~by Susi Pittman

You see it and hear it everywhere these days.

It is a term that has become commonplace. Carbon footprint!

One of Catholicism’s largest climate advocates, The Catholic Coalition on Climate Change has what they call The Catholic Climate Covenant which touts the phrase, Who’s under your carbon footprint?

The Collins English Dictionary defines “carbon footprint” as a measure of the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere by a single endeavor or by a company, household, or individual through day-to-day activities over a given period. (1)

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary defines “carbon” as a naturally abundant, nonmetallic element that occurs in all organic compounds and can be found in all known forms of life. Diamonds and graphite are pure forms, and carbon is a major constituent of coal, petroleum, and natural gas. (2)

It is a term that evokes in the secular world the mindset of human beings as a faceless, domineering force of problematical behavior in nature and complete cause of the potentially impending demise of great portions of the natural realm on earth.

The month of April saw the release of A Report by the Working Group Commissioned by the Pontifical Academy of Science, entitled FATE OF MOUNTAIN GLACIERS IN THE ANTHROPOCENE. A full report may be read at the Catholic Coalition on Climate Change. This report contemplates the retreat of mountain glaciers, what may be causing that retreat and the consequences it may have. This report weighs in heavily on The Anthropocene; defined as a term for the present geological epoch (from the time of the Industrial Revolution onwards), during which humanity has begun to have a significant impact on the environment. From anthropo- and -cene , coined by Paul Crutzen (born 1933), Nobel-winning Dutch chemist. (3)

The report notes that exceeding a 2-degree Celsius “guard rail” of greenhouse warming above the pre-industrial period could lend to catastrophic problems. Carbon dioxide is cited as being the largest single contributor to greenhouse warming with hydro fluorocarbons (HFC’s) cited as the fastest growing climate forcers. Emission sources for air pollution and greenhouse gases coincide in this report.

The report advises that there is still many areas that require further study, the least not being what is happening naturally versus man’s industrial contribution, though science has indicated that man is certainly contributing in a dangerous way.

Here is my problem with all of this.

First:

By definition, carbon footprint accords the individual human being the same “elemental” standing as the activities of large “entities.” I see that as wrong. Humanity was created as the climax of all of God’s creation and uniquely given a special relationship with God by being “created in the image of God.” Humankind received a soul, that special part of our being that allows us intellect, rationale and free will to know God better. This alone sets humankind apart from every other non-human creation on the planet, always and forever! Each human person is held individually accountable to God of either being a “good” steward or “bad” steward of all that God has given them in the gifts of the natural world. Jesus claimed humanity as brothers and sisters, thereby making us all somebody, not a something.

I reiterate… I am not a carbon footprint!

Second:

The Social Justice agenda has been highly visible in the American Catholic Church. There are seven core principles on Catholic social teaching given to us by the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops:

1. Life and Dignity of the Human Person

2. Call to Family, Community and Participation

3. Rights and Responsibilities

4. Option for the Poor and Vulnerable

5. The Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers

6. Solidarity

7. Care of Creation

What I have seen over the past two decades has been a rush to core principles #1, 3 & 4, as core principle #7 Care of Creation is given little more than a glance in the whole picture and gets stampeded over. Our past two popes, John Paul II in, Peace With God the Creator, Peace With All Creation and Pope Benedict XVI in, If You Want To Cultivate Peace, Protect Creation have certainly brought attention to that.

My question is this: How can we make any other part of the social justice program work if FIRST we do not have within our consciences an unrequited respect for life, ALL life, along with the dignity given each human person? In my book, Core #1 & 7 are where we start. Core #7 is not where we end. What is in between will come in the natural flow of moral beauty produced by Core # 1 & 7.

Third:

I am deeply dismayed that the work commissioned by the Pontifical Academy of Sciences from the Vatican, is presented to us with these words from one of its members, Veerabhadran Ramanathan: “I have never participated in any report in 30 years where the word ‘God’ is mentioned. I think the Vatican brings that moral authority.” To me, that is kind of like saying, science and religion continue to be the water and oil of a misconstrued cosmic design.

As Pope Pius XI stated regarding the goals of the Academy: “Amongst the many consolations with which divine Goodness has wished to make happy the years of our Pontificate, I am happy to place that of our having being able to see not a few of those who dedicate themselves to the studies of the sciences mature their attitude and their intellectual approach towards religion. Science, when it is real cognition, is never in contrast with the truth of the Christian faith. Indeed, as is well known to those who study the history of science, it must be recognized on the one hand that the Roman Pontiffs and the Catholic Church have always fostered the research of the learned in the experimental field as well, and on the other hand that such research has opened up the way to the defense of the deposit of supernatural truths entrusted to the Church.”

So, to hear that the word “God” is not mentioned with such pleasure and pride followed by a condescending acknowledgement of, you know, that funny little guy over there surrounded by his band of fairy tale brothers, just doesn’t resonate in the cooperative sense you would expect to have…especially with the money that is poured into it.

In closing, I think we really need to re-evaluate the complexity of the inclusive language of “carbon foot-printing” and put it where it should be rightly applied…to the actions or non-actions and influences of large groups, companies and organizations. That the strength of Catholic social teaching rests in its teachings of the common good…that “good” from God that we as humanity hold in our conscience to apply in our actions as we view the “whole of the created world.” And lastly, the Vatican can certainly choose a better publicist who can afford a sense of cooperative camaraderie as science and men work together objectively and in “faith” to unravel the marvels, mysteries and mayhems that envelope our home, the earth.

(1) Collins English Dictionary – Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009

(2) The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.

(3) Collins English Dictionary – Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009

Susi Pittman is founder of CatholicStewardsofCreation.com and Owner-President of Twin Oaks Publishing; she is author of Animals in Heaven? Catholics Want to Know!; an advocate for the Florida Catholic Conference; a member of the St. Joseph’s Catholic Council of Women in Jacksonville, Florida; an Associate of the Sisters of St. Joseph, St. Augustine;a member of the Florida Publishers Association, Independent Book Publishers Association, the National Association of Professional Women, the ASPCA, the Humane Society of the United States and the National Audubon society.