Last week Pope Francis issued a far-reaching 184-papal letter stating climate change is a global problem with environmental and social consequences, especially for the poor.

He challenged us to acknowledge a “sense of responsibility for our fellow men and women upon which all civil society is founded.”

The letter puts the pope firmly on the side of the world’s climate scientists (he is a trained chemist) and in direct conflict with climate change skeptics, including Florida’s own Governor Scott.

The five most important points of Pope Francis’s letter are:
1. Climate change is real and it’s getting worse;
2. Human beings are a major contributor to climate change;
3. Climate change disproportionately affects the poor;
4. We can and must make things better; and
5. Individuals can help, but political and structural transformations are needed for lasting change.

Related Reading:
• To read Pope Francis’s full document on Climate Change … www.washingtonpost.com
• “Melting Away” by Camille Seaman
• “Reason in a Dark Time: Why the Struggle against Climate Change Failed” by Dale Jamieson
• “Fight Global Warming Now” – The Handbook for Taking Action in Your Community by Bill McKibben