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INFORM-A^CTION

Issue Number 42 - February 2002

The Politics of Reverencing Creation
- a First Revelation

With the interior vision of the soul, with religious intuition not distracted by superficiality, man and woman can discover that the world is not dumb but speaks of the Creator. Creation is like a first revelation, which has its own eloquent language. It is almost like another sacred book whose letters are represented by the multitude of creatures present in the universe. From the greatness and beauty of created things their original author, by analogy, is seen.

Pope John Paul II, General Audience, 30 January 2002

On 4 February the report Warnings from the Bush was released by the Climate Action Network Australia (CANA). It drew on the work of fifty scientific studies and peer review by the CSIRO and other scientists. The report reveals that many of Australia’s natural icons are in trouble because of warming temperatures and that more extreme weather patterns are changing their habitats. Further, it details the changes that are currently occurring within Australian forests, marine ecosystems and species, rangelands and tropical savannas, wetlands, rivers and lakes, the Great Barrier Reef and alpine regions as a result of climate change. Drastic modifications will only increase as time progresses if Australians do not do something to halt the impact of accelerated climate change. The report proposes solutions that could lessen the damage that will continue to occur. One of the most important of these is that the Federal Government ratifies the Kyoto Protocol in 2002 and takes a leadership role in the setting up of significant reduction targets in the second commitment period.

One thing to consider as a result of reading this report is that, unless something is done by the human community to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and address the impact of climate change, the sacred book of Creation will be diminished. It will no longer speak of some of the facets of God’s beauty – they will be lost and future generations will be deprived of many images of God that are enjoyed today. This action is a core aspect of the call to an ‘ecological conversion’ to which Pope John Paul II called Catholics in 2001.

Continuing to campaign for the ratification of the Kyoto Protocol in 2002 will be a key focus of the Social Action Office (SAO) this year.

The report Warnings from the Bush can be viewed by clicking here. For information/action about the SAO’s climate change campaign, please contact the Eco-justice Coordinator, Pauline Coll sgs on 3891 5866 or email Pauline.

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		INFORM-A^CTION Issue Number 42 - February 2002 The Politics of Reverencing Creation - a First Revelation With the interior vision of the soul, with religious intuition not distracted by superficiality, man and woman can discover that the world is not dumb but speaks of the Creator. Creation is like a first revelation, which has its own eloquent language. It is almost like another sacred book whose letters are represented by the multitude of creatures present in the universe. From the greatness and beauty of created things their original author, by analogy, is seen. Pope John Paul II, General Audience, 30 January 2002 On 4 February the report Warnings from the Bush was released by the Climate Action Network Australia (CANA). It drew on the work of fifty scientific studies and peer review by the CSIRO and other scientists. The report reveals that many of Australia’s natural icons are in trouble because of warming temperatures and that more extreme weather patterns are changing their habitats. Further, it details the changes that are currently occurring within Australian forests, marine ecosystems and species, rangelands and tropical savannas, wetlands, rivers and lakes, the Great Barrier Reef and alpine regions as a result of climate change. Drastic modifications will only increase as time progresses if Australians do not do something to halt the impact of accelerated climate change. The report proposes solutions that could lessen the damage that will continue to occur. One of the most important of these is that the Federal Government ratifies the Kyoto Protocol in 2002 and takes a leadership role in the setting up of significant reduction targets in the second commitment period. One thing to consider as a result of reading this report is that, unless something is done by the human community to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and address the impact of climate change, the sacred book of Creation will be diminished. It will no longer speak of some of the facets of God’s beauty – they will be lost and future generations will be deprived of many images of God that are enjoyed today. This action is a core aspect of the call to an ‘ecological conversion’ to which Pope John Paul II called Catholics in 2001. Continuing to campaign for the ratification of the Kyoto Protocol in 2002 will be a key focus of the Social Action Office (SAO) this year. The report Warnings from the Bush can be viewed by clicking here. For information/action about the SAO’s climate change campaign, please contact the Eco-justice Coordinator, Pauline Coll sgs on 3891 5866 or email Pauline. Next Newsletter Article Newsletter Index