Bishops lobby for the green movement in South Africa

Article by Marc Aupiais

The Southern African Bishops' Conference SACBC has released a letter demanding that the South African government push a Green, Environmentalist agenda. It has asked they focus on carbon dioxide and other "green house gases" but mostly CO2.

~SACNS, our service has consistently taken the view that while CO2 may play a role in climate change:

- other actions by people such as disrupting natural sand ratios,
- deforestation
- the building of cities and roads, urbanisation: causing heat traps,
- sun spots known to alter temperatures,
- extra-terrestrial gravity from sun and moon and cosmic forces
- impacts on the Ozone layer and magnetic field of the earth
- tectonic activities
- the introduction of plastics and heavy metals into the oceans: affecting fish including plankton.
- the introduction of chemicals into the environment resulting in cross-sex fish, and affecting the abilities of marine life.
- the emissions of bovine animals domesticated for their meat: which contribute a good deal of non-CO2 gases
All also play a role.

Recent data from NASA satellites showed that heat is not so deeply hampered from leaving the atmosphere as thought by Green House gases.

Even sceptics of climate change do not deny it is happening, they deny that it is a simple matter of CO2 emissions causing it. Some even believe it irreversible!

~SACNS believes that the Bishops ought to have suggested a combined approach to climate changes facing us. Demands for aid from first world countries based on damage: seems counter-productive as Aid promises are already not fulfilled as it is. It takes the responsibility off local governments. The Bishops ought to also have noted that Climate Changes if extant, can only be combated in such a way as does not sacrifice innocent human lives and livelihoods.

Emphasis on the positive impacts of insulation in keeping out heat and cold, of greening city roof tops, of alternate construction materials, and solar power could have been much better suggestions on the part of the Bishops.

South Africa is aiming unlike what they have claimed: for a nuclear future: focussing on building massive new coal and nuclear power stations. The government has however done so with greener designs in mind.

A pastoral letter from the bishops: ought to have focussed on what each individual can be encouraged to do to combat any extant climate changes or to adapt to them.

The bishops were right to acknowledge that climate change is a natural process. In fact it is continuous, and the world, so stable for the last 60 000 years, historically would be due an upset.

A united approach to Climate Changes: where not only developed nations are obligated to act, and where all take responsibility for climate change, while acknowledging that people are an asset not a obstacle in combating or adapting to climate changes would be much wiser an approach and in line with actual Catholic doctrine.

Catholics are not under obligation to obey mere pastoral letters, which are there to help order the church.

Here is the press release, not sent to ~SACNS but as sent to Agenzia Fides (paragraphing added):

"
AFRICA/SOUTH AFRICA -

"Defending creation fighting greenhouse gases": the request of the Bishops of Southern Africa on the eve of the UN Conference on climate change

Johannesburg (Agenzia Fides) -

"Our beloved world and the entire creation - that God has given us - are threatened by climate change", write the Bishops of Southern Africa in a Pastoral Letter published on the eve of the 17th UN Conference on Climate Change to be held in Durban, South Africa, from 28 November to 9 December.

"While climate change is a process that happens naturally, there is now a general consensus that human activities make this happen much faster.

Those responsible for this process are the 'greenhouse gases' like carbon dioxide and methane, which are released into the atmosphere", says the Letter of the Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference (SACBC), of which a copy was sent to Fides.

The Bishops launch an appeal to put pressure and encourage the South African government, which chairs the Durban conference, to support the following resolutions: to reduce global emissions of greenhouse gases (mainly carbon dioxide) so that the increase in global temperature remains below 1.5 ° C; to ensure that current decisions concerning economic development are not based only on the immediate economic needs, but take into account the survival of future generations; forcing the Countries that emit large amounts of "greenhouse gases" to meet its obligations to fund the programs of developing Countries to reduce their emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change; South Africa, in the 13th place among the Countries that release more carbon dioxide in the world; commits itself in the production of renewable energy, gradually eliminating coal and nuclear production, and developing the potentiality of renewable energy.

The Bishops also ask for the Kyoto Protocol of 1997 (on limiting greenhouse gas) to be extended and that the treaty becomes a binding agreement and that there are real controls in compliance with these agreements. (L.M.)

"

No mention of combating the abuse of populations in Africa by both commercial developers and by climate change believers. This press release is likely to have little if any impact. It pushes an agenda of the extreme left, so far from practicality that it will not impact negotiations.

Practical suggestions for talks, or a more comprehensive approach would mean far more.