Pope Keeping His Fingers Crossed for Climate Deal

Pope Benedict XVI encourages a “responsible” agreement as a result of the Climate Summit in Durban, South Africa. While representatives from all parts of the Globe will try to find appropriate ways of curbing the alarming amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, the Pope hopes to witness effective changes implemented in the near future.

Even if most scientists and government members agree that expectations are rather low for a solid international agreement, Benedict XVI still hopes that the Durban summit will highlight smart decisions meant to safeguard future generations from the devastating effects of climate change, reports Mongabay.com

While revealing his optimism, the Pope also stressed that it is God who has unlimited power upon all threats and resources.

Despite the fact that authorities from wealthy nations such as the US, the UK, Japan and China have already indicated that expected regulations might become effective eight years from now in the most optimistic scenario, the Pope still sees the event as a potential game-changer.

At this point in time, he says that the implementable framework has to reveal include strong protection for the poor nations, as well as a great concern for the sustainable development of future generations.

Pope Benedict XVI has spoken before about the key role of human intervention in fighting global warming, referring to this action as a “moral obligation.”

From his point of view, environmental degradation is associated with a harmful materialism, as man acts as a “dictator of all creatures.”

In 2008, Pope Benedict XVI said that environmental destruction represented one of the seven sins. Despite the fact that he is one of the most active champions for the environment, his opinions are often questioned by people and organizations.

The Pope's statements and position have been widely criticized by environmental groups all across the world. Because of the stand it took against contraception, it is said that the Catholic Church has literally encouraged the expansion of the population.

The world has suddenly become too crowded, while its limited resources have to satisfy the increasing needs of 7 billion people.