Environmentally-friendly. These words are more often than not aspirational. Not so in Vatican City, however. The 44.5 hectare state hopes it “can in some way become a good example of a ‘green’ and non-polluting state.” Recycling initiatives were established in 2008. Today there are over 200 household rubbish and recycling containers dotted around the state for Read more
Catholic sisters have always responded to the pressing need of the historical moment, whether for hospitals, orphanages, and schools, or for peace, justice, and civil rights. Today we live in a world where, in the words of Pope Francis, “any genuine attempt by groups within society to introduce change is viewed as a nuisance based Read more
When it comes to automotive technology, green cars are certainly the latest trend yet, despite all the talk about the latest Tesla, many of us still don’t actually drive such a vehicle. Electric vehicles – or EVs for short – are certainly greener and the benefits speak for themselves. They don’t require fossil fuels and they’re Read more
Catholic Relief Services (CRS) recently allocated $4.5 million in private funds to the Coffee Lands Program. It was a first for us — invest to specialize in a single value chain. We chose to start the process of specialization with coffee. Why coffee? Because it turns out that a thriving coffee sector is good development Read more
In the greatest environmental disaster of the 21st Century (so far), Indonesia has been blotted out by smoke. And the media. I’ve often wondered how the media would respond when eco-apocalypse struck. I pictured the news programmes producing brief, sensational reports, while failing to explain why it was happening or how it might be stopped. Read more
In the last chapter of Laudato Si’, Pope Francis begins by acknowledging that “Many things have to change course, but it is we human beings above all who need to change.” The path to change comes through education and spirituality. “We lack an awareness of our common origin, of our mutual belonging, and of a Read more
Pope Francis spent much of his address to the United Nations in New York connecting environmental destruction with social and economic exclusion. “A selfish and boundless thirst for power and material prosperity leads both to the misuse of available natural resources and to the exclusion of the weak and disadvantaged,” he said on Friday. Francis Read more
Thick haze blanketing the Indonesian islands of Sumatra and Kalimantan has shackled the local economy, forced school closures and led to widespread acute respiratory infections, the head of the Catholic bishops’ justice and peace commission says. “Because of the haze crisis, [the local people’s] activities in the economic sphere have been shackled. Their right to Read more
Sister Anna Wiwiek Soepraptiwi, a Daughter of Charity who lives in Nausori, has educated many women on how to prevent harming the environment by recycling rubbish and then selling the product. “It is a lot of detailed work, but with perseverance and patience, anyone can create a nice artwork from the recycled plastics,” Anna says. Read more
As the extreme weather conditions in Papua New Guinea continue, church leaders in Papua New Guinea are asking the Catholic people to come to the aid of those in need. “This is a time to draw upon our traditional Melanesian values of sharing and hospitality, and particularly on the Christian virtues of charity, honesty and Read more