"We are losing our attitude of wonder, of contemplation, of listening to creation and thus we no longer manage to interpret within it what Benedict XVI calls 'the rhythm of the love-story between God and man.'"
+ Pope Francis
Jackson steps down: Keeping things clean can be a dirty job
Photo: Flicker/greenforall.org |
Lisa Perez Jackson, who is Catholic, has a long history in the field of environmental protection and public health. She is known for her passion for protecting children’s health and greening urban communities.
A chemical engineer and the first African American to take the reigns at EPA, Jackson stressed environmental justice and the inclusion of women, minorities, and the poor. She was also a voice of reason that sought not to vilify the private sector—even if critics claim otherwise. Rather, as we hear in her speech at the opening of the USRio+2.0 Conference at the
As a Catholic ecologist, I am interested if Mrs. Jackson holds a whole-life ethic. But I do not know
Mrs. Jackson has supported the involvement of faith communities in ecological and public health issues, as we see in her speech at the “Faith Council” meeting during the 2012 Democratic National Convention, which was also covered by the Catholic News Agency.
For its part, the secular media today has provided predictable coverage. We read of concerns over a “stealth” email account that Mrs. Jackson used in her official capacity (was there a federal probe on the way?), conflicts with business lobbies, energy producers, and anti-environmental Republicans, as well as frustration with President Obama’s sometimes lukewarm environmental engagement (as reported bythe New York Times!).
The most insightful piece I’ve found comes from an interviewof Mrs. Jackson by a student at her sons’ Catholic high school in
[Question:] Gonzaga [] has been dotted with recycling bins across the campus. Are there any other ways we can make are campus more environmentally friendly? College High School
[Jackson:] It shouldn’t come from me to say do this or that. It would be better if there [was] an interest among the students and the faculty to put together a club to decide how to do that. On the school level, I have seen some really amazing things. There is a kid who won our Presidential Award last year; he developed a process to turn used frying oil into bio fuels and they sold it. In Philly, students went to auto shops and built hybrid cars.
For Gonzaga, going “green” is absolutely consistent with a Catholic education because of my strong belief that we have a moral obligation to take care of the planet.
Moral obligation? Amen to that! (And Amen to the student interviewer who concludes the interview with his observations on the importance of Mrs. Jackson’s statement of faith.)
I do not know everything about Mrs. Jackson—if there is more that I should know, please share for the benefit of us all—but from this quote and all else I’ve read and heard of her, the loss of Lisa Jackson at EPA is sad news.
Sadly, the rough-and-tumble world of environmental protection has taken its toll. As the news reports above show, being the environment’s voice is quite often unappreciated, especially in a time of economic difficulty.
Whatever the reasons for her departure, it seems to me that EPA and the nation are worse off for it.
May God bless Lisa Jackson in her future work. May her efforts be successful in bringing the fullness of truth and life into communities and cultures that so desperately need it.