The Rt Hon Helen Clark ONZ PC said this in response to a question put to her by former Labour party cabinet minster Winnie Laban, who had asked her about the role of religion in addressing the world's problems.

"Absolutely critical and I say that as a person of no faith whatsoever, but most people aren't like me. Most people to have some adherence to faith and so faith communities have enormous influence."

Clark spoke particularly of the influence of Pope Francis.

"You take a faith leader like the Pope. He has influence that transcends religion. I said to someone the other day, 'I am not a religious person but thank God for the Pope'."

Clark said it would be obvious she did not agree with everything the Pope said. In this regard she singled out sexual and reproductive health.

"But on the basic issues of poverty, climate, justice - this man is speaking for the hopes of so many."

Clark said the importance of working with faith leaders on the local, national and global level is well acknowledged across agencies such as the United Nations Development Programme, the United Nations Population Fund and UNICEF.

It is critical, she said, to have the local faith leaders involved in the issues of gender.

"In something like trying to stop female genital mutilation, cutting - to have faith leaders come out against that [practice] and back the women in the community who are obviously trying to trying to stop it, is just critical.

"It is extremely important to bring the faith leaders with us and engage with them so that their voice can be heard on these issues," she said.

Clark was taking part a conversation with Dr Gill Greer, at Te Papa on 29 June.

The Conversation was Broadcast on RNZ National on Sunday August 6.

Greer has been CEO of Volunteer Service Abroad since July 2012. She leaves the organisation this month.

From 2006-2011 Greer was the Director General of the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF).

Listen to the podcast

Source

• Transcript taken from RNZ podcast " Helen Clark in Conversation with Gilll Greer"
• Image: Amritapuri

Some are struggling to pay for basic social costs due to crippling debt repayment, Caritas says.

Caritas spokesperson Tony Sutorius says worsening cyclones and flooding have created severe financial burdens.

"Climate damage leads to debt and that has the potential to turn into a huge debt spiral that could be really damaging to the integrity and sovereignty of emerging nations" he says.

"In the past, we would think of development aid perhaps in terms of grey aeroplanes arriving and sacks of things being taken out and given to people, but increasingly nowadays you're more likely to get an aeroplane full of bankers who are offering loans rather than actually giving grants."

Basic services impacted

Every country is uniquely impacted by climate change, debt and social needs.

"To use Fiji as an example, it has got to the stage now where the debt is approaching 90 per cent of GDP, which is a very high amount" says Sutorius.

"What that means in practice is that around 15 per cent of the total government spending every year is just paying the interest on the debt, and that's recognized internationally as a real danger threshold."

A concern he has is that some Pacific nations may seek quick fixes to debt at the cost of long-term sustainability.

"One of the risks that Pacific countries face is that they are tempted by this cash crunch of having to pay these big loans into unsustainable mining, for example, or extractive industries where they see a kind of a golden hope of being able to dig their way out, literally."

Debt and climate disaster

Debt and climate disasters are connected and are critical considerations in countries vulnerable to climate change, says Soane Mafi Bishop, president of Caritas Oceania and Cardinal of Tonga and Niue.

"Governments are paying more in interest and other debt servicing obligations than they are on health, education or climate adaptation.

"Action must be taken to forgive debt and prevent it in the future" he stresses.

But Sutorius notes climate grants from rich countries are increasingly turning into climate loans. He also notes that, where debt used to be made on a country-to-country basis and allowed some friendly concessions, today's loans come mostly from the private sector.

Wealthy nations fall short

A report from Caritas Oceania and Australia groups, including the Jubilee Australia Research Centre, criticises wealthier nations for offering poorer Pacific nations loans instead of grants.

It's also critical of members of the (just finished) COP29 UN climate conference which failed to meet its finance goals by a margin of a trillion dollars.

Of that goal, just $300 billion was committed to help vulnerable nations, particularly those in the Pacific.

Source

• Cartias Australia

Last weekend Beth Walker - an executive assistant and researcher in Green MP Julie Anne Genter's office - moved into her new flat with the help of a collection of cargo bikes and a little elbow grease from like-minded friends and volunteers.

But Walker said the journey was not without a few bumps in the road with some of the lanes proving a tight squeeze for heavily laden bikes and cargo trailers.

It took just over three hours to get Walker's belongings - including a queen-size bed and large chest of drawers - from her old flat in Island Bay to her new location in Newtown.

"It was brilliant. It was such a good time and it went really smoothly and just really proved the point that these things are super achievable and there are alternative options to cars and vans," Walker said. Continue reading

Additionally, a rector at another Catholic university called on him to reconsider the Church's prohibition on ordaining women as priests.

The visit underscored the Church's deep challenges in one of Europe's most secular societies.

The pope's day started with a formal meeting with Belgium's King Philippe and Queen Mathilde, followed by a conversation with Prime Minister Alexander De Croo.

De Croo did not shy away from addressing the Catholic Church's handling of clerical abuse.

He highlighted Belgium's troubled history, particularly the case of former Bishop Roger Vangheluwe who admitted to abusing minors, including two of his nephews.

"We cannot ignore the painful wounds that exist in the Catholic community and in civil society" De Croo told the pope. "Numerous cases of sexual abuse and forced adoptions have undermined trust."

He acknowledged Pope Francis's efforts but emphasised that the Church's path to justice remains a long one.

"Victims must be heard and injustices must be recognised" he added. De Croo then insisted that the Church must fully confront its past to move forward.

Abuse being addressed firmly

Pope Francis responded by reaffirming the Church's commitment to addressing clerical sexual abuse.

The pontiff called the abuse "a scourge that the Church is addressing firmly and decisively by listening to and accompanying those who have been wounded, and by implementing a prevention programme throughout the world".

Catholic University distances itself from the Pope's comments on women

Francis then got into trouble "on home soil" at a Catholic university over his remarks about women.

"What characterises women, that which is truly feminine, is not stipulated by consensus or ideologies" he said, adding that dignity is "ensured not by laws written on paper, but by an original law written on our hearts" said Francis at Belgium's UCLouvain University.

"A woman … is a daughter, a sister, a mother, just as a man is a son, a brother, a father" the pope said, emphasising that the Church is not structured like a civil corporation.

