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While the American political machine considers whether or not to stoke the fires of Syria, more reasoned voices are calling for peace. Pope Francis is one such voice and he has added prayer and fasting to this call. 
While we wait, pray, and fast for miracles (small and big ones)—and as we call in all sincerity for truce and dialogue—the horrors continue. And so we think of the immediate harm done to people remaining in Syria and to the over two million who have fled. We think of the violence done to individuals, most often the weak and innocent; to families; and to entire communities. Compounding the suffering of war is the damage to natural environments. This is not a small issue because such damage impacts people during and long after the fighting ends.

Here are five reasons why eco-issues count when we go to war:

War pollutes water supplies: Drinking water comes from reservoirs, rivers, or groundwater. The bombardment of weaponry contaminates these supplies with a missile's residue and with the debris of what was once...

Mark Ruffalo, with Sunrise Coigney 

at the opening of Marvel's The Avengers

Photo: Flicker/ Ricky Brigante 

Dear Mr. Ruffalo:

I applaud your advocacy against the growing practice of “fracking.” This invasive technique penetrates deep into shale deposits and injects into the earth millions of gallons of chemically laden water. This shatters rock and releases natural gas. But for all its benefits, fracking has many drawbacks. And yet it has been used with increasing frequency across many portions of the United States and across the globe.

As you note in this Metro opinion piece,   

[t]he cause of groundwater contamination, air pollution and even earthquakes, fracking is also disastrous for the climate because it releases methane, a potent greenhouse gas, into the atmosphere. 

...

The third in our occasional series on the ecological sciences looks at biodiversity and the extinction of species. What is biodiversity and why is it important? What do the numbers tell us about how much of it we're losing and why?

Answering these and other question is Dr. Peter Raven, an active member of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences and one of the world's leading botanists and advocates of conservation and biodiversity. For four decades until 2010, Dr. Raven headed the Missouri Botanical Garden, an institution he nurtured into a world-class center for botanical research and education and horticultural display. Described by Time magazine as a "Hero for the Planet," Dr. Raven champions research around the world to preserve endangered plants and is a leading advocate for conservation and a sustainable environment.

Dr. Peter Raven
Photo courtesy of the Missouri Botanical Garden

In recognition of his work in science and conservation,...

We continue our series of interviews with scientists studying humanity's impact on the planet.

Helping us understand the topic of sustainability is Robert (Bob) Brinkmann, Director of Sustainability Studies at Hofstra University and the Director of Sustainability Research at the National Center for Suburban Studies. He is also a consultant with the United Nations on sustainability issues.


In addition, Dr. Brinkmann is a professor in Hofstra University's Department of Geology, Environment and Sustainability. He chairs the Board of the National Cave and Karst Research Institute and is an Associate Editor for the Journal of Cave and Karst Studies. His new book, Florida Sinkholes: Science and Policy, will be published this year and is available from the University of Press of Florida here. Born in 1961, Dr. Brinkmann is a native of Wisconsin.

...
Jack (Tom Cruise), a human survivor of an alien invasion, watches Earth's oceans taken for energy. "Oblivion" (Universal Pictures, 2013)

Science fiction is keen on plots with aliens attacking Earth and taking its resources. In the recent film "Oblivion," for instance, Tom Cruise plays a character that learns the hard way what happens when Earth is invaded, leveled, and stripped of its oceans for someone else’s consumption. Tragically, this sort of thing has happened and is happening now—not by extraterrestrial monsters but by human cultures inserting themselves into other human cultures. The stronger invade the weaker, desecrate their land, and kill them off.

As my European heritage has benefited from the conquest of the indigenous people of North America, I suppose my credibility goes only so far in bringing up this topic. Still, after blogging on the words of Pope Francis to the bishops...

And save money, too!

I’ve written often about the Catholic spiritual influence on ecology, but how can Catholics put the spiritual into practice?

This post provides a partial answer. Your ideas will build on what's here and I’ll add similar lists as more ideas come my way.

For now, here are “10 Ways Catholics Can Protect the Environment”

10: Get a home energy audit—and do what they suggest

A theme in many of these suggestions is that being good to the environment can also save money. Most local utilities offer free or low-cost energy audits. They may even offer financial assistance to help install efficient boilers, water heaters, and lighting, as well as better insulation. Local and state governments may also offer tax benefits for this work. Such assistance is often provided for homes and larger structures such as schools, churches, and parish centers. Private companies offer the same services, often as part of a home improvement project. Just make sure that they are reputable (insured, bonded, etc) and not selling you anything that you don’t need.

You should also...

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About the Blog

Catholic Ecology posts my regular column in the Rhode Island Catholic, as well as scientific and theological commentary about the latest eco-news, both within and outside of the Catholic Church. What is contained herein is but one person's attempt to teach and defend the Church's teachings - ecological and otherwise. As such, I offer all contents of this blog for approval of the bishops of the Church. It is my hope that nothing herein will lead anyone astray from truth.