AS THE COP28 has come to an end, we recall that the goal of the global UN climate change conference was to declare a “phase out” of fossil fuel that powers the world’s economy and is destroying the climate and life on earth.
The fossil fuel world industry forced a compromise in the wording and finally it was agreed to “transition away from fossil fuel.” It is historic. After 28 years of talking, this is the first time all nations agreed to end the era of fossil fuels, oil, gas and coal. This is the only solution to save the planet from further extreme damage and save the environment and people’s lives. Words are fine but action is what is now needed.
The alternative is to triple renewable energy generation sources to more solar, wind, geo-thermal, hydro and other methods to generate electricity. The final agreement agreed to increase finance to support small nations suffering the devastating effects of climate change caused by the most powerful and rich nations.
Pope Francis is one of the most outspoken advocates for the end to the fossil fuel life-style that is destructive to creation, a center point of his papacy. Words are important but action is more so, he said. In his Laudato Si encyclical and in his speech to the conference, he advocated for all people to take urgent action against the destructive climate change. Some of it is “already irreversible,” he has said and that “highly polluting fossil fuels need to be progressively replaced without delay.”
Pope Francis challenged the world leaders in his speech to COP28: “Are we working for a culture of life or a culture of death? . . . To all of you, I make this heartfelt appeal: Let us choose life! Let us choose the future! May we be attentive to the cry of the earth, may we hear the plea of the poor, may we be sensitive to the hopes of the young and the dreams of children! We have a grave responsibility: to ensure that they not be denied their future.” His words were apparently listened to and helped shape the final declaration.
He called for the truth to be acknowledged: those who “deny, conceal, gloss over or relativize the issue,” saying that it was people and lifestyle that are the causing the destructive impact of the global warming and it is people of Faith who must help change it.
The center point of Christian faith is being totally convinced in mind and heart that truth, goodness, action for justice, love of neighbor and creation will eventually overcome wrong-doing and evil through belief and friendship with Jesus of Nazareth. The kingdom of justice and love will come if we build it and work for it and believe we can succeed. Faith like that will “move mountains” of corruption, wrongdoing and evil as we hope the COP28 will achieve.
Besides working for social justice, healing and helping the victims of violence and the abused and exploited poor, promoting renewables is ‘faith in action”. The battle that raged last week during COP28 summit about how to stop harmful climate change and global warming from destroying life as we know it on planet earth was a battle of good against evil. The natural disasters across the globe is the “mountain” of evil that we must believe we can move. (To be continued)/PN