Shortly after Francis' comments and in an unusual move, Professors and students at the Catholic university sharply criticised the Pope's remarks.

In a strongly worded statement of disapproval, the University described Francis' views as "deterministic and reductive".

The university said the pope's language did not align with its views on gender equality.

"UCLouvain expresses its incomprehension and disapproval of the position expressed by Pope Francis regarding the role of women in the Church and in society" the university said.

"UCLouvain can only express its disagreement with this deterministic and reductive position."

The university's response marked a rare public rebuke of the pope by a Catholic institution.

Women priests

The incident follows Belgian officials also urging the Church to address and reconsider its ban on ordaining women as priests.

The Louvain university's rector, Luc Sels, urged the pope to restore the Church's moral authority and reconsider its ban on women priests.

"Would the Church not be a warmer community if there was a prominent place for women, including in the priesthood?" Sels asked.

The pope did not respond directly and has not advanced the issue.

Francis defends comments on women

On the pope's return flight from Brussels to Rome on Sunday afternoon, Katholisch.de reports Pope Francis defended his remarks at the Catholic University of Louvain about the fundamental differences between men and women in the Church.

Francis said it was inhumane to "masculinise" women.

"The Church is feminine; she is the bride of Christ. Therefore, the feminine in the Church is more important than the masculine" the pope said.

"Anyone who does not understand this is not thinking hard enough and does not want to hear these words.

"The woman is equal to the man and, in the life of the Church, the woman is more important because the Church is feminine.

"The feminine mysticism is more important than the ministry of men."

He added that these views are not outdated, noting that exaggerated feminism is as ineffective as masculinism.

Climate Change

The 87-year-old pope visited UCLouvain as part of the university's 600th anniversary celebrations. Although his speech primarily addressed climate change, he also responded to a letter from students and professors asking about the Church's position on women.

Sources

Crux Now

Crux Now

Reuters

Katholisch.de (report translated by AI.)

CathNews New Zealand

I realise this when I go home to visit my parents in Florida, or almost anywhere outside states, such as Vermont, that mandate it.

Curbside pickup is rare. Many view it as a chore. Even for people like me who enjoy transforming leftovers into rocket fuel for their garden, composting can turn into a foul, stinking, sulfurous mess.

So, I get it.

A food waste solution

But what if you could make food waste disappear by throwing it into a hole in the ground and walking away?

No more fouled trash. Less climate pollution.

While researching ways to compost, I discovered an easy method to turn virtually any organic waste from veggie scraps to chicken bones to pet waste back into nature: solar digesters.

They don't produce compost, the rich, fluffy organic matter that turns back into soil.

Instead, these biodigesters — typically little more than half-buried plastic cones within a small patch of dirt — harness microbial workhorses and the sun's heat to transform organic matter into its elemental components.

These components are mostly carbon, water, CO2 and micronutrients, says Yichao Rui, a soil scientist in the Department of Agronomy at Purdue University.

"Nematodes, bacteria and fungi all work together to decompose all these organic materials," he says.

"Soil organisms large and small primarily digest and eat them," transforming plant and animal matter back into the building blocks for soil and air.

It's a simple, easy, no-mess solution to keep organic waste out of trash and landfills: 58 percent of all methane emissions from municipal landfills are emitted by rotting food.

So this January I ordered my own "Green Cone," buried it in the ground and began filling it with lots of food waste every week to put it to the test. Here's what happened.

The mounting food waste problem

Each year, the average household in the United States dumps 300 to 400 pounds (about 136-180 kg) of food waste into the trash, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

When this is buried in the airless depths of landfills, it turns into methane, a potent greenhouse gas fueling still more warming.

States and federal agencies are hoping to choke off this source of global warming fuel.

First, they hope to prevent food waste: encouraging less wasteful food shopping and storage, as well as donations and upcycling (such as reusing for animal feed).

But waste will always exist, and a rising share of states now treat food waste similar to recyclables: a valuable material that should never go into the trash.

On July 1, 2020, Vermont became the first U.S. state to ban the disposal of most food scraps in the trash or landfills.

Most trash haulers must offer food scrap collection or residents can use home composting (residents who compost at home are not required to compost meat and bones — although you can).

State officials estimate more than half of food scraps are now being diverted from landfills.

Eighty-five percent of Vermonters compost, mostly in their backyards, according to the University of Vermont. Only about a fifth characterize it as "hard or very hard."

States are following Vermont's lead by adopting food waste restrictions, says Dana Gunders, executive director of ReFED, a food waste reduction group.

While most policies initially focus on large businesses, residential mandates become more feasible once compost and distribution facilities are in place.

Ten states including Massachusetts and New York, as well as Washington, D.C., now restrict organic waste disposal.

"I do think the emerging science demonstrating food in landfills is responsible for around 10 percent of U.S. methane is driving more attention to organic waste bans and diversion goals," says Gunders.

What are solar digesters?

Solar digesters remain little known.

For now, "soil savers" ($52), an insulated compost bin for cold climates, and "barrel composters" ($38), a compost bin or drum you can rotate to mix the contents inside, are the most popular, says Josh Kelly, a solid waste program manager at the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources.

But solar digesters are poised to play a much larger role as organic waste bans spread. Read more

• Michael J Coren is a British-Canadian journalist and clergyman. He writes the "Climate Coach" advice column for The Washington Post.

A study published in the journal Ecology and Evolution has suggested that increasing temperatures are causing insects to change their colouring to avoid heating up.

That then affects their chances of finding a mate and might limit their ability to camouflage from prey. Read more

Global warming

Carbon dioxide levels continue to increase, followed by rising temperatures around the world.

Sea levels are rising as ice melts, droughts are spreading and storms are getting stronger, leading to catastrophic floods.

And it is not just the weather that is affected.

Coral reefs are bleaching and dying, leading to a depletion of sea life.

Forests are drying out and burning. Rivers are drying up and aquifers are being pumped dry.

Wildlife species are dying and going extinct, never to return.

And this is just the beginning.

If the ice on Greenland and Antarctica melts, say goodbye to coastal cities and low-lying areas like Florida.

If mountain glaciers melt, rivers will disappear. There will be millions of climate refugees.

