Pope Francis Saw Defending the Climate as an Urgent Priority for the World
When Argentina's Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected pope in 2013, his vision for human justice and equality was so entwined with nature that he chose the papal name Francis, honoring the patron saint of ecology. That belief, and how passionately he advocated for it, influenced the course of global climate and energy policy and in particular the 2015 Paris Agreement.
Francis's 2015 papal letter or encyclical, Laudato Si' ('Praise Be to You'), was the first devoted to global warming. It tied together climate science, wealth inequality, consumption (what he lamented as a 'throwaway culture') and technology in a 40,000-word missive shared with the world's more than 1 billion Catholics. His words could be blunt: 'The Earth, our home, is beginning to look more and more like an immense pile of filth,' he wrote.
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Hamilton Spectator
3 hours ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Continued failure to consult on uranium exploration a harmful mistake: Mi'kmaw Chiefs
HALIFAX - Nova Scotia's continued failure to consult with First Nations on uranium exploration is a mistake that will further erode the province's relationship with Mi'kmaq communities, says the Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi'kmaw Chiefs and a lawyer from Sipekne'katik First Nation. Pictou Landing First Nation Chief Tamara Young said the Mi'kmaq people were neither consulted nor notified when Nova Scotia introduced then passed a bill that opens the province up to potential uranium mining and fracking. 'The lack of consultation is unacceptable and goes against the UNDRIP (United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples),' Young said in a statement to The Canadian Press on Wednesday. The assembly has said they will continue to oppose both uranium exploration and hydraulic fracturing until their environmental concerns have been addressed. The provincial government added uranium to its list of priority critical minerals May 14, and it issued a request for exploration proposals for three sites with known deposits of the heavy metal. Interested companies had until Wednesday to submit their proposals. Premier Tim Houston has said the legislative changes are needed to help the province withstand economic challenges from American tariffs. 'We recognize there are international pressures and influences affecting our economy, but any resource development in Mi'kma'ki must include our consent and participation as we are the rightful owners of these lands, waters and resources,' Young said in the statement, speaking as co-lead of the environment, energy and mines portfolio on behalf of the Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi'kmaw Chiefs. Rosalie Francis, a Mi'kmaq lawyer whose firm is based out of Sipekne'katik First Nation, said the province risks further damaging their relationship with Mi'kmaq communities and sabotaging the potential uranium industry by failing to consult adequately and early. 'By choosing not to consult, it scares away investors, destroys the relationship and gets us back to starting at zero,' Francis said in an interview Tuesday. 'It all comes down to trust, and this completely diminishes any kind of trust that's essential to the relationship between the first for the Mi'kmaq and the province.' Nova Scotia has opened up three plots of land for uranium project proposals: an 80-hectare site in Louisville in Pictou County; a 64-hectare site in East Dalhousie in Annapolis County; and a 2,300-hectare site in Millet Brook in Hants County. Much of this is on private land. The government has previously said companies selected by the province would have to seek permission from landowners to explore. However, Section 26 of the province's Mineral Resources Act allows the natural resources minister to intervene if there is a stalemate. A spokesperson with the Department of Natural Resources said if a company decides it wants to develop a mine on one of these sites, then there is duty to consult with Mi'kmaq communities. Francis said that position is backwards, and is not in line with case law on the matter. 'It's been clear that duty to consult begins when, in the minds of government, they're anticipating activity that will affect rights,' Francis said, adding that should happen before a company has made a decision on the site. The lawyer said it would appear the province has not learned from the fall out of the Alton Gas cavern project, which was officially scrapped in fall 2021. The Alberta energy company abandoned its plan to create huge salt caverns north of Halifax to store natural gas more than 13 years after starting construction. The company said at the time the project experienced challenges and delays, referring to opposition the project faced from Indigenous protesters and allies who opposed the company's plan to remove large, underground salt deposits by flushing them out with water from the nearby Shubenacadie River. The plan also called for dumping the leftover brine into the tidal river, where it would flow into the Bay of Fundy. In March 2020, a decision by the Nova Scotia Supreme Court ordered the province to resume consultations with Sipekne'katik First Nation on the matter and determined the former environment minister was wrong when she concluded the province had adequately consulted with the First nation about the project. 'The province should have walked away from that decision and said: 'OK, lesson learned.' The project never went forward. All the gas investors looked at it and said: 'This is just a mess now. Let's just walk away,'' Francis said. The lawyer said it will be telling in the coming weeks if the province chooses to engage with Mi'kmaq communities or 'if the province will march along in the same way it did before.' 