Canadian, Australian prelates say people must change to help climate

Published: 2005-12-14

OTTAWA (CNS) -- A Canadian archbishop and an Australian bishop attending separate conferences on climate change reached similar conclusions: People must change their ways of life. Archbishop Bertrand Blanchet of Rimouski, Quebec, said protecting the earth's environment requires a "spiritual commitment" for every individual to do his or her part. For the archbishop, that means reducing his speed on the highway and maybe taking some trips on the bus. Archbishop Blanchet, a trained biologist who taught natural sciences in Quebec, was appointed by the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops to attend the World Council of Churches meeting held in conjunction with the U.N. Conference on Climate Change in Montreal Nov. 29-Dec. 9. Less than a month earlier, at a conference on global climate change convened by Catholic Earthcare Australia, participants warned that severe weather caused by global warming is poised to create a new wave of dispossessed people -- environmental refugees.

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