Avoid depression and despair

Yes, the data and climate models lead me to depression and despair.

But spiritual writers warn us that despair is a temptation from the devil, who tries to get good people to give up the practice of virtue.

Likewise, communal despair leads to political paralysis as good people cede the political arena to selfishness and greed.

"Depression is our enemy because it leads to passivity which leads to a lack of action, which means you lose what you care about," warns Jay Inslee.

He's the governor of the state of Washington and a leader in the fight against global warming.

Any action will do, "blogging, tweeting, talking to your neighbor, voting, anything," said the governor. "Any action you take is good for you and your mental health."

And, I would add, your spiritual health.

Rather than seeing our time as the worst possible days, Inslee, like Winston Churchill during the Second World War, thinks the opposite.

"These are the greatest days," Inslee argued.

"There's no other time in the history of our species where so much was at stake, where the whole shooting match was at stake, where the whole future of all multiple generations are at stake.

"We are the luckiest generation in human history to have something that is so meaningful to fight for," he said. "That's a blessing.

"That's what I wake up in the morning thinking. I wake up feeling great. I hope everybody else does, too."

Stepping up to fight

Like the "Greatest Generation," which responded to the challenge of fascism, those living today are called to respond to the challenges of climate change.

If we do it, history will extol us. If we fail, future generations will curse us for ushering in a new dark age.

Winning the Second World War took individual sacrifice, governmental action and technological innovation.

Likewise, winning the war against global warming will take all three

As individuals, we need to accept a simpler lifestyle with a smaller carbon footprint.

We need to support government programs like the Inflation Reduction Act, which, despite its name, is really a series of programs to limit climate change.

Our most creative minds have to focus on new technologies that will help us eliminate fossil fuels, the principal source of greenhouse gases.

The Volts podcast

Volts describes itself as a podcast about leaving fossil fuels behind.

It is unflinching in its realism in the face of global warming, yet it is also hopeful in its examination of the technological innovations that can help us reduce our carbon footprint.

Roberts, the host, interviews analysts, technologists and politicians about the transition from fossil fuels.

On the podcast, Inslee spoke of the innovative programs his state has enacted, making it a leader in responding to climate change.

He is now fighting a ballot initiative funded with $5 million by Brian Heywood, a hedge fund billionaire who wants to roll back the State's efforts.

Other Volts episodes look at battery technology, upgrading the electrical grid and alternative sources of energy, as well as the political strategies needed to get them implemented.

Volts goes into geeky detail in a way that is understandable and entertaining.

It is inspiring and hopeful to listen to so many smart and dedicated people grapple with the science and technology of responding to global warming.

The Lord is with us

Yes, the devil is working hard to lead us to despair over global warming, but the Spirit is also alive in many dedicated people doing exciting work in response to climate change.

"Fear not," the Lord says in Isaiah, "for I am with you."

• First published in Religion News Service
• The Rev. Thomas J. Reese, a Jesuit priest, is a Senior Analyst at Religion News Service

Registrations for the "Oceania Speaks" conference included representatives from the Holy See diplomatic corps, religious communities and charitable organisations.

The June 23 event aimed to raise awareness of the impact of climate change in the Asia Pacific region.

The Australian Embassy to the Holy See-organised event incorporated an impassioned plea from Fiji's Archbishop Peter Loy Chong.

Listen to Oceania

In a video message, Loy Chong said "The world has yet to really listen deeply to the voices, particularly to the ‘tagi' [cries] of Oceania people".

We are vulnerable to the immediate and enduring impacts of climate change, he told those at the conference.

"We have to educate, empower and allow the regional voices of peoples of the Pacific to be heard, and not to be dominated and framed by politicians and funders who dominate these climate narratives."

Pacific is forgotten

A United Nations Development Programme report found about three quarters of Pacific Island nations' populations are affected by natural disasters.

The impact of climate change in the region is "largely overlooked" the report says.

It poses a serious threat, particularly to young people and future generations.

The report says that, as a result of rising sea levels, they will face the potential loss of their homelands, their cultural identity and work opportunities.

The report estimates that sea levels will rise between 25.5 centimetres to 61 centimetres by 2050.

Laudato Si'

Throughout his pontificate, Pope Francis has stressed our responsibility to care for creation.

This includes everyone's "integral human development", particularly that of the poor and vulnerable.

He has written the encyclical Laudato Si' (2015) and the apostolic exhortation Laudate Deum (2023) on the topic.

Francis also discussed these issues at the UN General Assembly in 2015 and at COP - the annual UN climate change conference.

Global response needed

At "Oceania Speaks," the Vatican's Archbishop Paul Gallagher said there is an "urgent need for a unified global response" to the crisis.

"In the context of Oceania, the impending threat posed by rising sea levels to many small Pacific islands states is deeply alarming, reaching beyond mere geographical boundaries.

"Entire villages [are] on the brink of destruction, forcing local communities — particularly families — into perpetual displacement that erodes their distinct identities and cultural heritage … [and their] natural heritage."

Logging and mining devastate

Foreign mining and logging in Papua New Guinea are causing devastating ecological and social problems, the conference heard.

Sister Philomena Waira of the Institute of Sisters of Mercy of Australia and Papua New Guinea said local people are paying a cost.

"In the past, people had no problem with food and water.

"[People] were able to grow crops without fertilisers.

"As the years went by the governments are allowing foreign investors into our countries.

"After the mining is done, it has affected climate change, peoples' fishing, and animals have also run away."

Source

• CNA

Those who publish this information claim to be telling us what is happening in the world, but in our wiser moments we remember to question whether they are offering us the truth.

From experience, we know that the loudest voices belong to persons and institutions whose enormous wealth lets them fill the pages of newspapers, or radio and television channels.

Their stories enhance their own image and increase their profits.

Truth and lies

The daily news may give us the basic facts about a plane crash or a court trial, but when it comes to the truth about why a war is being fought, or about global warming, we need to be more cautious.

In fact we can identify several areas where the mainstream media in our "western" nations consistently distort the truth about our world.

Lie number one

One basic lie which is quietly promoted is that "White" people are of more value - are more important - than "people of colour".

More column-space and air-time is given to the death of a few "White" people than the death of hundreds or even thousands of Blacks, Asians or Palestinians.

