Category: Environment

Fee Writes

His Letter Is About To Go Public!

Do you remember the blog post I did recently about Pope Francis and the environment? … well, in it I said that the rockin’ Pope was going to be issuing an encyclical (see end for definition), about the environment and humanity’s relationship with nature.

Well, be prepared, folks – it’s due out on Thursday. That’s June 18th and I will try to keep you posted as soon as I hear what it says.

In them meantime – wrap your laughing gear around this. Last Tuesday, Secretary General Ban Ki-moon of the UN trotted over to the Vatican and he and the Pope had a bit of a pow-wow session on climate change and its impact on the poor of the world.

They weren’t alone, there were scientists, diplomats and religious and political leaders in there as well.

As I said in the previous Pope post (say that 10 times quickly), his stance as rankled some of the more conservative Catholics not to mention the climate change skeptics. They reckon that the Pope is being misled by climate change scientists. And, get this – they believe that our sweet Francis should be arguing that fossil fuels are the moral choice for the developing world!

Now this statement doesn’t surprise me in the least as this has just been released “…The U.S. could be completely powered by renewable energy by 2050, according to a report from Stanford University…”. CNBC NEWS . So I’m wondering how much these “skeptics” have invested that they are scrambling to try and back the fossil fuel industry

This “greenery” thing from the Vatican is actually not new. Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI, wrote about the role of industrial pollution in destroying the environment. And, surprising, Pope Benedict was labeled a “greeny” after he initiated projects to make the Vatican carbon-neutral. Other religious groups, including evangelical Christians, have spoken about the impact of environmental destruction on the poor.

Also, just as an aside. Did you know that Francis, when he was a Cardinal back in 2004, actually came out and said that destruction of the environment contributed to inequality and the need for social reforms.

Wait – there’s one more fact I want to tell you. He also trained as a chemist and became very interested in the links between environmental destruction and social ills, including a dispute over paper pulp mills on the border with Uruguay, which Argentina claimed were polluting local drinking water. Unfortunately it went to the World Court and they backed Uruguay. Source.

It’s not a new thing for him and, obviously something he’s very passionate about.

So … it’s going to be interesting on Thursday when it all becomes public.

An encyclical is a letter – and one from the Vatican goes round to all Catholics world-wide … it’s read out during the service.

Fee Writes

The Big Boys Are In Town – G7

What’s in the news at the moment …. that is, world news, is the G7 meeting that’s just ended in Germany.

A quick definition of G7 = The Group of Seven is an informal bloc of industrialised democracies – the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United Kingdom – that meets annually to discuss issues such as global economic governance, international security, and energy policy.

In my opinion I don’t think that these topics are as important as the topic of the health of our planet. Well, maybe you could put in there “energy policy”, but that’s just a red herring in my book. They want us to believe that they are all for sustainability but then they go home and nothing gets done.
Although, I have to hand it to France with the latest news that new commercial buildings have to have 50% green on their rooftops …. solar or plantings. More Info

So back to G7. What are they discussing under “global economic governance”. The one mission that Obama had going into this meeting was to get the European community to continue with the sanctions again Putin. Duh … they’re not working anyway!!!! There’s still fighting going on in Ukraine and the Russian economy is picking up – not going down. So what’s the point?

Next, “International security” – well, that’s a given – ISIS and what they can do about that. Not a lot really. Fundamentally ISIS has risen up because of corrupt politics and people in poverty and despair. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not in favor of ISIS in any way, shape or form and they’re sure not helping their people at all.

Now we come to “Energy policy” – climate issues, which, in my opinion, should be the most important. Why? Well, without a planet nothing else matters. I’ve had a look at the agenda of this two day event and there was 45 minutes designated to this important topic.

I don’t like these power hungry countries and their “meetings”. They’re like the big kids in the playground huddling together to work out who to bully next instead of looking at how to deal with the kids who don’t have food in their lunchbox or how best to fix the environment our children have to play in.

I should have titled this post “One Big Boy and One Big Girl” – that’s who is really wielding the power.

I know I look at things in a simplistic way, but then I believe life really is quite simple. We all need food, shelter, compassion and love and the great majority of us are not getting these basic requirements.

Fee Writes

Environment

New Zealand Clean and Green?

For those readers who don’t live in New Zealand, let me clear up something about this country. We are not clean and green as the advertisements say, we are dirty and trashy. This was brought home not that long ago by our own Environment Minister Nick Smith saying that a ban of plastic bags … you know, the ones the supermarkets put the groceries in – was not justified, nor was he going to give any consideration to a ban. Read more here.

I find this appalling. Not that I’m surprised.

The New Zealand landscape is littered with rubbish of all sorts from plastic bags to plastic water bottles and everything in between. Just ask a tourist to this country what they think of our clean green image and they will shake their heads and say “Really? I’ve not seen any evidence of clean green.”

Even out in the countryside where the image of sheep grazing in paddocks and hobbits running over beautiful green hills fills the foreigners head ….. until they actually get here. Oh, don’t get me wrong – Hobbiton is very clean as are other defined tourist spots. But those visitors who wander off the tourist trail are in for a bit of a shock.

