Letters to the Editor: Pope Francis leaves behind a climate legacy that must be heeded
To the editor: The headline says it all in columnist Sammy Roth's recent article on Pope Francis ('Pope Francis was a climate hero. Trump's reign gives his words extra meaning,' April 22). I am not Catholic, but I mourn the pope's death because he spoke for so many of us. Francis had a background as a scientist prior to joining the priesthood, and he was thoughtful and intelligent. His prescient 'Laudato Si'" which, as Roth notes, is 'almost certainly the most famous climate essay ever written,' leaves a rich legacy we inherit and a call we must heed.
Of the many photographs circulating since the pope died, my personal favorite was taken in Rome and depicts a smiling Francis facing the young environmentalist Greta Thunberg holding a small poster that says, 'Celebrate Laudato Si.'' It reminds us that, for our species and the other planetary species we are connected to, we must fight the climate catastrophe.
Starflower Thomson, Joshua Tree
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Washington Post
5 hours ago
- Washington Post
The Oct. 7 terrorists have names. Make them public.
Patrick Desbois is a Catholic priest and founder and president of Yahad-In Unum, an organization dedicated to investigating targeted mass killings, including those of Jews and Roma during World War II, Mayans during Guatemala's civil war, and Yazidis during the ascendancy of the Islamic State. Who murdered Kfir Bibas? Who tortured Edan Alexander? Who raped Amit Soussana?
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
Officials unleash surprising new weapon in fight against deadly mosquitoes in US: 'There's now evidence that it can be incorporated'
Officials in Southern California have come up with a plan to control an invasive mosquito species and the diseases they spread, the Los Angeles Times reported. Scientists at local vector districts – agencies responsible for controlling disease-carrying species – applied a technique that's been used on invasive insects since the 1950s. In 2023, one vector district released thousands of sterile male Aedes aegypti mosquitoes across select neighborhoods to study the effects, according to the LA Times. The results were clear. Populations of the species diminished by 33% in one year. The Aedes aegypti, also known as the yellow fever mosquito, is believed to have originated in sub-Saharan Africa. These bugs can only fly about 150 to 200 yards, but manage to travel internationally on freight ships and other methods of trade. They're considered invasive to other regions because they transmit diseases like yellow fever, dengue, and the Zika virus. Aedes aegypti are distributed primarily across tropical and subtropical areas throughout the world. But the black-and-white striped mosquitoes have now invaded the southern United States and, because of the planet's overheating, are moving to the north and west. Right now, the mosquitoes are present in more than a third of all counties in California. The idea behind the mission is simple. Male mosquitoes don't bite, and therefore can't spread disease to humans. Females are the primary culprits there. When the sterile males are released, the mosquitoes can still mate, but the females lay unfertilized eggs that don't hatch, decreasing the population size. Vector district officials found that releasing sterile male mosquitoes into the environment was incredibly effective. Last year, a local vector control agency for part of Los Angeles County began releasing 1,000 sterile males bi-weekly, bumping the numbers to 3,000 during peak season from August to November. "Many medium to smaller districts are now interested to use our approach," Solomon Birhanie, scientific director for West Valley Vector Control, told the LA Times. "Because there's now evidence that it can be incorporated into abatement programs without the need for hiring highly skilled personnel or demanding a larger amount of budget." Should we be actively working to kill invasive species? Absolutely It depends on the species I don't know No — leave nature alone Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Yahoo
NY state Senate approves doctor-assisted suicide bill, sends it to Hochul's desk for approval
ALBANY – State Senate Democrats passed highly controversial legislation that would allow terminally ill people to take their own lives with the help of doctors in a razor-thin vote Monday — leaving it up to Gov. Kathy Hochul whether to sign it into law. 'This is one of the great social reforms of our state,' state Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal (D-Manhattan), the bill's sponsor in the upper chamber, touted at a press conference earlier in the day Monday — putting the measure on the same tier as the legalization of gay marriage. 'This is about personal autonomy, this is about liberty, this is about exercising one's own freedom to control one's body,' Hoylman-Sigal continued. The measure passed 35 to 27, with six Democrats – Senators April Baskin, Siela Bynoe, Cordelle Cleare, Monica Martinez, Roxanne Persaud, and Sam Sutton – voting against it. 'The governor will review the legislation,' a spokesperson for Hochul said. The bill's passage follows a years-long campaign that was fought tooth and nail by a diverse group of critics, including disability rights activists and the Catholic church, as well as many black and Orthodox Jewish communities. 'The Governor still has the opportunity to uphold New York's commitment to suicide prevention, protect vulnerable communities, and affirm that every life—regardless of disability, age, or diagnosis—is worthy of care, dignity, and protection,' The New York Alliance Against Assisted Suicide wrote in a statement following the vote. A Catholic group slammed the bill's passing as 'a dark day for New York' and also called on Hochul to refuse to sign it. 'For the first time in its history, New York is on the verge of authorizing doctors to help their patients commit suicide. Make no mistake – this is only the beginning, and the only person standing between New York and the assisted suicide nightmare unfolding in Canada is Governor Hochul,' Dennis Poust, Executive Director of the New York State Catholic Conference, wrote in a statement. Ahead of the vote, the nearly three-hour debate on the Senate floor got emotional, with several lawmakers holding back tears as they explained their votes. Syracuse-area state Sen. Rachel May (D-Onondaga) shared the story of her late husband, who was receiving morphine in the final stages of his battle with cancer, which he eventually succumbed to at 32 years old. 'I don't know if the last largest dose he took also took his life, but I know that he died in peace,' May said. 'It isn't about controlling the disease or controlling the pain, it's about having control at the end of your life,' she said before voting in favor. Critics fear the legislation lacks critical safeguards over how doctors approve patients looking to receive the prescription for a lethal cocktail of drugs, such as a statutory waiting period, establishing clear chain of custody for the pills, mandating the doctor and recipient meet in-person, and requiring a disclosure that someone indeed used the drugs to take their own life. Under the bill, recipients would need approval from two doctors and a sign-off from two independent witnesses, after which they would receive a prescription for drugs they could use to take their life at a time of their choosing. Doctors also do not have to conduct a mental health screening for each patient, but may refer a patient for one under the legislation. 'I don't think requesting end-of-life medication when an individual is suffering and in pain and dying suggests a mental health condition, if anything, I think it's quite rational,' Hoylman-Sigal said. Hoylman vowed the bill would not lead to such 'unintended consequences.' 'It was a professional organization that provided us crucial guidance, that helped us develop the state-of-the-art safeguards in this legislation that gave my colleagues and the general public, I believe, the assurance that there will not be unintended consequences,' he said. The legislation is referred to by its supporters as the 'Medical Aid in Dying' bill. 'The option of medical aid in dying provides comfort, allowing those who are dying to live their time more fully and peacefully until the end. I am profoundly grateful to Senate Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins for giving her conference the space to have this important and emotional discussion,' Corinne Carey, Senior Campaign Director of Compassion and Choices, the main group driving the effort to pass the bill, wrote in a statement.