Refugees from those populations are seen as a problem, usually treated callously.

They're not usually treated as the victims of wars provoked by our "White" nations, or of famines resulting from the global warming caused by centuries of our industrial activity.

We assume that we have a right to plunder "Third World" resources, as we earlier took the land of non-Whites.

We even justify that theft, whether it happened in North America during colonisation, across Australia after 1788, in Africa during the 19th century, or in Palestine since 1948.

In the latter case, mainstream media mostly ignore or conceal the genocide which now is completing that land theft, and demonises those - such as tertiary students - who dare protest against it.

Lie number two

Another fundamental untruth almost completely overlooked is that the "growth" of every nation's GDP cannot continue.

This is because every resource on earth - fresh water, iron, oil, gas, forests; even our capacity to capture sunlight - is limited.

Although some resources - coal - are more abundant than others, our civilisation will not survive unless we change to a world economy based on genuine re-cycling.

Lie number three

A third basic lie spread by (most) media is their denial of the rapidly approaching but unpredictable "tipping points" that will soon be triggered by the heating of our planet.

Resulting from several centuries of our burning fossil fuels and building cities, these tipping points may come in various ways.

They may involve the irreversible melting of ice-caps and glaciers; the sudden extinction of inter-dependent species - including rain forests; or the altered flow of ocean currents and jet-streams.

Although national leaders talk together regularly, and politicians make promises, none has so far had the will to stop the ruthless greed of fossil-fuel merchants.

They won't even admit the elephant in the room, the disaster that is rapidly approaching.

The Holy Spirit

But at Pentecost we reflect on the Holy Spirit, which is mentioned hundreds of times in the pages of the New Testament.

This Spirit moves people to speak in prophesy - Zechariah, Elizabeth, Simeon, Anna, John the Baptist.

The Spirit overwhelmed the adult Jesus at his baptism, driving him out into the desert and then leading him on his mission.

By the Spirit's power he healed people and drove out demons.

He told his followers that they can call on the Spirit within them when they were attacked for speaking the truth.

John's later gospel calls it the Spirit of Truth (14:17, 15:26, 16:13), and reflects how we can each receive this divine Spirit.

At our present time of grave world crisis, it must be obvious to anyone believing in God, that God's Spirit is not the exclusive property of any one faith tradition or clergy.

On the contrary, we each need urgently to call on this tremendous gift within us, using the Divine power it gives to unite our human family and to heal our fragile planet.

• First published in Finding the Treasure
• Peter Murnane O.P. is a Melbourne-based Dominican Friar, author and political activist. (Originally, CathNews was in error, saying Peter was New Zealand based.)

Of course, this isn't what private jet users normally look like at all: the lack of a red carpet and paparazzi is the point. Many of the websites offering private jet services around New Zealand instead quietly mention their privacy and discretion. Read more

Its greenhouse gas emissions were actually around 30 per cent higher in the fiscal year 2023, showing how hard it could be for the company to meet climate goals as it simultaneously races to be a leader in AI.

Training and running AI models is an increasingly energy-hungry endeavour, and the impact that's having on the climate is just starting to come into view.

Microsoft's latest sustainability report is a good case study in the conundrum facing big tech companies that made many climate pledges in recent years but could pollute more as they focus on AI.

Read More

The latest drop is the biggest since climate change efforts began, according to New Zealand's latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory which covers 1990 to 2022.

Making the change

Several factors are contributing to the reduction in greenhouse gases in our environment.

Climate Minister Simon Watts attributes the achievement to clean energy use. We are burning less coal and gas to make electricity and we've had plenty of rain to keep our hydro dams operating.

Former minister Green MP James Shaw is wary that if there's another dry year, Huntly power station will need to increase coal use again.

More efficient vehicles also contributed, with road transport burning less fuel despite similar kilometres travelled.

Other factors included closing Marsden Point oil refinery and a slight reduction on farmers using sheep, beef cattle and fertiliser.

Analysing the reduction

Gross emissions fell to 78.4 million tonnes, four per cent lower than in 2021. Emissions also fell in 2022 as well as 2023.

The annual drop was 3.4 million tonnes - the biggest drop since the tally began officially in 1990, according to the Ministry for the Environment.

The energy sector provided 2.5 million tonnes of this saving. That's because it used more renewables and less fossil fuels to make electricity in 2022. Well-filled dams for hydro generation helped. So did increased wind power generation.

Forestry fluctuations meant trees removed less carbon dioxide than in 2022, but the long-term trend is towards more tree planting.

Tokolau different

The only sector of New Zealand's economy not to decrease gross emissions was the nation of Tokelau.

Its emissions, though small, are counted towards New Zealand's.

Source

• RNZ

One man mentioned a black-winged storm bird known as "manumanunicagi" that glides above the land only when a cyclone is forming out to sea.

As the conversation continued, residents named at least 11 bird species, the odd behaviour of which signalled imminent changes in the weather.

As we were leaving later that evening, an elder took us aside.

He was pleased we had taken their beliefs seriously and said many older Pacific people won't talk about traditional knowledge for fear of ridicule.

This reflects the dominance of science-based understandings in adapting to climate change and its threats to ways of life. Our new research suggests this attitude should change.

Climate change

We reviewed evidence on traditional knowledge in the Pacific for coping with climate change, and found much of it was scientifically plausible.

This indicates such knowledge should play a significant role in sustaining Pacific Island communities in future.

Our research was co-authored with 26 others, most Pacific Islanders with long-standing research interests in traditional knowledge.

People have inhabited the Pacific Islands for 3,000  years or more and have experienced many climate-driven challenges to their livelihoods and survival.

They have coped not by luck but by design - through robust systems of traditional knowledge built by diverse groups of people over time.

The main short-term climate-related threats to island livelihoods in the Pacific are tropical cyclones which can damage food crops, pollute fresh water and destroy infrastructure.

Prolonged droughts - common during El Niño events in the southwest Pacific - also cause widespread damage.

Traditional knowledge in the Pacific explains the causes and manifestations of natural phenomena, and identifies the best ways to respond. It is commonly communicated orally between generations.

Here, we describe such knowledge relating to animals, plants, water and sky - and show how these beliefs make scientific sense.