'Either we'll have a success story or we'll have another Alton Gas play out,' she said. Shiri Pasternak, a criminology professor at Toronto Metropolitan University and co-investigator of a research project called Infrastructure Beyond Extractivism, said the situation in Nova Scotia mirrors the expedited extraction movement that's happening across the country. 'What's happening to the Mi'kmaq in Nova Scotia is really proliferating as an attack on Indigenous and environmental rights across the country right now,' she said in an interview Tuesday. Pasternak said Nova Scotia is one of several provinces working to speed up extraction and development projects — moves that are supported by the federal government. 'We have this sweep of fast-tracked legislation and policy changes to the Environment Assessment Act, both provincially in Nova Scotia and in other places, but also federally in terms of the Impact Assessment Act in order to expedite development and extraction — most of which will be against the desires and the consent of Indigenous people across the country.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 12, 2025. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Continued failure to consult on uranium exploration a harmful mistake: Mi'kmaw Chiefs
HALIFAX — Nova Scotia's continued failure to consult with First Nations on uranium exploration is a mistake that will further erode the province's relationship with Mi'kmaq communities, says the Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi'kmaw Chiefs and a lawyer from Sipekne'katik First Nation. Pictou Landing First Nation Chief Tamara Young said the Mi'kmaq people were neither consulted nor notified when Nova Scotia introduced then passed a bill that opens the province up to potential uranium mining and fracking. 'The lack of consultation is unacceptable and goes against the UNDRIP (United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples),' Young said in a statement to The Canadian Press on Wednesday. The assembly has said they will continue to oppose both uranium exploration and hydraulic fracturing until their environmental concerns have been addressed. The provincial government added uranium to its list of priority critical minerals May 14, and it issued a request for exploration proposals for three sites with known deposits of the heavy metal. Interested companies had until Wednesday to submit their proposals. Premier Tim Houston has said the legislative changes are needed to help the province withstand economic challenges from American tariffs. 'We recognize there are international pressures and influences affecting our economy, but any resource development in Mi'kma'ki must include our consent and participation as we are the rightful owners of these lands, waters and resources,' Young said in the statement, speaking as co-lead of the environment, energy and mines portfolio on behalf of the Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi'kmaw Chiefs. Rosalie Francis, a Mi'kmaq lawyer whose firm is based out of Sipekne'katik First Nation, said the province risks further damaging their relationship with Mi'kmaq communities and sabotaging the potential uranium industry by failing to consult adequately and early. 'By choosing not to consult, it scares away investors, destroys the relationship and gets us back to starting at zero,' Francis said in an interview Tuesday. 'It all comes down to trust, and this completely diminishes any kind of trust that's essential to the relationship between the first for the Mi'kmaq and the province.' Nova Scotia has opened up three plots of land for uranium project proposals: an 80-hectare site in Louisville in Pictou County; a 64-hectare site in East Dalhousie in Annapolis County; and a 2,300-hectare site in Millet Brook in Hants County. Much of this is on private land. The government has previously said companies selected by the province would have to seek permission from landowners to explore. However, Section 26 of the province's Mineral Resources Act allows the natural resources minister to intervene if there is a stalemate. A spokesperson with the Department of Natural Resources said if a company decides it wants to develop a mine on one of these sites, then there is duty to consult with Mi'kmaq communities. Francis said that position is backwards, and is not in line with case law on the matter. 'It's been clear that duty to consult begins when, in the minds of government, they're anticipating activity that will affect rights,' Francis said, adding that should happen before a company has made a decision on the site. The lawyer said it would appear the province has not learned from the fall out of the Alton Gas cavern project, which was officially scrapped in fall 2021. The Alberta energy company abandoned its plan to create huge salt caverns north of Halifax to store natural gas more than 13 years after starting construction. The company said at the time the project experienced challenges and delays, referring to opposition the project faced from Indigenous protesters and allies who opposed the company's plan to remove large, underground salt deposits by flushing them out with water from the nearby Shubenacadie River. The plan also called for dumping the leftover brine into the tidal river, where it would flow into the Bay of Fundy. In March 2020, a decision by the Nova Scotia Supreme Court ordered the province to resume consultations with Sipekne'katik First Nation on the matter and determined the former environment minister was wrong when she concluded the province had adequately consulted with the First nation about the project. 