教皇呼吁全球努力对抗地球变暖

AS IT IS 2015-06-19 Pope Calls for Worldwide Effort Against Global Warming 教皇呼吁全球努力对抗地球变暖

The leader of the Roman Catholic Church has called for a cultural revolution to save the planet from environmental ruin. Pope Francis made the statement in the nearly 200-page environmental encyclical released on Thursday.

Encyclicals are some of the most important documents created by popes. They explain the teachings of the church and are guides to Catholic behavior.

The encyclical is called “Laudato Si, On Care for Our Common Home.” In it, Pope Francis writes of the world’s economic system as one based on the rich exploiting the poor. And, he says, that system has turned the planet into “an immense pile of filth¹.”

Human activities = Earth's warming

The Pope writes that the science of global warming is clear. He notes many studies show atmospheric² warming is the result of gas releases from human activities, for the most part.

Pope Francis criticizes those who claim that global warming is not real or is not the fault of humans. He warns that, “Climate change is a global problem with grave implications.” And, he writes, it is one of the “principal challenges facing humanity in our day.”

Pope Francis bases his encyclical on the first part of the Bible, Genesis.  He says it tells that God created the Earth and its riches for humans to use but also to protect. He writes that now the Earth is, in his words, “protesting for the wrong” that humans are doing to it.

Some possible fixes

He says humans are irresponsible in the use of Earth’s many resources. He says they have understood Genesis incorrectly in thinking dominion³ over Earth means treating the planet any way they want.

The Roman Catholic Church leader calls for a reduction in fossil fuel use and increased investment in renewable energies. He warns against continuing the “current models of production and consumption.”

The Pope also discusses an ecological⁴ debt that the rich of the world owe to the poor. He says the wealthy and powerful create more global warming gasses but the poor are the main sufferers of the effects of climate change. Pope Francis writes that “the masters of power and money” must be taught to “love the common good.”

Support and opposition⁵ for the encyclical

World Bank President Jim Yong Kim expressed agreement. He released a statement Thursday that said, "As the effects of climate change worsen…we know that escaping poverty will become even more difficult."

Unlike encyclicals of the past, the Pope says that he is speaking not just to Catholics but to all people on Earth.

Achim Steiner is the chief of the United Nations Environment Program. He says the papal letter "is a clarion⁶ call that resonates not only with Catholics, but with all of the Earth's peoples. Science and religion are aligned⁷ on this matter: The time to act is now."

The Heartland Institute is a U.S. group promoting free-market solutions to global problems. It says the pope "made a grave mistake by putting his trust and moral authority behind agenda-driven bureaucrats⁸ at the United Nations who have been bearing false witness about the causes and consequences of climate change for decades."

What do US Catholics think?

On Wednesday, the Pew Research Center released the results of a study about U.S. Catholics and their opinion on climate change and the Pope. The survey found that more than 85 percent of U.S. Catholics feel positively⁹ toward Pope Francis. They also share his view that global warming is real.

But the survey showed that American Catholics are divided over the cause of global warming. Only 47 percent of Catholics blame warming on human activity. And 45 percent of all Americans agree with them.

An early version of the encyclical was published Monday by the Italian magazine L’Espresso. It quickly proved to be an in issue for U.S. politicians, especially Republican Catholics.

Former Florida governor, Jeb Bush, is a candidate for the U.S. Republican Party presidential nomination¹⁰. He is also a devout¹¹ Catholic. He said Tuesday that religion should center on “making us better humans.” And he said he would not look to the Church to make his governing policies.

However, Mr. Bush has said in the past that his Catholic faith does guide him in policy making.

Another Republican Catholic candidate, Rick Santorum, made a similar statement on a news program in early June. He said he was a big fan of the Pope but that he should leave “science to the scientists.”

In “Laudato Si,” however, the Pope says that religious belief; humanity and the environment are inseparable.

Words in This Story

encyclical – n. an official letter from the Pope to the Roman Catholic bishops¹²

exploit – v. to use (someone or something) in a way that helps you unfairly

dominion – n. the power to rule: control of a country, region, etc

consumption – n. the use of something (such as fuel)

survey – n. an activity in which many people are asked a question or a series of questions in order to gather information about what most people do or think about something

1 filth   

n.肮脏，污物，污秽；淫猥

参考例句：

• I don't know how you can read such filth.我不明白你怎么会去读这种淫秽下流的东西。
• The dialogue was all filth and innuendo.这段对话全是下流的言辞和影射。

2 atmospheric   

adj.大气的，空气的；大气层的；大气所引起的

参考例句：

• Sea surface temperatures and atmospheric circulation are strongly coupled.海洋表面温度与大气环流是密切相关的。
• Clouds return radiant energy to the surface primarily via the atmospheric window.云主要通过大气窗区向地表辐射能量。

3 dominion   

n.统治，管辖，支配权；领土，版图

参考例句：

• Alexander held dominion over a vast area.亚历山大曾统治过辽阔的地域。
• In the affluent society,the authorities are hardly forced to justify their dominion.在富裕社会里，当局几乎无需证明其统治之合理。

4 ecological   

adj.生态的，生态学的

参考例句：

• The region has been declared an ecological disaster zone.这个地区已经宣布为生态灾难区。
• Each animal has its ecological niche.每种动物都有自己的生态位.

5 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

6 clarion   

n.尖音小号声；尖音小号

参考例句：

• Clarion calls to liberation had been mocked when we stood by.当我们袖手旁观的时候，自由解放的号角声遭到了嘲弄。
• To all the people present,his speech is a clarion call.对所有在场的人而言，他的演讲都是动人的号召。

7 aligned   

adj.对齐的，均衡的

参考例句：

• Make sure the shelf is aligned with the top of the cupboard.务必使搁架与橱柜顶端对齐。

8 bureaucrats   

n.官僚( bureaucrat的名词复数 )；官僚主义；官僚主义者；官僚语言

参考例句：

• That is the fate of the bureaucrats, not the inspiration of statesmen. 那是官僚主义者的命运，而不是政治家的灵感。 来自辞典例句
• Big business and dozens of anonymous bureaucrats have as much power as Japan's top elected leaders. 大企业和许多不知名的官僚同日本选举出来的最高层领导者们的权力一样大。 来自辞典例句

9 positively   

adv.明确地，断然，坚决地；实在，确实

参考例句：

• She was positively glowing with happiness.她满脸幸福。
• The weather was positively poisonous.这天气着实讨厌。

10 nomination   

n.提名，任命，提名权

参考例句：

• John is favourite to get the nomination for club president.约翰最有希望被提名为俱乐部主席。
• Few people pronounced for his nomination.很少人表示赞成他的提名。

11 devout   

adj.虔诚的，虔敬的，衷心的 (n.devoutness)

参考例句：

• His devout Catholicism appeals to ordinary people.他对天主教的虔诚信仰感染了普通民众。
• The devout man prayed daily.那位虔诚的男士每天都祈祷。

12 bishops   

（基督教某些教派管辖大教区的）主教( bishop的名词复数 )； （国际象棋的）象

参考例句：

• Each player has two bishops at the start of the game. 棋赛开始时，每名棋手有两只象。
• "Only sheriffs and bishops and rich people and kings, and such like. “他劫富济贫，抢的都是郡长、主教、国王之类的富人。