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benedict preaches the environment - and new theory on the petm
“ [...] A survey by US bank Citigroup found that the 11 major faiths now
embrace 85% of the world's population and are the world's third
largest group of financial investors [...] ”
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“Observers said yesterday that the Catholic church is no longer split
between those who advocate development and those who say the
environment is the priority. Cardinal Renato Raffaele Martino, head of
the Pontifical Council of Justice and Peace, said: "For environment
... read Creation. The mastery of man over Creation must not be
despotic or senseless. Man must cultivate and safeguard God's
Creation."
“According to Vatican sources, the present Pope is far more engaged in
the green debate than John Paul. In the past year Benedict has spoken
strongly on the need to preserve rainforests. In the next few weeks he
visits Brazil.”
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“The Catholic church is just one major faith group now rapidly moving
environment to the fore of its social teachings. "Climate change,
biotechnology, trade justice and pollution are all now being debated
at a far higher level by the world's major religions," said Martin
Palmer, secretary general of the Alliance of Religions and
Conservation (Arc).”
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“Many evangelical leaders say they are still not convinced that global
warming is human-induced and have argued that the collapse of the
world is inevitable and will herald the second coming of Christ.
“But most younger leaders have broken ranks. About four years ago the
progressives began to argue strongly that man had a responsibility to
steward the earth. Redefining environmentalism as "creation care",
they are now lobbying President Bush and the US administration to take
global warming far more seriously.
“ "They are the most effective lobby," said one observer yesterday.
"They represent the conservative vote so Bush has to listen to them.”
[Quoted from guardian.co.uk]
“Michael Storey at Roskilde University in Denmark and colleagues have
found evidence that a huge volcanic eruption, 55 million years ago,
unleashed so much greenhouse gas into the atmosphere that world
temperatures rose by as much as 8°C - with the Arctic ocean reaching a
toasty 25°C.
“ "It was already a warm Earth, and it got a lot warmer," says Storey.
The climatic turmoil that ensued was disastrous for most life, he
says, killing off many deep-sea species.
“Ancient ocean sediments that record this episode, called the
Palaeocene-Eocene Temperature Maximum (PETM) [...] ”
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“Whatever the ultimate cause of the Eocene meltdown, a link to
greenhouse gases seems highly likely. "There are obvious lessons from
this," says Storey. "The rate at which greenhouse gases are now being
added to the atmosphere exceeds by far the rate of 55 million years
ago," he warns.”
[Quoted from newscientist.com]
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