Pope points toward common ground on climate change

As a practicing Catholic, I looked forward to Pope Francis’s “Laudato Si” or his dire warning on man-made climate change. As a Kure Beach resident, I know that people who live nearest the ocean will be most affected by a warmer world. It’s getting hotter.

The coast is particularly vulnerable to man-made climate change. Regional residents must listen. When polar ice melts, sea level rises. Heavy rains will fall, and the water will have nowhere to go; it then will flow into streets and houses. Flooding will cause damaged roads; infrastructure will be destroyed. Extreme weather becomes reality.

The rising sea level causes greater beach erosion. Some house foundations will be threatened. Storms will come more often and will be stronger. Intense systems like Hurricane Sandy might not be unusual. As a result, the coastal economy could suffer a loss in tourism revenue. Commercial fishing might be affected. Economic loss could be great.

The ocean will become warmer, killing off species. The ocean will also become more acidic and increase the risk of “coral bleaching” and a loss of critical habitat in other areas.

Most scientists agree that man-made climate change will adversely affect the North Carolina coast. Why have a pope enter into the controversial topic? The pope is not on anyone’s payroll. He’s not a representative of industry. He stands to gain nothing from his opinion. He won’t be promoted or rise to the top of his chosen field. Indeed, the pope is not indebted to anyone. The fossil fuel industries have not influenced him, and he does not care if he turns a profit this year.

I’m a writer, and I sometimes pray for higher guidance when writing essays. The pope undoubtedly prays for inspiration more than I do. I suggest that God hears the pope’s petitions with great earnestness. If the pope asks for his people, I think that God opens his ear. The pope must be equally receptive to God’s vision. The pope is not an ordinary advocate. He is not Al Gore or an average peace prize winner.

He is different. He is holy.

I have heard that he is a Marxist, that he has been “misled.” Gentler critics say that “his heart is in the right place,” but he is wrong. How do some so easily question a man of God, a leader of the 1.2 billion Catholics? Does the pope not embody the idea of benevolent authority?

Are we perpetual doubters? Have we adopted a postmodern core, where nothing is held as true? Or are we a society where money trumps all other disciplines? Religion and science become second-rate. Greed overwhelms our thinking, and so we cannot solve problems.

More often than not, the fossil fuel industry is going undercover to take on the pope. They cannot stop emitting CO2 into the atmosphere. They cannot clean up their act.

Still, the local Catholic Church doesn’t believe that the pope is making waves. Billy Atwell, communications director for the Diocese of Raleigh, said, “We all agree that God’s creation should be honored and respected. There should be common ground.”

Jay Faison unwittingly helped the pope’s cause. The Charlotte entrepreneur started ClearPath, a nonprofit foundation that aims to demystify climate science with stories about renewable energy, electric vehicles and the reduction of the carbon footprint.

Faison is a Republican outdoorsman who noticed changes in the natural world. “The ducks come South later in the year, and the trout move up river,” he observed while fishing and hunting. He now hopes to convince other conservatives about the reality of climate change. He launched a $175 million campaign to change minds about the issue.

Fortunately for coastal residents, Pope Francis does not believe that it is too late to act. He says we need to make a transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy. He advises people to begin a movement to save the planet from abuse. People who live along North Carolina’s 300 miles of coastline are the ones who have much to lose.

This story was originally published June 26, 2015 at 6:13 PM with the headline "Pope points toward common ground on climate change."