increase in global average temperatures
since the mid-20th century is very likely due to the observed
increase in anthropogenic greenhouse gas concentrations.”
So, where are we in the science right now?
www.skepticalscience.com
THE BIG PICTURE:
• The Earth is warming (2010s > 2000s > 1990s > 1980s > 1970s)
• Humans are causing this warming (esp. over last 3 decades, “fingerprints”)
• The warming will continue (existing concentrations + projections)
• The net result will be bad (current observations + projections )
• Arguments to the contrary are superficial (or selective)
• There are legitimate unresolved questions (this is what makes science “tick”)
“Uncertainty regarding the magnitude of the risk
is not an excuse to ignore it !” (prudential judgment is needed)
“We need to continue to decrease the uncertainty, but it's also critical
to acknowledge what we know and what questions have been resolved,
and that taking no action is not an option.”
BRIEF REVIEW OF THE BASICS
Radiation Pathways &
the Greenhouse Effect
aerosols
surface albedo
aerosols:
sulfur-rich volcanic
eruptions, pollution
surface albedo:
snow & ice cover
land use changes
deforestation
Figure modified from: www.epa.gov/climatechange/basicinfo.html
Source: NOAA ‘s 2009 State of the Climate Report
http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2010/20100728_stateoftheclimate.html
Source: NOAA ‘s 2009 State of the Climate Report
[evidence of enhanced greenhouse effect from radiation & temperature
observations at various levels in the atmosphere]
[ evidence from atmospheric
composition measurements ]
[ evidence from carbon isotopes ]
[ evidence from surface
temperature measurements ]
[ evidence from carbon isotopes ]
Other useful
sources for
background
on basics,
key findings,
& skeptics’
arguments:
Operating in more than 20 countries, and with a
presence on all continents, Swiss Re is one of the
world’s largest and most diversified reinsurers.
2009
www.swissre.com/rethinking/climate/climate_sceptics.html
2010
www.epa.gov/climatechange/indicators.html
2008
americasclimatechoices.org/basics.shtml
EPA SUMMARY OF KEY FINDINGS
Atmosphere
U.S. and Global
temperatures
increasing
Heat wave
frequency up
Some indication of
drought increase
Oceans / Hydrosphere
Stored ocean heat
has increased
Sea surface temperatures
have increased, but
significant spatial and
temporal variation
Average sea level
has increased, with
regional variations
U.S. and Global
precipitation increasing;
some areas (e.g. Southwest)
decreasing
More heavy
precipitation events
Intensity (but not frequency)
of tropical storms has
increased
Ocean has become more
acid, associated with
increased dissolved CO2
EPA SUMMARY OF KEY FINDINGS (cont.)
Cryosphere
Extent of Arctic sea
ice has decreased
Glacial melting
has accelerated
over last decade
Lake ice in northern
US is freezing later
and thawing earlier
Biosphere
Heat-related deaths,
but trends difficult
to determine
Length of growing
season has increased in
lower 48 states
Plant hardiness zones
have shifted northward, w/
higher winter temps
Snow cover has
decreased in N.
America, but variable
Some species leafing
and blooming earlier
Snowpack and depth
has decreased in many
areas, esp. western US
Bird species have
shifted wintering
grounds northward
How observations of past and present are put together
with model projections of the future
Tree rings!
Observed temperatures from 1900 - 2005 (black) compared to
computer model results with natural forcing only (blue)
vs. natural + anthropogenic forcing (pink)
SOURCE: IPCC 2007
Regional model runs
showed the same results
on every continent
SOURCE: IPCC 2007 WG-1 Synthesis Report Summary for Policymakers
LABORATORY OF TREE-RING RESEARCH (LTRR)
Bristlecone
Pine
Pinus longaeva
LTRR
Conference
Room
Trees and stones will teach you
that which you can never learn
from masters.
– St. Bernard of Clairvaux
Salzer, Hughes,
Bunn & Kipfmueller
PNAS Proceedings of National
Academy of Sciences (2009)
Temperature-sensitive trees
near upper elevational
limit of growth
More moisture sensitive at lower elevations
Recent growth
unmatched in
millennia!
