Climate change hurts poor most, religious representatives tell U.N.

Published: 2007-09-11

UNITED NATIONS (CNS) -- The poor are disproportionately affected by the environment and are particularly vulnerable to climate change, said Catholic representatives from around the world Sept. 6 at a U.N. conference on climate change. Small groups can adopt good practices to mitigate the adverse impact of climate change and promote human rights, they said in describing current projects in Nigeria, Indonesia, Australia and Newark, N.J. The midday workshop on "Human Rights and Good Practices in the Face of Climate Change" was part of a Sept. 5-7 conference at the United Nations. Sister Cecilia Nya, provincial leader of the Sisters of the Holy Child Jesus in Africa, described an organic farm run by her congregation in southwestern Nigeria. "The organic farming movement is a response to the earth and its needs," she said. "The farm lets us meet people at their areas of greatest need: food and how to produce it in a sustainable way."

Copyright (c) 2007 Catholic News Service /U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The CNS news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed, including but not limited to such means as framing or any other digital copying or distribution method, in whole or in part without the prior written authority of Catholic News Service .