Climate campaigners applaud pope’s bridging of environmental issues with moral obligation as way to force Republican party leaders to reconsider position
Pope Francis calls on the US – and Congress – to lead the charge in efforts to combat climate change.
It just took one utterance from Pope Francis – “earth” – to rouse cheers from the climate campaigners who had gathered on the Mall to watch the pope’s historic speech to Congress.
The pope’s visit to what remains a fortress of climate denial among the Republican party leadership greatly boosted hopes among campaigners of elevating climate change from a narrow, partisan issue to a matter of broad public concern.
As Francis appeared on the large screen, several thousand campaigners – some carrying quotes from his encyclical on the environment on large banners trimmed in Vatican yellow, a contingent of animal rights activists dressed as nuns – whooped and cheered.
“We’re excited about the pope being here, especially his saying that climate change is not a partisan issue, and that we have a moral obligation to act,” said Ashley Aguirre, 20, and a student at Virginia Commonwealth University, who had travelled from Richmond for the rally.
Although there was only a very brief mention of the environment in his speech to Congress – he avoided a direct clash with Republican party leaders by diving into climate change deeply in his visit to the White House on Wednesday – the pope still managed to emphasise two clear points. He re-affirmed that human activity was driving climate change, and that political leaders needed to act.
“I am convinced that we can make a difference and I have no doubt that the United States – and this Congress – have an important role to play,” the pope said. “Now is the time for creative actions and strategies aimed at implementing “a culture of care”.
Francis’s intervention has produced some new alliances in the climate camp, with faith groups now coming together with civil rights campaigners and traditional environmental supporters.
His appearance in Congress came a day after his endorsement of Barack Obama’s clean power plant plan – arguably one of the biggest targets of Republicans in both houses as well as on the presidential campaign trail.
More than half of Republicans in Congress deny the existence of climate change, or oppose government regulations to cut carbon pollution.
Environmental campaigners had been thrilled at the prospect of the pope reprising his powerful message for climate action from the encyclical in front of Republican Catholics, such as house speaker John Boehner.
The musician Moby, one of the performers at the climate rally, called it “Pope-enfreude”. “Basically,
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Jairo Diaz, an artist who had come from Fort Lauderdale with a canvas of Christ, said he hoped the pope’s presence in the US – just after his encyclical and before the Paris climate negotiations – could help advance prospects of climate action. “It’s a blessing that the pope is here at this moment in this country,” he said.
Even the very mention of the words climate change are awkward for Republicans, who have typically aligned with the Catholic church on social issues such as abortion and same-sex marriage, and now find themselves out of step with the pope.
By the time of Francis’s speech to Congress, campaigners dared to believe there was already a pope effect taking hold.
“Just by being here, he is forcing the discussion on climate change,” said Erich Pica, president of Friends of the Earth. “With the pope coming out strong and really leaning into climate change, this is about trying to further shift the US discussion particularly in the Republican party, and get more conservatives talking about climate change.”
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