黑料门

Understanding the Pope’s encyclical

Pope Francis didn鈥檛 mince any words this summer in his encyclical on the environment.

鈥淭he Earth, our home, is beginning to look more and more like an immense pile of filth,鈥� Francis wrote in his open letter to the world, a 184-page document meant to spur environmental action among Catholics and non-Catholics alike.

It鈥檚 a message that resonates with Loyola鈥檚 Nancy Tuchman, PhD, founding director of the University鈥檚 Institute of Environmental Sustainability.

鈥淗e tells it like it is, and he鈥檚 calling us all to action,鈥� she said. 鈥淗e says we have to move immediately, and it鈥檚 in the hands of the developed countries that have exploited the planet and consumed resources without concern for the environment or the poor.鈥�

As a Jesuit, Catholic university, 黑料门is committed to protecting the Earth and preserving its natural resources. In fact, it鈥檚 been recognized as one of the greenest universities in the nation. But it can do even more, Tuchman said.

鈥淲e are so poised to take off because of all the groundwork we鈥檝e laid here,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e have such a strong foundation in justice and ethics and caring for the poor, and when you pair that with our sustainability efforts, we really have an amazing opportunity to go even further.鈥�

Here, Tuchman talks about the Pope鈥檚 message, what it means for Loyola, and why inaction isn鈥檛 really an option when it comes to climate change.

What鈥檚 your main takeaway from the Pope鈥檚 encyclical?

It鈥檚 not just a letter saying there鈥檚 a problem going on here. It鈥檚 a directive. It鈥檚 telling us we are responsible and we need to act鈥攏ow. We鈥檝e been given all the information we need to know what鈥檚 happening to the environment. We鈥檝e been given the tools, the technologies, and the knowledge to fix the problem. At this point, the only thing that鈥檚 stopping us is will.

What does his message mean for Loyola?

I think it will shine a light on what we鈥檙e doing already, but it will also help us expand our efforts and reach. We hosted a conference on climate change this spring, for example, that was attended by nearly a dozen Jesuit universities. One of the outcomes is that we鈥檇 like to develop a common environmental statement that all Jesuit universities can embrace. And I think the encyclical can help all of us come together and speak as a unified voice.

In addition to leading the Catholic Church, Pope Francis also has a background in science. How does that help him with this cause?

It gives him credibility because the evidence on climate change is based on science and is very measurable. So the fact that he can look at the data himself and evaluate it gives him tremendous credibility. But beyond that, he鈥檚 a very moral and ethical human being who isn鈥檛 afraid to get in the trenches with the people. He鈥檚 a good man who鈥檚 trustworthy鈥攁nd he鈥檚 got scientific experience. He鈥檚 got all the goods.

And finally, what do you say to those who don鈥檛 believe in climate change?

Every single natural system on the planet is in decline, and you can鈥檛 deny that. And the longer we wait to do something about it, the harder it will be to maintain the kind of lifestyles we鈥檙e used to having. The longer we hold on to our consumption levels, the less likely our children鈥攎uch less our grandchildren鈥攚ill enjoy the lifestyles we鈥檝e enjoyed.

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