We need to inspect the public pronouncements of participants in the climate change discussion under the light of our inherent human passion to seek out truth, beauty, and goodness. Canadian action needs to avoid the “virtue signaling” that is easily uncovered as hypocrisy. Canadian virtue has historically driven efforts to “punch above our weight” in the influence we exert in the world community.
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| Canada CAN DO |
The important scientific data indicates Canada can make a meaningful and appropriate contribution to mitigating the effects of climate chaos on the world.
Coastal erosion
A recent article in The New Yorker by Eliza Griswold explores the alternate orthodoxy and Franciscan virtues shared by Richard Rohr, OFM, with many followers over the past decades that offer a reordering of our understanding of the Universe. Fr Richard runs the Center for Action and Contemplation, a meditation hub and religious school that its residents refer to as Little Vatican City. The campus is made up of a cluster of adobe casitas strung out on a dusty road outside Albuquerque. People without religious affiliation, whom sociologists call the “nones,” have grown in number, from sixteen per cent to twenty-three per cent of American adults, between 2007 and 2014.
“People aren’t simply skeptical anymore, or even openly hostile to the church,” he told me. “They just don’t see a relevance.” Rohr doesn’t believe that most nones are secular, as many assume; he thinks that they are questioning traditional labels but hoping to find a spiritual message that speaks to them. His reach is based, in part, on his willingness to be fearless in his critique of conservative Christianity, which he often talks about as a “toxic religion.” He attempts to strike a difficult balance: calling out the flaws in contemporary Christianity while affirming its core tenets. “People confuse Richard as a deconstructionist when they hear him talk about toxic religion,” Michael Poffenberger, the executive director of the Center for Action and Contemplation, told me, “It’s not an attack on religion; it’s an introduction to the sacredness of everything.”1
Fr Richard believes that Eco-spirituality could be considered another gift of Franciscan alternative orthodoxy. Francis of Assisi is the patron saint of ecology because he granted animals, elements, and the earth subjectivity, respect, and mutuality. In his Canticle of the Creatures, Francis the mystic describes a participatory universe in which God loves and cares for us through Brother Sun, Sister Moon, Brothers Wind and Air, Sister Water, Brother Fire, and “through our sister, Mother Earth.” [2] At the same time, God receives praise, honor, glory, and blessing through each of God’s creations. On the mystical level, Francis could see the transformational power of Love’s presence within all creation.
I often wonder if the one thing we all share in common—our planet—could ultimately bring us all together. We stand on this same “sister, Mother Earth” and we look up at this same Brother Sun and Sister Moon. Could it be that the Mystery of God is already hidden and revealed here?2
Sr Margaret Atkins, OSA, a member of the Augustinian community at Boarbank Hall, writes on social justice and environment. She comments that the Christian Church has been thinking about moral issues for two millennia, and to help it in this task it has always drawn on traditions that go back still further in time. Today we face quite new problems. Saint Augustine or St Thomas Aquinas could never have imagined Pope Francis mentioning energy conservation in his Christmas Sermon. Does the tradition of the Church then have anything to contribute to contemporary debates?
Following the inspiration of Aquinas, I would like to argue that the paralysing effect of such complexity on our actions can be defused if, for the purposes of personal ethics, we focus not on consequences, but on virtues. Can we identify the virtues that are relevant to climate change?3
Analysis of the appropriate response for Canada needs to consider moderation, frugality and abstinence. These virtues are most vital for responding to environmental issues.
Canada needs to treat other people and other creatures as we should. The virtue attached to this is justice. Generosity, compassion, respectfulness, peaceableness and humility will help us assess the fairness of catastrophic consequences of GHG emission by the large industrial countries on the poor and large populations in the Global South. The virtue of practical wisdom calls Canadians to attentiveness, good judgement, studiousness, thoughtfulness, creativity, independence of thought and honesty as we formulate climate change policy. The response of vocal groups that seem to have omitted a virtue based foundation for their declarations will require the supporters of truth, beauty, and goodness to have courage. This virtue will support determination, hopefulness, industriousness and patience in Canadian efforts.
Jeff Mcintosh, of Canadian Press reports that the Canadian Environment Minister, Jonathan Wilkinson, expects Canada will lower emissions of gases that contribute to global warming to 603 million tonnes by 2030. That is still well above the 511 million tonne Paris pact target Canada committed to under the Paris pact.
New measures the Liberal government has touted for reducing Canada’s carbon footprint include a plan to plant two billion trees, cutting energy waste and supporting zero-emissions clean tech companies.
In 2017, Canada accounted for 1.6 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, according to the most recent United Nations Environment Programme emissions gap report.
Another report published in April indicated Canada is warming at twice the global average – and three times the global rate in Canada’s North4
Canada commits
Data published by T. Wang, Dec 4, 2019, summarizes CO2 emissions in Canada from 1995 to 2018.
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| Drifting from Paris target |
Canada’s carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel and cement production reached about 568 million metric tons in 2018, compared to 494 million metric tons in 1995. A large percentage of global greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) are derived from the production and consumption of energy. In Canada, energy-related emissions account for an even higher share of total emissions due to extreme temperatures, large land area, and dispersed populations. In terms of electricity, increased generation from renewable sources has also helped to decrease energy-related emissions, however, fossil fuels still constitute the majority of Canada’s primary energy supply5
Action, driven by Canadian virtue, to meet the targets we have committed to achieve in the international community will create pressure on the largest GHG emitting countries of the world to strive to meet their IPCC determined targets.
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| Virtue to create pressure |
The large GHG emitters are responsible for most of the negative consequences of the climate emergency in Canada, including severe forest fires, devastating floods, coastal erosion along our vast coastline, more frequent and severe hurricanes, tornadoes, and cyclones throughout the country. Our power to convince other countries rests on our sincere application of virtues that resonate with the human need to pursue truth, beauty, and goodness.
References
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