It's important to note, however, that traditional knowledge has its own intrinsic value. Scientific explanations are not required to validate it.

Reading the ocean and sky

Residents of Fiji's Druadrua Island interpret breaking waves to predict a cyclone as long as one  month before it hits.

In Vanuatu's Torres Islands, 13 phrases exist to describe the state of the tide, including anomalies that herald uncommon events.

These observations make scientific sense. Distant storms can drive ocean swells onto coasts long before the winds and rain arrive, changing the usual patterns of waves.

In Samoa, ten types of wind are recognised in traditional lore. Winds that blow from the east (mata ‘upolu) indicate the imminent arrival of heavy rain, possibly a tropical cyclone.

The south wind (tua'oloa) is most feared. It will cease to blow, it is said, only when its appetite for death is sated.

Many Pacific Island communities believe a cloudless, dark blue sky signals the arrival of a tropical cyclone. Other signs include unusually rapid cloud movements and the appearance of "short rainbows".

These beliefs are supported by science.

Rainbows are sometimes "shortened" or partly obscured by a distant rain shower. And Western science has long recognised changes in clouds and winds can signal the development of cyclones.

In Vanuatu, a halo around a moon signals imminent rainfall.

Again, this belief is scientifically sound. According to Western science, high thin cirrus clouds signal nearby storms. The clouds contain ice crystals through which moonlight is filtered, creating a halo effect.

• First published in The Conversation. Republished with permission.
• Patrick D. Nunn is a Professor of Geography, School of Law and Society, University of the Sunshine Coast
• Roselyn Kumar is an Adjunct Research Fellow in Geography and Social Sciences, University of the Sunshine Coast

"We must not forget that 735 million people are in a state of chronic hunger and more than 2 billion are in a state of food insecurity, while we produce enough to feed the entire planet."

So says French researcher Sébastien Abis, associated with the Institute of International and Strategic Relations.

He's also the author of the just published book Do we want to feed the world?: Crossing the food Everest in 2050 (Veut-on nourrir le monde?: Franchir l'Everest alimentaire en 2050) to understand what part of the future of the world is at stake.

"The equation is all the more delicate as we are in an unstable geopolitical context that also risks increasing the cost of food and restricting access to it," he told La Croix's Camille Richir in a recent interview.

La Croix: In recent weeks, we have witnessed significant protests from the agricultural sector. What does this say about the relationship between society and those who feed it?

Sébastien Abis: The issue of food has been neglected politically for too long and needs to regain strategic attention.

"Among the claims made by the agricultural world, few are completely new. They primarily reflect a lack of mutual trust. On one side, farmers feel that neither the state nor the European Union trusts them; at the same time, they themselves are wary of the ability of leaders and consumers to be consistent.

"The tensions are also related to the lack of consistency in policies.

"Agricultural time is a long time: when experimenting, it takes several months before results are seen and lessons can be learned, then tests must be conducted differently the following year.

"When new regulations are constantly introduced in the meantime, creating uncertainties, these standards are very poorly received.

But given the climate emergency and the rapid erosion of biodiversity, transitioning our food systems appears to be a necessity. Is a dialogue on the subject possible?

"The challenge will be to unite in order to change. While we are fortunate to be in a democracy, we struggle to accept disagreements and diversity of opinion.

"Those who defend the environment are accused of not believing in human development and the economy. And those who emphasise the issue of production and food security are labeled as enemies of the environment.

"would benefit from bringing these worlds together. We have lost a lot of time in recent years opposing systems and models. It's a constellation of solutions that needs to be implemented.

"The need to unite is also true at the European and international levels. Yet since the Covid crisis, then the war in Ukraine, and facing the climate challenge, we have entered an era of "every man for himself."

In your book, you warn of the risk of retrenchment at a time of a triple demographic, climate, and food security crisis.

"We must not forget that 735 million people are in a state of chronic hunger and more than 2 billion are in a state of food insecurity, while we produce enough to feed the entire planet.

"In the 21st century, humanity is challenged to reconcile ecology and food security, as demographic growth will reach an unprecedented peak in the second half of the century. The UN anticipates the population will grow from eight to 10.4 billion people on Earth by 2086, all of whom will need to be fed.

"At the same time, agriculture will have to face increasingly severe and frequent shocks related to climate change... The equation is all the more delicate as we are in an unstable geopolitical context that also risks increasing the cost of food and restricting access to it.

"In parallel, agriculture will have to decarbonise. It has its share of responsibility in climate change since it represents about 20% of greenhouse gas emissions.

"The challenge goes beyond the simple issue of CO2! For example, half of the agricultural soils are in a degraded state."

What are the implications in terms of free trade? Food production is extremely globalised, and these imports weigh heavily on our carbon footprint.

"During their mobilisation, European farmers were right to raise the issue of imports and free trade agreements. It's normal to import commodities that are not produced on European soil, otherwise, we wouldn't have coffee or chocolate!

"However, facilitating the importation of products with lower environmental and social standards than in the European Union is incomprehensible to farmers who are pushed to do better.

"Once again, it's a question of coherence! Leaders must understand that free trade agreements, like the one being negotiated with Mercosur countries, are no longer politically acceptable in this new context of fighting climate change, whereas they might have been a decade ago.

"At the same time, we also benefit from free trade. We export wine, cheese, cereals, and even milk powder... to the point of being accused of competing with certain local industries.

"That's why the answer is more complex than simply retreating into ourselves. In France, exports also allow some sectors to remain competitive at the national level.

"In the future, geopolitical and climate shocks will be such that we may sometimes have to rely on each other for food supplies. Europe cannot be in a bubble, separate from the rest of the world.

"When we consume imported products, let's not forget that we are also creating economic and social development abroad, provided that the supply chains are fair.

You also alert in your book to the necessity of thinking about the future of agricultural employment.

"I'm tired of hearing that farmers should be assured of a "minimum."

"Why such a miserabilist discourse? Farmers are entrepreneurs and must earn their living. If they do better, they should earn more, which seems to be taboo.

"Then, we must question what we want in terms of agriculture: we have lost 100,000 agricultural holdings in ten years.

