Why is it wrong to murder someone? Should all people be treated as equals? These were just a few of the ethical questions we deliberated during a Distinguished Honors Faculty Program through the Honors College. The title of the event was “Religion, Ethics, and Climate – How Do They Fit Together?” Sponsoring the debate were Professor Darlene Clark, a Senior Lecturer in Nursing, and Dr. Jonathan Brockopp, an Associate Professor of History and Religious Studies. Before I attended the event, I was skeptical, but also curious, about how religion, ethics, and climate all influenced each other. In this blog, I share the insights I gleaned from the discussion and things I learned along the way.
The first topic we delved into was religion and how it ties into the overarching subject of science. Dr. Brockopp introduced a book recently authored by Pope Francis that expounded upon the relationship between the Roman Catholic Church and climate. As the book explains, the messages of Catholicism essentially boil down to love, including both “love thy neighbor” and “love thy God.” If we are to love our neighbor, than it should be everyone’s duty to protect the environment and to combat climate change. Although the rise in CO2 levels and sea levels won’t affect our neighbors in the United States very much, they will have disastrous consequences for our neighbors and fellow human beings living in island nations around the world. For example, if the sea level continues to rise at the current rate, the Republic of Maldives will be entirely submerged by around 2085. In a way, Pope Francis is the perfect pope to help the Catholic Church do its part in solving this issue. Before the conclave elected Pope Francis, he was known for being an advocate for the common man in Argentina. He regularly took the bus to work, made his own meals, and often visited the slums of Buenos Aires. It’s refreshing for the pope to hold these views and to continually advocate on the side of science. Given the reach and influence of both Pope Francis and the Catholic Church, I’m excited to see how people’s perceptions of the climate change issue will change.
We also discussed the misconceptions people hold about climate change and the extent of the problem. Often, it’s easy for people who live in Western nations to dismiss the issue of climate change because it doesn’t affect them. A 2-degree increase in global temperatures may not sound all that bad, yet it is devastating to those living around the world. As the people of developed countries continue emitting tons of pollutants and causing the problems, it is inevitable going to be the people of third world countries who will have to face the consequences. For example, there are 6 countries (China, United States, India, Russia, Japan and Germany) who are contributing to 60% of the world’s carbon emissions. Also, the richest 10% of human society produces nearly 50% of the world’s carbon emissions due to personal consumption, while the poorest 50% is only responsible for 10%. Paradoxically, it is this poorest 50% that is experiencing the full force of climate change. They are the ones whose houses are washed away due to excessive flooding, their lives devastated by prolonged droughts, and their family members lost to ferocious tropical storms.
Another interesting point that was brought up in the discussion is the perception that developing nations like India and China are the culprits. However, they are not entirely to blame because a significant amount of the pollution produced in developing nations comes from American and European factories that are outsourced to these countries for cheap labor. In a way, the developed world is only enabling this problem, and not doing anything significant to change it. There’s also the argument that it is hypocritical for the US and European countries, who themselves built massive factories that released countless tons of pollutants during their own industrial revolutions, to denounce third world countries for their own pollution. Developing countries also have a right to be able to progress technologically and to provide better, more advanced lives for its citizens. However, they now have the added burden of being environmentally-conscious, which often leads to cutting corners, which consequently leads to greater environmental disasters.
Attending the Religion, Ethics, and Climate event was a very enjoyable experience and one that has exposed me to various types of thinking relating to climate change. I will definitely be looking more into this topic and staying updated on the news about climate change.
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