'The province should have walked away from that decision and said: 'OK, lesson learned.' The project never went forward. All the gas investors looked at it and said: 'This is just a mess now. Let's just walk away,'' Francis said. The lawyer said it will be telling in the coming weeks if the province chooses to engage with Mi'kmaq communities or "if the province will march along in the same way it did before." "Either we'll have a success story or we'll have another Alton Gas play out," she said. Shiri Pasternak, a criminology professor at Toronto Metropolitan University and co-investigator of a research project called Infrastructure Beyond Extractivism, said the situation in Nova Scotia mirrors the expedited extraction movement that's happening across the country. "What's happening to the Mi'kmaq in Nova Scotia is really proliferating as an attack on Indigenous and environmental rights across the country right now," she said in an interview Tuesday. Pasternak said Nova Scotia is one of several provinces working to speed up extraction and development projects — moves that are supported by the federal government. "We have this sweep of fast-tracked legislation and policy changes to the Environment Assessment Act, both provincially in Nova Scotia and in other places, but also federally in terms of the Impact Assessment Act in order to expedite development and extraction — most of which will be against the desires and the consent of Indigenous people across the country." This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 12, 2025. Lyndsay Armstrong, The Canadian Press
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Yahoo
Trump to flex muscle with huge military parade
Donald Trump's dream of hosting a grand military parade in Washington will come true on Saturday when tanks, helicopters and thousands of troops rumble through the capital on the US president's 79th birthday. Long fascinated with military pomp, Trump has openly envied the military spectaculars seen in cities from Paris to Moscow and Pyongyang ever since his first term as president. The $45 million parade is officially being held to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the US army, which commander-in-chief Trump this week called the "greatest fighting force ever to walk the face of the Earth." But critics say the parade is more about Trump than the army. Protesters have pledged to rally on Saturday against what they call Trump's growing authoritarianism, at a time when he just ordered troops into Los Angeles after demonstrations against his immigration policy. So-called "No Kings" rallies -- named after the idea that America's Revolutionary War against the British was to free the country from monarchs and autocrats -- are planned in dozens of cities, including just outside Washington. But Trump is unrepentant. The president said on a visit to the Fort Bragg army base on Tuesday that "we want to show off a little bit" with the parade, and vowed "very big force" if protesters try to disrupt it. He made the comments in an extraordinary speech that breached the usual separation of politics and the military and saw Trump goad troops into jeering his opponents. - 'Big birthday party' - Trump's long-cherished parade plans are also rare for a country which has traditionally preferred to avoid displays of military might on its own soil. The parade will be the biggest in Washington since 1991 after the first Gulf War -- and before that for the inauguration of President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1949, the army said. Nearly 7,000 army soldiers will march past historic landmarks including the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument and the White House. Roaring overhead will be a fleet of more than 50 helicopters including Apache gunships, giant twin-rotor Chinook transport choppers and sleek Black Hawks. Around 150 military vehicles -- including 28 M1A1 Abrams battle tanks, 28 Bradley armored vehicles and 28 Stryker vehicles -- will rumble along the route. Following the parade, the army's Golden Knights parachute team will jump in and present Trump with a US flag. Troops have been moving tanks and other hardware into place throughout the week. "I think the reception here is going to be very warm," US army Colonel Kamil Sztalkoper told AFP during a media preview. "Who doesn't like a big birthday party when you're 250 years old?" - 'Believe in democracy' - But the display of American muscle is also a flex of Trump's own strongman image as commander-in-chief, at the start of a second term when he has been pushing US presidential power further than ever before. Trump has been obsessed with having a parade since his first term as president when he attended France's annual Bastille Day parade in Paris at the invitation of Emmanuel Macron in 2017. Back then he was put off by the huge cost, then estimated at $92 million, and warnings that heavy tanks could damage Washington's streets. This time, the army says metal plates will protect the roads. At the time it also sparked comparisons to similar events in autocratic countries like Russia, China and North Korea -- comparisons which have resurfaced in his second term. Peter Loge, director of George Washington University's School of Media, said the American aversion to such displays went back to the earliest days of US independence. "We were founded by a group of merchants and farmers who were tired of a standing army invading their streets in the name of keeping them safe," Loge told AFP. "We've always looked down on grand military parades in Russia across Red Square or in North Korea, because we're not like that. We're Americans, and we believe in democracy, not in military shows of force." Trump's show of US military might does however come at a time of mounting international tensions. Fears of a Middle East conflict are on the rise as talks on Iran's nuclear talks wobble and Israel threatens to strike its facilities. dk/jgc