"Should we replace all of them and find the necessary labour? Or accept having larger, more mechanised, and more competitive farms capable of producing on a large scale? Once again, the solution lies in the diversity of models."

Faced with climate change, what choices will the sector have to make? For example, will it be necessary to give up part of the yields to reduce emissions related to fertilisers, or reduce pressure on biodiversity?

"Agriculture has already made tremendous progress. Practices are modernising, technological innovation is advancing... Of course, there will be choices to make, such as which crops: what we can grow today in some regions may not be possible tomorrow.

"That said, we have already put a lot of pressure on the transition of the sector compared to others."

But the reduction of agriculture's emissions remains low, around 13 percent in thirty years, and is mainly due to the reduction in cattle stock. How to think about a real transition of the sector in this context?

"Agriculture cannot be compared with other economic and industrial sectors.

"In the environmental transition, we need to think in terms of priorities: is it better to have an industrial production - albeit partly decarbonised - of certain "unnecessary" products? Or a production of food, a bit more emitting, but vital?

"That being said, farmers are well aware that the sector needs to work on decarbonisation. But faced with the very ambitious objectives set at the European level, they note that they have neither a roadmap on how to get there, nor the means."

What is the responsibility of the consumer?

"It's an important lever: we cannot ask farmers to decarbonise if the demand is not there.

"Yet the inconsistency of consumers strikes the agricultural world. Neither the prices practiced nor our food expenses are in coherence with the values and injunctions we advocate in Europe.

"Ultimately, food inflation has had a positive aspect: it has given value back to food, and made people aware of the investment it represents. Even if at the same time it raises a real social issue."

What lessons can be drawn from the demonstrations of recent weeks, in the face of the challenges that await us?

"was missed in the narrative in recent years. The transition must be made with the farmers, not against them. We must be clear about the difficulties but continue to cultivate enthusiasm!

"Faced with the challenge ahead, we cannot afford to be fatalistic. Because food is an ecological issue but also one of pleasure, health, and, I insist, human security."

• First published in La Croix International. Republished with permission.
• Camille Richir is a journalist at La Croix whose focus is on the environment.

This kind of fasting has its place.

However, if you want to discover what fasting is especially meant to achieve, fast in a way that will bring about a holy change; change for the better for you, change for a better world.

A fast that will make a difference in helping build a better world, is a Christian witness that helps advance the Kingdom of God.

It is a fast that is evangelisation in action.

Let's take our inspiration from the prophet Isaiah:

"Is this not, rather, the fast that I choose: releasing those bound unjustly, untying the throngs of the yoke; setting free the oppressed, breaking off every yoke?

"Is it not sharing your bread with the hungry, bringing the afflicted and the homeless into your house; clothing the naked when you see them, and not turning your back on your own flesh?"

This passage from Isaiah insists that we fast from what Pope Francis continually calls the "culture of indifference." A culture that doesn't care that there are fellow human beings among us who in one way, or another, are bound unjustly.

Countless people struggle daily to find sufficient food, clean water, decent shelter, adequate clothing and medical care.

Around the world many people are locked up in prisons for practising their faith in God, or for political, racial, ethnic reasons or for speaking out.

Others are unfairly imprisoned for minor offences.

Still, more, some 50 million people are bound up by human trafficking - modern slavery.

Then there are those who carry the heavy yoke of running from their native countries because of

• gang violence,
• war,
• desperate poverty,
• inhabitable climate change situations,
• corrupt regimes and
• greed, selfishness, and indifference.

These people seek safety and decent work somewhere, anywhere, in order to support themselves and their families, only to find that in coming to New Zealand they might part of an immigration scam run on social media or What'sApp.

Then there are the children, too little to fend for themselves, too weak to survive when times are tough.

They are often the first to die from hunger, poverty, disease, child labour, and that endless scourge: war!

The big fast, the uncomfortable fast

So, if you and I are ready for the big fast, which will often be uncomfortable and even painful at times, then we need to look no further than to the poor and vulnerable, near and far - our needy brothers and sisters.

Many wonderful organisations are dedicated to building peace, serving the poor, and protecting our common earth home. Link up with them and generously give of your time, talent and treasure this Lent - and beyond!

"If you lavish your food on the hungry and satisfy the afflicted; then your light shall rise in the darkness, and your gloom shall become like midday!" (Isaiah 58: 6-10).

• Tony Magliano is an internationally syndicated Catholic social justice and peace columnist.

Published in Nature Climate Change, the University of Western Australia's Professor Malcolm McCulloch's groundbreaking research utilised a unique method to analyse sea sponge skeletons, tracing back 300 years of ocean temperature records.

His approach has unveiled the fact that the pace of global warming is far more advanced than previously understood.

Researchers examined the chemical composition of long-lived sea sponges from the Eastern Caribbean, offering a new perspective on the historical progression of ocean warming.

This method underscores the limitations of traditional ocean warming measurements which rely primarily on sea-surface temperature records dating back only 180 years, potentially underestimating the extent of human-induced climate change.

Reacting to the study's findings, Dr John Kleinsman, Director of the Nathaniel Centre for Bioethics, emphasised the urgent need for immediate action to reduce carbon emissions.

"It is unfortunately the case that we are not making as much progress in reducing emissions as we need to avoid even greater catastrophes than we are already experiencing" Kleinsman told CathNews.

He highlighted the necessity of overcoming apathy and denial, advocating for "long-term transformational changes that are both personal and collective."

This call to action echoes the sentiments from the New Zealand Catholic bishops' document Te Kahu o te Ora, urging a comprehensive response to the climate crisis.

Despite some climate scientists expressing scepticism about the study's isolated approach, Kleinsman argues that the research further underscores the critical need to reduce global carbon emissions.

This sentiment is a stark reminder of the ongoing challenges in mitigating climate change impacts and the collective effort required to address this global issue effectively.

The study

In the depths of the Caribbean Sea, ancient sponges with hard skeletons have been silently documenting ocean temperatures for centuries.

Researchers including McCulloch and teams from Indiana State University and the University of Puerto Rico, analysed these sponges which absorb strontium and calcium in temperature-dependent ratios.

Their study reconstructed 300 years of ocean temperatures, integrating these with land-based records to assess global warming.

