Heed climate change science echoed in call of faith: Bill Richardson

A few weeks have gone by now that Pope Francis's encyclical on ecology and climate change was published. The importance lingers. As a Catholic, I admit that I was moved and excited to see that this important message focused exclusively for the first time on the moral urgency of our environmental problems. As a papal document that defines the Church's stance on a subject, the encyclical could have a transformative effect on the climate change conversation.

The encyclical and campaign

Pope Francis spent a year consulting for this encyclical, titled Laudato Sii after a thousand year old prayer by his namesake which thanks God for the miracles of creation. This encyclical reflects the Vatican's prior statement that "human-induced climate change is a scientific reality and its decisive mitigation is a moral and religious imperative for humanity". Despite his early training as a chemist , Pope Francis is not out to debate the science or politics of climate change, instead he is focusing on what's at stake and our duty as Catholics to protect God's creation.

The pope's very job description gives him access to depths of suffering, spans of time and peaks of human potential that are too vast for most of us to comprehend. So while those of us in less transcendent lines of work squabble about who causes climate change and who should pay for it, Pope Francis cuts through the politics to focus us on what matters most — care for our planet and those most vulnerable to ecological harm. He has visited families in Sri Lanka and the Philippines whose homes were decimated by hurricanes . He's talked to peasants whose tenuous subsistence could be terminated if a drought kills their crops and animals. He prays for the world our children and grandchildren will inherit in another thousand years. So while certain politicians in our country question the appropriateness of his commentary on climate change, I believe that he may be one of the most credible voices among us.

This encyclical will and should have far-reaching consequences. Pope Francis's letter has gone to the world's 5,000 bishops and 400,000 priests , who are tasked with conveying its message to 1.2 billion Catholics worldwide. Within that community are many powerful voices, including three in ten United States legislators who I hope will heed his call to reflect on this global crisis and act to prevent the worse of its impacts.

Pope Francis is also engaged in a broader, 12-week campaign to inspire decisive action at the crucial United Nations climate conference in Paris this December. He is visiting the United States this fall as part of that effort, and is expected to address a UN Special Summit on Sustainable Development on September 25th.

Stewardship of our earth

Missing from the climate change conversation has been a recognition of shared values that should motivate us to address it. Love for our children and future generations who could inherit a world more unpredictable and dangerous than anything we have experienced. Compassion for the poor who stand to lose everything in the face of environmental degradation. Love of creation itself, from the iconic polar bears to the dwindling rivers in my home state of New Mexico.

A world this precious should be cared for with the best tools we have available, including faith, and science. The same science that allowed me to access and read "Laudato Sii " instantly, has allowed us to learn that climate change is a real problem with real solutions that can benefit us all. As world leaders prepare to present their country's commitments to address climate change at the United Nations Climate Summit this December in Paris, we here in the United States are gearing up for EPA's Clean Power Plan which will get states on track towards cleaner energy and help protect what we treasure most.

Pope Francis is calling us to action, to live more sustainable lives and protect the most vulnerable from the struggles we know are ahead. My faith is what tells me to heed this warning. No longer do we need to reply on burning dirty fossil fuels that pollute our air, harm our health and worsen climate change. We can and must do better.

Bill Richardson is the former governor of New Mexico, the Energy Secretary in the Clinton administration, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and leader of Voces Verde.

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