Remnant wood, Younger age; faster growth
unknown pith
in the early part of record
BC AD
dates
Average ring widths of 3 upper treeline sites
Reflections
on
SCIENCE
& FAITH
Returning to the
AGU’s 1998 STUDY
CONCLUSIONS:
“public paralysis
& frustration”
3. The real cause is human greed.
“The biggest factor that derails any kind of consensus
about dealing with global warming is the analysis that people
have of the underlying cause of global warming.”
“While our focus group respondents tended to say that global
warming is caused by deforestation and pollution, they were
also quick to point out that the underlying cause is human
greed and moral corruption.”
“Moreover, they believed that, as far as these factors are
concerned, ‘the toothpaste is out of the tube,’ and we are
unlikely to reverse these trends in the near future.”
AGU’s 1998 STUDY CONCLUSIONS:
“public paralysis & frustration”
“When thinking about global warming, in other words, our
respondents typically saw it as being driven by humans who
are unwilling to do the right thing, that is, a seemingly
irreversible deterioration in moral values.”
“What they said, over and over again, was that people have
become more self-centered, greedy and materialistic, and
as a result, the society is inevitably pushed toward more
consumption, which in turn causes more pollution and
exacerbates the trend toward global warming.”
“As they thought about the problem, they seemed to run
into brick walls, characterized by lack of clear knowledge,
seemingly irreversible causes, and a problem with no real
solution.”
“I wish to repeat that the ecological crisis is a moral issue.”
(emphasis in original)
Pope John Paul II 1990 World Day of Peace Message, No. 15
Care for Creation
Rooted in Scripture
& Judeo-Christian Tradition
BOOK OF GENESIS
CREATION STORIES:
Dignity of Human Person –
created in the image
and likeness of God
Gn 1:26
Care for Creation Rooted in Scripture
& Judeo-Christian Tradition
BOOK OF GENESIS
CREATION STORIES:
-
Creation is good
Gn 1:31
"Be fertile and multiply; fill the earth and
subdue it. Have dominion over . . . all the
living things that move on the earth."
Gn 1:28
- Humanity charged to
“cultivate and care”
for creation Gn 2: 15
The Mystery of the Incarnation
Other spiritual roots:
-- Ancient connections between faith, work and seasonal
rhythms of agrarian communities
-- Early Church: “all held in common”
-- Middle Ages:
-- land and work seen as part of God’s creation, subject to
religiously inspired ethical standards
-- Nature viewed as gift; land belonged to God not humans
-- community of property, care & protection of poor in society
responsibility of church
-- St. Francis – “Patron Saint of Ecology”
-- care for the natural world
-- care for humanity; love for the poor
“Perhaps the most inspiring role for Francis as
patron of the environmental movement would be to
join ecology with an option for the poor.”
( Drew Christiansen, S.J. 1991)
Summary of key
Catholic Social
Teachings on Care
for God’s Creation:
• A God-centered and sacramental view of the
universe which grounds human accountability for
the fate of the earth.
• A consistent respect for human life which extends
to respect for all creation.
• A world view affirming the ethical significance of
global interdependence and the common good.
• An ethics of solidarity promoting cooperation
and a just structure of sharing in the world
community.
• An understanding of the universal purpose of
created things which requires equitable use of
the earth's resources.
• An option for the poor which gives passion to
the quest for an equitable and sustainable world.
• A conception of authentic development offering
a direction for progress which respects human
dignity and the limits of material growth.
U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops
(USCCB)
Global Climate Change:
A Plea for Dialogue,
Prudence and the
Common Good
2001
www.nccbuscc.org/sdwp/international/globalclimate.shtml
“As people of faith, we are convinced that "the earth is the
Lord's and all it holds" (Ps 24:1). . . . We believe our
response to global climate change should be a sign of our
respect for God's creation.
We enter this debate not to embrace a particular treaty, nor to
urge particular technical solutions, but to call for a different
kind of national discussion. Much of the debate on global
climate change seems polarized and partisan.
Science is too often used as a weapon,
not as a source of wisdom.
Various interests use the airwaves and political process to
minimize or exaggerate the challenges we face.
The search for the common good and the voices of poor
people and poor countries sometimes are neglected.”