These deep-sea sponges, unaffected by short-term temperature fluctuations and reflective of global averages, confirmed the accuracy of historical temperature trends including a notable drop after the 1815 volcanic eruption in Indonesia.

The study claims that the method addresses inconsistencies in 19th-century ship-based temperature recordings. It further suggests that significant global warming began around 1860, earlier than the "pre-industrial" period defined by the IPCC, challenging current benchmarks for measuring global heating rates.

Sources

• The Conversation
• Supplied
• The Guardian

Demonstrators, citing Pope Francis' environmental writings, took the floor during the service led by Archbishop Roberto Repole.

Extinction Rebellion characterises itself as a nonpartisan movement. The group employs nonviolent methods to push for government action on climate and ecological emergencies.

According to reports from the Italian newspaper La Republicca, activists rose during the moments preceding the homily. They read excerpts from Pope Francis' encyclical Laudato Si' and his apostolic exhortation Laudate Deum.

Both documents underscore humanity's role as custodians of the environment amidst the challenge of climate change.

Video footage shows the protesters reading from the pontiff's works while Archbishop Repole looked on. Other clergy members appeared to worshippers to allow the protestors to speak.

Quoting from Laudato Si', the activists echoed Francis' call for an inclusive conversation acknowledging the widespread impact of the environmental crisis.

Pope's stance on climate change

A spokesperson for Extinction Rebellion told CNA that the organisation "[does] not have a headquarters nor do we have a central decision-making body.

"As groups do not have to seek ‘permission' to stage protests, very often we do not know what actions are taken globally" the spokesperson said.

In a statement on their website, the Italian chapter of Extinction Rebellion justified the disruption as a means to draw attention to the Pope's stance on the climate crisis. It asserted they aimed to prompt reflection among the faithful.

Archbishop Repole appreciated those advocating for environmental protection but regretted the lack of prior communication.

"I would have replied that at Mass we often pray for peace and for the preservation of creation. But the Eucharistic celebration is not a suitable time to host public interventions" he said.

Sources

Catholic News Agency

CathNews New Zealand

This intergovernmental event, however, is a source of considerable controversy, primarily due to the perceived lack of substantial progress in combating the climate catastrophe.

Since its inception in 1995, each COP has yielded only incremental reductions in emissions.

The grand-scale, systemic transformations necessary to achieve the objectives set forth in the Paris Agreement still appear frustratingly distant.

Nevertheless, it's essential to acknowledge the formidable challenges in reaching consensus on climate issues among 198 participating countries.

Remarkably, COP has achieved some pivotal milestones, most notably the Paris Agreement.

Therefore, despite its concerningly sluggish pace, COP remains the most potent mechanism for exerting pressure on governments to instigate the profound changes needed to either restrict global warming to 1.5°C or, at the very least, to remain within the 2°C threshold.

Formal definition of COP

Formally, COP assumes the role of the supreme decision-making body within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and its subsidiary agreements.

The UNFCCC, which came into force in March 1994, seeks to forestall perilous human interference with the climate system.

It underscores the necessity of achieving this objective within a time frame that allows ecosystems to naturally adapt to climate change, safeguards food production, and promotes sustainable economic development.

The objective is not to halt global warming entirely, which is no longer feasible, but to mitigate and adapt to its negative impacts to prevent greater catastrophe.

Membership and decision-making

Today, the UNFCCC boasts nearly universal membership, with 198 countries that have ratified the convention designated as parties.

During these Conference of the Parties gatherings, all parties convene to scrutinise convention implementation and forge decisions imperative to its effective execution, including institutional and administrative arrangements.

These decisions are included in COP output documents such as the "Glasgow Climate Pact" and the "Sharm El Sheikh Implementation Plan".

Decisions are reached by consensus, which enables individual nations to exert substantial, often disproportionate, influence.

COP, or the Conference of the Parties, represents an annual global gathering dedicated to addressing the dire existential threat posed by the climate crisis.

This intergovernmental event, however, is a source of considerable controversy, primarily due to the perceived lack of substantial progress in combating the climate catastrophe.

Since its inception in 1995, each COP has yielded only incremental reductions in emissions. The grand-scale, systemic transformations necessary to achieve the objectives set forth in the Paris Agreement still appear frustratingly distant.

Nevertheless, it's essential to acknowledge the formidable challenges in reaching consensus on climate issues among 198 participating countries.

Remarkably, COP has achieved some pivotal milestones, most notably the Paris Agreement.

Therefore, despite its concerningly sluggish pace, COP remains the most potent mechanism for exerting pressure on governments to instigate the profound changes needed to either restrict global warming to 1.5°C or, at the very least, to remain within the 2°C threshold.

Formal definition of COP

Formally, COP assumes the role of the supreme decision-making body within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and its subsidiary agreements.

The UNFCCC, which came into force in March 1994, seeks to forestall perilous human interference with the climate system.

It underscores the necessity of achieving this objective within a time frame that allows ecosystems to adapt to climate change naturally, safeguards food production, and promotes sustainable economic development.

The objective is not to halt global warming entirely, which is no longer feasible, but to mitigate and adapt to its negative impacts to prevent greater catastrophe.

Membership and decision-making

Today, the UNFCCC boasts nearly universal membership, with 198 countries that have ratified the convention designated as parties.

During COP gatherings, all parties convene to scrutinise convention implementation and forge decisions imperative to its effective execution, including institutional and administrative arrangements.

These decisions are included in COP output documents such as the "Glasgow Climate Pact" and the "Sharm El Sheikh Implementation Plan".

Decisions are reached by consensus, which enables individual nations to exert substantial, often disproportionate, influence.

These stakeholders often find themselves stationed in an expo-style zone adjacent to the formal negotiations, where they showcase their work and attempt to influence proceedings.

In more recent times, criticisms have emerged of greenwashing.

The level of interaction between policymakers and civil society remains limited, a contentious issue in its own right.

The role and value of this burgeoning civil society circus at COP has become the subject of heated debate.

Some argue it inadvertently fosters greenwashing rather than genuine action, suggesting that the focus should be squarely on the negotiations themselves.

Contrarily, others contend it provides a vital platform for civil society to voice its concerns and present new research, and directs the world's media spotlight towards the most critical issue of our time.

