Why?

He is not opposed to people buying and consuming what they need, of course. Rather, Pope Francis wants to stop consumerism to tackle head-on what he calls the “culture of waste” and the destruction consumerism has wrought on both human and environmental ecology. In his weekly statement observing World Environment Day in June, 2013, Pope Francis said,

“We are often driven by pride of domination, of possessions, manipulation, of exploitation; we do not ‘care’ for {creation}, we do not respect it, we do not consider it as a free gift that we must care for. We are losing the attitude of wonder, contemplation, listening to creation…

“Men and women are sacrificed to the idols of profit and consumption…A person dying is not news, but if the stock markets drop ten points it is a tragedy! Thus people are disposed of, as if they were trash.”

Pope Francis has also called for a “revolution” on climate change. Here’s exactly what he says about it.

The Pope’s focus on consumerism is particularly important for Americans (me included) to hear. As Scientific American reports, Americans make up only 5 percent of the world population. But the U.S. uses one-third of the world’s paper, a quarter of the world’s oil, 23 percent of the coal, 27 percent of the aluminum, and 19 percent of the copper.”

At this rate, says Scientific American, five earths would be needed for everyone in the world to live an average American lifestyle.

Here at Big Green Purse, I advocate using our consumer clout – i.e., shifting spending to the greenest products and services available – as one of the quickest and most effective ways to protect yourself and your loved ones as well as the Earth.

But first and foremost, I agree with the Pope that we not only can but should be buying less. In fact, in the Big Green Purse Green Shopping Principles I released way back in 2008, the first principle is “Buy less.” Here’s exactly what I said:

This should be a “no brainer.” Consumerism – buying what we don’t need, over and over again – drives unnecessary manufacturing that fuels climate change, pollutes the air and water, and destroys the places in Nature we love.

“Remember “reduce, reuse, recycle”? It still makes sense.”

Deciding to buy less and actually doing it is more challenging than it may seem. Even with the best of intentions, how do you get your hands on what you need without buying and buying and buying again?

Pope Francis Wants to Stop Consumerism. Here’s What You Can Do.

√ Question the very value of buying “stuff.” Do you think “retail therapy” when you’re unhappy or fed up with something? Do you see a new version of some product, especially mobile phones, computers and other technology, and buy into the “gotta have it” mindset? Are you into “fast fashion,” and find yourself updating your wardrobe constantly with the latest “trends,” even though they’re only going to last a couple of months? Compare the essential shopping you do to the excessive purchases you make. Where can you buy less?

√ Share. We all have clothes, tools, kitchen appliances, even vehicles we don’t use a lot of the time. The rise of neighborhood list-servs has made it easier than ever before to share what we have with neighbors and colleagues who need it.

√ Borrow. The other side of the sharing coin, borrowing is just as much of a godsend (no pun intended). I’ve borrowed dresses, books, ladders, slow cookers, folding chairs, baby clothes, dog leashes, yard sprinklers, holiday lights, spices I only need a pinch of, and the list goes on and on. I love that both sharing and borrowing save me money and reduce what I have to buy. But sharing and borrowing also build friendships and camaraderie, and those are two items I’d never be able to buy at a store.

√ Swap. If you’re a “this for that” kind of person, swapping is for you. It’s a great thing to do if you have kids – swap the toys your child has outgrown with a parent whose younger kids would love those toys and they’re happy to give you the fondu set they no longer use. Or swap a few hours of your computer expertise with another homeowner who is willing to help you in your yard. You get the idea.

√ Buy used. The recession of a few years back breathed new life into the ages-old practice of buying used rather than brand new. It saved people a lot of money and kept perfectly good household goods in circulation. I bet the Pope would give his blessing on continuing the practice.

√ Purge, Declutter, and Downsize. Make it a regular practice to get rid of things you’re holding on to but no longer use. In our neighborhood, every so often we hold a multi-family yard sale. We purge our households of items we no longer use, selling things very cheaply or giving them away to meet someone else’s need.

At least in my case, what I take down to the street never comes back into the house. If it doesn’t sell or isn’t taken, I cart it to the local church to sell at their annual bazaar.

I think Pope Francis would approve, don’t you?

Here are links to websites that make it easy share, borrow and swap.

The post Pope Francis Wants to Stop Consumerism. Here’s How. appeared first on Big Green Purse.

So said Pope Francis today as he unequivocally declared that climate change poses a dire threat to our future and implored us all – citizens, elected officials, governments, organizations, corporations – to take immediate action to “regain the conviction that we need one another, that we have a shared responsibility for others and the world, and that being good and decent are worth it.”

The Pope, who worked as a chemist before becoming a priest, completely embraced the science connecting climate change to human activities, especially the burning of fossil fuels.