“At its core, global climate change is not about
economic theory or political platforms, nor
about partisan advantage or interest group
pressures. It is about the future of God's
creation and the one human family.
The dialogue and our response to the
challenge of climate change must be rooted in
the virtue of prudence . . . . Although debate
continues about the extent and impact of this
warming, it could be quite serious . . . .
Consequently, it seems prudent not only to
continue to research and monitor this
phenomenon, but to take steps now to mitigate
possible negative effects in the future.
SCIENCE &
THE VIRTUE OF PRUDENCE
“The virtue of prudence is paramount in addressing climate
change.“
“ Prudence is not, as popularly thought, simply a cautious and
safe approach to decisions. . . . it is a thoughtful, deliberate,
and reasoned basis for taking or avoiding action to achieve a
moral good.
• intelligence applied to our actions.
• aids in the shaping of the community's conscience.
• moves us to adopt courses of action
to protect the common good
CONVERSION:
Touching the human heart
Finally, we wish to emphasize the need for
personal conversion and responsibility:
• Choices and lifestyles
• Reexamine a culture that prizes the
consumption of material goods.
• Conserve energy, prevent pollution,
and live more simply
“In [the] spirit of praise and thanksgiving to God for the wonders
of creation, we Catholic bishops call for a civil dialogue and
prudent and constructive action to protect God's precious gift of
the earth's atmosphere with a sense of genuine solidarity and
justice for all God's children.”
THE COMMON GOOD
“A greater sense of intergenerational
solidarity is urgently needed.
Future generations cannot be saddled
with the cost of our use of common
environmental resources.”
Pope Benedict XVI
2010 World Day of Peace Message, No. 8
INTERCONNECTEDNESS
“[W]e cannot interfere in one area of the
ecosystem without paying due attention both to
the consequences of such interference in other
areas and to the well-being of future generations.”
Pope John Paul II
1990 World Day of Peace Message, No. 6
“When one tugs at a single thing in nature, one finds
it attached to the rest of the world.”
–John Muir
THE POOR
“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.”
Pope Benedict XVI Encyclical letter
Caritas in Veritate, No. 48 2009
Catholic Climate Covenant
CatholicClimateCovenant.org
KEY GUIDING PRINCIPLES
• Prudence
• Poverty
• The Common
Good
• 25+ Catholic Partners in Catholic
Coalition on Climate Change
• For: Individuals, families, schools,
parishes, dioceses, etc.
• Promoting: The St. Francis Pledge
to Care for Creation and the Poor
The St. Francis Pledge to Care for
Creation and the Poor
•
PRAY & reflect about our duty to
Creation and the poor
•
LEARN about Catholic teaching and
climate change and educate others
•
ASSESS our contributions to the
problem
•
ACT to change behaviors and choices
•
ADVOCATE on behalf of those without
a voice
CatholicClimateCovenant.org
What You Can Do
•
Join others by taking the St. Francis Pledge and registering your commitment
at http://CatholicClimateCovenant.org
•
See How to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint at
http://CatholicClimateCovenant.org/resources/taking-personal-action/
•
Encourage others (family, parish, school, arch/diocese) and promote the St.
Francis Pledge (see Planning Guide for Promoting & Taking the St. Francis
Pledge at http://CatholicClimateCovenant.org/resources)
•
Sign up to receive weekly Coalition emails at
http://CatholicClimateCovenant.org
•
Connect on social networks, call or email [email protected]
CatholicClimateCovenant.org
CLOSING THOUGHTS
• “. . . global climate change . . . challenges
our ecological understanding as never
before, because it defies traditional tools of
conventional science.
• It poses a greater threat to the integrity of
creation than any other human–caused
environmental problem. . . .
•
A Franciscan
Spirituality
of the Earth
2008
Ilia Delio, O.S.F.
Keith Douglass Warner, O.F.M. •
Pamela Wood
[it] cannot be managed through
conventional government regulation:
It will require every person, every business
and every institution to choose an
alternative path . . .”
“Ultimately global climate change is a
theological challenge too because it
requires us to reexamine our relationship
with the Creator.” ( and Creation itself!)