The significance of COP

COP holds immense significance because it serves as the crucible for pivotal global decisions, such as the Paris Agreement.

For example, the inaugural meeting in Berlin in 1995 (COP1) marked the commitment of major countries to annual discussions on climate change and emissions reductions.

At COP3 in Kyoto (1997), the Kyoto Protocol emerged, obliging industrialised nations to curtail greenhouse gas emissions and establishing the carbon market.

COP13 in Bali (2007) augmented the Kyoto Protocol with the Bali Road Map, involving all countries.

The official target of limiting temperature rise to below 2°C crystallised at COP15 in Copenhagen (2009).

Most notably, COP21 in Paris in 2015 culminated in the unanimous adoption of the Paris Agreement by all nations, with the objective of capping global temperature increases at 2°C, ideally aiming for 1.5°C (although current progress remains sorely insufficient).

Consequently, the UNFCCC has intensified its focus on urgency. Instrumental in this has been the work of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

The IPCC was established in 1989 as a joint intergovernmental initiative of the WMO and UNEP and their assessment reports and special reports have been key in precipitating significant COP decisions and climate action.

Loss and damage is a cross-cutting issue, specifically determining the compensation that developing nations should receive from industrialised nations for damages incurred due to unsustainable practices.

• Susie Ho - Director, Monash Innovation Guarantee, Associate Dean International and Graduate Education, Monash University
• Gerry Nagtzaam - Associate Professor, Faculty of Law
• Sali Bache - COP28 Delegation and Pavilion Coordinator, Monash University
• Peter Graham - Associate Professor, Department of Architecture
• Published by Monash University, Australia. Republished with permission.
• Conference of Parties 28 - CathNews NZ

In a statement at COP28, the USCCB committee called decarbonisation of the economy the "preeminent environmental challenge faced by all nations" that must be addressed without burdening middle-and low-income citizens with increased costs.

However, according to Reuters, the US bishops continue to hold on to substantial investments in fossil fuel companies, directly benefiting from these industries.

"US dioceses hold millions of dollars of stock in fossil fuel companies through portfolios intended to fund church operations and pay clergy salaries, according to a Reuters review of financial statements.

"And at least a dozen are also leasing land to drillers, according to land records," reports Richard Valdmanis.

US Bishops stand firm

Despite Pope Francis' impassioned calls to shun highly polluting fuels, the USCCB stands firm in its reluctance to divest from these industries.

Reuters investigations into the financial reports of various American dioceses reveal substantial holdings in energy stocks and land leases with drillers.

While the Vatican and other global Catholic institutions embrace divestment strategies, the USCCB's investment guidance, guided by the Christian Brothers Investment Service, advocates active shareholder engagement with major oil and gas companies rather than wholesale divestment.

Media mirrors money

According to Sabrina Danielson, a professor at Creighton University, the bishops' financial engagement with major oil and gas companies is mirrored in the Catholic media they own.

Danielson has studied the media engagement of US bishops on the issue of climate change.

Fewer than 1% of the more than 12,000 columns by US bishops in official publications since 2014 mentioned climate change, Danielson found in a 2021 study.

She says that many of those mentioning climate change downplayed the urgency of global warming or described the topic as controversial.

Vatican continues to lead

The approach of the US Catholic bishops on Climate Change runs counter to the Vatican's lead.

In 2008 when Benedict XVI was pope, the first of 2,400 solar panels were installed on top of the papal audience hall in Vatican City.

Then, following this first move and several others in between, on 16 November 2023 the Vatican announced a new sustainability programme.

As part of the programme the Vatican

• will expand the number of charging stations for electric cars
• signed an agreement with German carmaker Volkswagen to replace the city-state's entire car fleet with electric vehicles by 2030
• ensure its electricity comes exclusively from renewable sources.
  

Sources

Crux Now

US News & World Report

Reuters

NBC

CathNews NZ

Rome Reports

As illness prevented Francis from attending COP28, he deputed Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Parolin (pictured) to deliver his speech.

Francis, who has made defending the environment central to his papacy's social teaching, is the first Pope to address the Conference of the Parties (COP).

Lamenting the lack of progress in fighting climate change, he repeated appeals for multilateralism, calling the world to action. Divisions between people are preventing progress.

"The climate, run amok, is crying out to us to halt this illusion of omnipotence.

"The destruction of the environment is an offence against God, a sin that is not only personal but also structural."

It is a sin "that greatly endangers all human beings, especially the most vulnerable in our midst and threatens to unleash a conflict between generations.

"Are we working for a culture of life or a culture of death? To all of you, I make this heartfelt appeal: Let us choose life! Let us choose the future!"

Destructive fuels

Global leaders must end using coal, oil and gas, Parolin read on the Pope's behalf.

Embracing renewable energy would help, Francis wrote. This involves "the elimination of fossil fuels and education in less dependent lifestyles.

"Climate change signals the need for major political change. COP28 must be a turning point."

Francis's message resonated with COP28's growing political momentum regarding fossil fuel use - the main source of harmful global warming.

Human activity is responsible for greenhouse gas emissions, he said.

The obsessive drive for production has caused "an inordinate greed that has made the environment the object of unbridled exploitation".

There is some tension however between accepting fossil fuel's damaging effects and stopping their production and use.

For example COP28's president, Sultan Al-Jaber, is faced with supporting the ecological evidence showing the damage fossil fuels are wreaking on the environment, contrary to his personal business interests.

Phasing out these fuels is "inevitable" he says - even though the oil company he runs has embarked on a major expansion of production.

User pays for poor

Blaming the world's ecological and climate crises on the poor and saying high birth rates are the main problem is unfair, Francis said. The biggest carbon-emitting countries are "responsible for a deeply troubling ecological debt".

It would be fair for these countries to cancel poor nations' financial debts, Parolin read. These debts exist only because of big carbon-emitting countries' excessive use of fossil fuels.

Cafod* responds

"The Pope's message is very well timed as we move into discussions on a global stocktake at COP28" says the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development*.

Leaders must heed his call "not for a partial change, but a new way of making progress together, and for choosing a culture of life over a culture of death."

Source

• BBC
• Crux Now
• Reuters
• Vatican
• CNA