It’s estimated that we New Zealanders use about a billion plastic bags each year. Granted, they do make useful bin liners and doggy poop collectors. I’ve also seen them made into a stunning dress for our Wearable Arts festival. But these are no reasons to keep them.

Why do we continue to lag behind the eight ball when it comes to our environment? Why do we not take heed of what other countries are doing with banning plastic bags, putting more into recycling and generally trying to increase the sustainability of their country?

How narrow minded Nick Smith is not to be able to see that a ban on plastic shopping bags is just a small start in the education process that most New Zealanders need to have.

Five Reasons To Say No To Plastic Bags

I did write about this back in 2013 about using reusable bags. And do I use reusable bags? Yes I do, and I take my own plastic bags from bread etc to put my vegetables in, I then wash them, dry them and put them into my shopping bag for the next time. So, if I can do it, why can’t others?

And, just as an aside: As for being a “tidy Kiwi” – it would help considerably if one could find a rubbish bin (or trash can) to actually put the rubbish in!

Fee Writes

Environment

Pope Francis Rocking the Boat …. Again!

Well blow me over with a feather and tell me it’s a sledge hammer. Now the Pope is being criticized for being concerned about climate change.

It appears that the Pope, bless his plain white robes, met with the UN Secretary-General and in that meeting they discussed the upcoming United Nations Climate change conference which is going to be held in Paris at the end of this year. (30 November – 11 December 2015)

But wait, there’s more. Not only did the Pope put his tuppence worth into the climate pot, but the Pontifical Academy of Sciences also met with the UN Secretariat and some other really important non government organizations.


Vatican & UN team up on climate issues

Now, the fact that all this climate change discussion was going on by the Vatican powers that be, created a bit of a stir in certain quarters. Like the Heartland Institute, a right-wing American organization known for its global warming skepticism, got their knickers in a right twist.

And they weren’t the only ones telling the Vatican that they have no business talking about climate change. Another group, funded by a US climate drive in Chicago went off to Rome to rally against the Vatican’s climate commitment. Interestingly enough, one of these people was Christopher Monckton.

Who the hell is Christopher Monckton I hear you ask.

His fame is that he’s the 3rd Viscount Monkton of Brenchley (to give him his correct title) a journalist right against climate change. Now young Christopher (well he’s not young as the photo above shows) caused an unprecedented step by the House of Lords who published a “cease and desist” letter demanding that Lord Christopher Monckton should stop claiming to be a member of the upper house. reference

If he purports to be someone he’s not, then I’m not sure how much credence this man should be given and, I’m please to say, the Vatican thinks the same.

Getting back to the Pope. He’s been outspoken about climate change saying: “I don’t know if it is the only cause but in great part it is man who has slapped nature in the face. We have in a sense taken over nature.”

So, as the Guardian reports “The Heartland Institute, a Chicago-based conservative thinktank that seeks to discredit established science on climate change, said it was sending a team of climate scientists to Rome ‘…to inform Pope Francis of the truth about climate science….’ ”
Just as an aside …. The Heartland Institute, guess who they are funded by???? Energy companies. Say no more!!!

The Vatican is getting ready to have a Papal encyclical where it will declare it’s position on the environment and humanity’s relationship with nature. When that comes out watch out for the flak – will be very interesting to see what sort of confrontation there will be between the Pope and the religious right in the USA.

All I can say is ….. stick to your greenness, Francis, the world needs people like you!

If you want to read more – BBC

Fee Writes

Environment | Random

Earthquake in Nepal.

Many New Zealanders have such a close bond with Nepal regardless of whether they have been there or not. This is due to one of our great explorers/adventurers Sir Edmund Hillary. So when the news of the devastating earthquake reached us, we, as a nation poured out our love to the people there.

I also want to commend the N.Z. team of search and rescue people who have bags packed (so to speak) and will be ready to go if they are needed.

According to the Nepal members of the Humane Society, animals, including large carnivores such as lions and tigers, at the Central Zoo in Kathmandu are believed to be safe. However, because this has been such a disaster within the urban areas, several pets, street dogs and livestock may have been killed, injured or abandoned.

My heart and my thoughts go out to the people and the animals of Nepal.

Many Blessings

Thanks for dropping by, my name is Fee O’Shea. I’m a mother and grandma, an author and an Improver. I’ve got a resource website to help peeps go plant-based, I’ve scribbled six books centred around veganism, and have helped others write and publish their own stories.
But this blog is for my thoughts, my rants, raves, reviews and things that have grabbed my attention. From politics to social media to beauty, health and the environment. Fee’s Ramblings Over Coffee is written to bring you a smile or get you thinking. Enjoy.

Category: Environment

His Letter Is About To Go Public!

The Big Boys Are In Town – G7

What’s in the news at the moment …. that is, world news, is the G7 meeting that’s just ended in Germany.

New Zealand Clean and Green?

Pope Francis Rocking the Boat …. Again!

Earthquake in Nepal.

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