Legarda Welcomes Pope Francis’ Encyclical On Env’t and Climate Change
June 19, 2015Senator Loren Legarda today warmly welcomed Pope Francis’ much-anticipated encyclical on the environment, which highlights climate change as one of the principal challenges facing humanity today.
The encyclical titled Laudato Si’ discusses the reality of climate change, how humanity has contributed to the phenomenon and how the poor and developing nations bear the brunt of climate change—issues that the Senator herself has been speaking about to encourage urgent action.
“The Pope’s encyclical is a warning and at the same time a message of hope that there is still something we can do to save the earth from destruction if all nations will place environmental protection as a priority concern and if we will come up with a universal climate agreement,” said Legarda, Chair of the Senate Committees on Environment and Natural Resources and Climate Change.
The Pope states, “The earth, our home, is beginning to look more and more like an immense pile of filth… Humanity is called to recognize the need for changes of lifestyle, production and consumption, in order to combat this warming or at least the human causes which produce or aggravate it.”
Legarda noted that the Pope has stressed that we all share the responsibility to protect and care for the earth, our common home, for this generation and the generations to come. She said she hopes that nations, governments and citizens would translate the Pope’s messages into action.
“The abuse of our natural resources leads to deeper poverty and makes us more vulnerable to natural hazards and climate change. We should be mindful of our environment by respecting our environmental laws, veering away from a consumptive lifestyle, and working towards sustainability and resilience,” she stressed.
“We can still do something. As the Pope says, ‘Humanity still has the ability to work together in building our common home.’ But we have to act now. This encyclical is a stark reminder of our moral obligation to protect future generations from the dangers of the climate crisis by embracing our responsibility as stewards of the earth. Our action is needed now more than ever,” Legarda concluded.