The Encyclical Laudato Si’, of Pope Francis on the care of our common home has now been published. The document includes six chapters: (1) "What is happening to our common home", (2) “The Gospel of creation",(3) "Human roots of the ecological crisis", (4) "Integral ecology", (5) "Lines of approach and action", (6) "Ecological education and spirituality".

The document is structured around three moments of analysis: see, think, and act. The first runs through distinct aspects of the present ecological crisis, in order to feel deeply challenged by it.  The second (to think) takes up some notions rooted in the Judeo-Christian tradition and in science, in order to obtain greater coherence in commitment to the environment and to confront the roots of the present situation. And in the third moment (to act), in the light of the previous reflections, lines of dialogue and action are proposed that involve both the inhabitants of the planet and international policy.

The line that runs through the whole encyclical is to learn to respond to the urgent challenge to protect our common home. This includes the concern to unite the whole human family in the search for sustainable and integral development.  Humanity still has the capacity to collaborate, to construct, cultivate and take care of our planet. In this sense, the Pope finds a model of reference and inspiration in Saint Francis of Assisi. I believe, says the bishop of Rome, "that Francis is the example par excellence of the care of that which is weak, and of an integral ecology, lived with joy and authenticity. He is the holy patron of all those who study and work in ecology, loved by many who are not Christians. He manifested a particular attention to God's creation and to the most poor and abandoned (...)  Saint Francis is the example par excellence of care for the vulnerable and of an integral ecology lived out joyfully and authentically. He is the patron saint of all who study and work in the area of ecology, and he is also much loved by non-Christians. He was particularly concerned for God’s creation and for the poor and outcast.(…) He was a mystic and a pilgrim who lived in simplicity and in wonderful harmony with God, with others, with nature and with himself. He shows us just how inseparable the bond is between concern for nature, justice for the poor, commitment to society, and interior peace.”

Now let's look in this first commentary on the encyclical, at the problems that are most troublesome and that can no longer remain hidden. There are seven aspects pointed out by the Pope. We shall take a quick look at them.

Pollution and climate change. According to the encyclical there are forms of pollution that affect all persons, on a daily basis. Exposure to atmospheric contamination produces a broad spectrum of impacts on human health, especially of the poorest people, causing millions of premature deaths. Here we must also consider the pollution caused by transport, smoke from industry, deposits of substances that contribute to the acidification of the soil and water, fertilizers, insecticides, fungicides, weed killers and agro-toxins in general.  These factors are intimately related to the throwaway culture, that affects human beings who are excluded as well as things that are rapidly turned into garbage.

The issue of water. For Pope Francis, this is a matter of prime importance, because it is indispensable for human life and to sustain terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.  Fresh water sources supply sanitary sectors, agriculture and industry. The provision of the liquid was relatively constant for a long time, but now in many places the demand is bigger than the sustainable supply, with serious consequences over the short and the long term. The Pope says that a particularly serious problem is the quality of the water available for the poor, which causes many deaths every day. There are frequent illnesses related to water, including those caused by micro-organisms and chemical substances.  Diarrhea and cholera, related to hygienic services and inadequate provision of water are a significant factor in suffering and infant mortality.

The loss of biodiversity. In the document there is a critique of the fact that the planet is being deprived due to short-term views of understanding the economy and commercial and productive activity. The loss of forests and woodlands implies at the same time a loss of species that can signify extremely important resources in the future, not only for food, but among other things, for the curing of illnesses.

Decline in the quality of human life and the breakdown of society.  The letter maintains that, if we keep in mind that the human being is a creature of this world, who has a right to live and to be happy, and who in addition is endowed with a unique dignity, one cannot fail to consider the effects on people’s lives of environmental decline arising from the present model of development and of the throwaway culture. Many cities are great inefficient structures that are excessively wasteful of water and energy. There are districts that, although they have been constructed recently, are congested and disordered, without sufficient green spaces.  For the Pope, it is not normal for the human condition to be buried in cement, asphalt, glass and metal, deprived of physical contact with nature

Global inequity. Human beings and nature deteriorate together, and we cannot adequately face the degradation of the latter if we do not consider the causes of human and social degradation. The deterioration of the environment and of society especially affect the world’s weakest people.  For example, the depletion of fishing reserves especially hurts those who live by small fishing communities that have no way to replace those resources; while the water pollution particularly affects the poorest people, who cannot afford to buy bottled water, and rising sea levels affect principally impoverished coastal peoples who have nowhere else to go.

Weak responses.  Francisco calls our attention to the weakness of international political reactions.  He says that the subjection of politics to technology and finances is seen in international meetings on the environment. There are too many particular interests, and the economic interest tends to prevail over the common good and to manipulate information so as not to affect their projects.

A variety of opinions. Finally, the encyclical mentions the variety of visions and lines of thought concerning the situation and its possible solutions. At one extreme, some defend the myth of progress and believe that the ecological problems will be resolved simply with new technical applications, without ethical considerations or serious changes. At the other extreme, others understand that human beings are simply a threat to the world ecosystem, so that what is needed is to reduce their presence on the planet and prevent any kind of intervention. Between these extremes, reflection should identify possible scenarios.

These realities, taken together, according to Francisco, bring about the cry of the Earth, that is joined to the cries of the abandoned of the world and the cry to change course. This change demands leadership capable of striking out on new paths, and meeting the needs of the present with concern for all and without prejudice towards coming generations. It has become necessary to create a normative system that sets clear boundaries and ensures the protection of ecosystems, before the new power structures based on the techno-economic paradigm overwhelm not only our politics but also freedom and justice.

23/06/2015

(Translated for ALAI by Jordan Bishop)
 

- Carlos Ayala Ramírez is the director of Radio YSUCA, El Salvador.