“A very solid scientific consensus indicates that we are presently witnessing a disturbing warming of the climatic system,” he said. “A number of scientific studies indicate that most global warming in recent decades is due to the great concentration of greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide, methane, nitrogen oxides and others) released mainly as a result of human activity.”

“The exploitation of the planet has already exceeded acceptable limits,” he continued. “The idea of infinite or unlimited growth… is based on the lie that there is an infinite supply of the earth’s goods, and this leads to the planet being squeezed dry at every limit.”

Pope Francis did not mince words in conveying his concern for the impact this attitude has had on Nature.

“The Earth, our home, is beginning to look more and more like an immense pile of filth…Never have we so hurt and mistreated our common home as we have in the last 200 years.”

“Doomsday predictions can no longer be met with irony or disdain.”

The pope specifically drew attention to the effect climate change may have on future generations if we do not act now.

“What kind of world do we want to leave to those who come after us, to children who are now growing up? The question not only concerns the environment in isolation; the issue cannot be approached piecemeal.”

Francis’ statement came in the form of an encyclical, considered to be one of the church’s most authoritative teaching documents, titled, “Laudato Si, or Praised Be: On Care for Our Common Home.” The document took more than a year to research and write and draws on the work of dozens of scientists, theologians, scholars expert in a variety of subjects, and the writings of previous popes, many of whom also raised concerns about pollution and the environment.

The Pope addressed his letter to “every person living on this planet,” reaching far beyond the planet’s one billion Catholics.

“I would like to enter a dialogue with all people about our common home,” Francis said. “We need to strengthen the conviction that we are one single human family.”

In fact, mirroring suggestions Big Green Purse has long made, the pope urged people to take individual responsibility for their environmental impact by reducing their use of fossil fuels and minimizing overall consumption. “Simple daily gestures” like “taking public transit, car-pooling, planting trees, turning off the lights and recycling,” will make a difference, he said.

However, he put his biggest emphasis on creating a new economic and political paradigm that does not sacrifice the environment we all share for the profits of a few.

“Politics must not be subject to the economy, nor should the economy be subject to the dictates of an efficiency-driven paradigm of technocracy. Today, in view of the common good, there is urgent need for politics and economics to enter into a frank dialogue in the service of life, especially human life.”

This position has drawn the wrath of climate deniers and conservative politicians. Sen. James Inhofe of Oklahoma, a leading climate change skeptic, wants the Pope to “stay with his job, and we’ll stay with ours.” Sen. Rick Santorum, a Republican presidential candidate who is also a practicing Catholic, has called on Pope Francis to “leave science to the scientists,” ignoring not only the Pope’s own scientific training but the fact that 97% of climate scientists agree that climate change is real, affected by human activity, and needs to be acted upon now.

Our Sunday Visitor, a weekly Catholic newspaper based in Indiana, called attacks on the Pope “venom-spewing, ideologically based commentary.” Not only is it wrong to “disparage, cast aside and belittle the leader of the Church,” an editorial in the paper said. “It is profoundly disrespectful” and “the wrong behavior for Catholics to be engaging in.” The head of the Vatican’s Academy of Science dismissed attacks on the encyclical, saying they came only from the “Tea Party and those who derive their income from oil.”

What Can You Do?

• Start the conversation in your place of worship. The Pope’s message is not intended for Catholics alone. Protestant pastors and Americans rabbis are also tackling climate change. For example, Rabbi Arthur Waskow of the Philadelphia-based Shalom Center has called it “a crisis in God’s name” and likened the world’s largest energy companies and their production of carbon dioxide to the oppressive pharaohs of ancient Egypt. If you are Catholic, be aware that the Washington-based Catholic Climate Covenant will be sending “homily hints” to the U.S.’ 17,000 Catholic parishes to help priests incorporate the Pope’s message into their sermons this summer. The group is also planning media events with bishops in Iowa, California, New Mexico and elsewhere.

• Push back on criticism of the Pope’s message. The science is clear. But so is the right of any religious leader to argue in favor of protecting the environment. Both the Old and New Testament call for all humans to be caretakers of the earth and all God’s creatures. As the moral leader of more than a billion people worldwide, Pope Francis clearly has the moral authority to speak about protecting God’s creation, as do the leaders of other faiths.

* Stand with Moms Clean Air Force and support America’s Clean Power Plan by signing this petition.

“Nobody is suggesting a return to the Stone Age,” said Pope Francis,
“but we do need to slow down and look at reality in a different way.”

RELATED:

Top 10 Reasons to Take Climate Change Seriously

Note: I originally wrote this article for Moms Clean Air Force. You can join the Force here.

The post Pope Francis Climate Change Message Calls for “Revolution” appeared first on Big Green Purse.