Written by Laura Green
For the Catholic Herald
MADISON — In Fratelli Tutti, Pope Francis calls us to this vision: “Let us dream, then, as a single human family, as fellow travelers sharing the same flesh, as children of the same earth which is our common home, each of us bringing the richness of his or her beliefs and convictions, each of us with his or her own voice, brothers and sisters all.”
In this vein, “Climate Change in the Americas” hosted by the Catholic Multicultural Center (CMC) used technology to bridge borders, highlight the voices of community advocates from all walks of life, and bring people together to talk about the greatest threat to our common home and all who share it.
Sharing experiences
“There is not a Planet B. Climate change is a reality for us here in Mexico,” said Antonio Diaz, a soon-to-be college graduate studying business with an emphasis in sustainable production and distribution.
He and partners from Colombia, Costa Rica, and Florida gathered virtually to share their experiences and observations on how climate change is affecting their regions, and what they are doing about it.
“One of the most concerning parts of the reality we are facing today is that some people have a blindfold over their eyes; they don’t want to accept [that climate change is happening] even though we are at a critical point. Mexico is very vulnerable to climate change,” said Diaz. He explained that 68 percent of the population in Mexico has been directly affected by disruptions to agriculture, floods, droughts, wildfires, hurricanes, and other climate change impacts, with these impacts costing society $21.95 billion per year.
To the south in Costa Rica, Juan Ramón Corrales described climate change as a “big disaster happening in slow motion.”
He added, “We have to start right now to see positive changes 10 to 20 years in the future. However, if we wait 10 years to do something, it may be too late to avoid the most serious impacts.”
Corrales explained how climate change is threatening the fragile cloud forest ecosystem in Monteverde.
Pope Benedict challenged us with these questions in his 2010 World Day of Peace message: “Can we remain indifferent before the problems associated with such realities as climate change, desertification, the deterioration and loss of productivity in vast agricultural areas, the pollution of rivers and aquifers, the loss of biodiversity, the increase of natural catastrophes and the deforestation of equatorial and tropical regions? Can we disregard the growing phenomenon of “environmental refugees”, people who are forced by the degradation of their natural habitat to forsake it — and often their possessions as well — in order to face the dangers and uncertainties of forced displacement?”
Carlos Arenas explained how climate change has created refugee situations in Panamá and Colombia.
In Panamá, a whole community on a small island needs to be relocated due to the threat of sea-level rise.
Arenas, who is originally from Colombia but has called Madison home for many years, is working with the Panamanian government to resettle the people of this island to nearby land in Panamá.
He has done similar resettlement work with a small town in Colombia which was destroyed by climate change in 2010, displacing 3,000 people.
Laura Morales, an ecologist from Bogotá, Colombia, confirmed that climate disasters have hit Colombia hard: landslides and floods wiping out entire towns; the first hurricane ever to affect their country in making landfall in 2019; and Bogotá and other cities reaching record-breaking temperatures, topping out at 113 degrees F.
A global problem
The stories of these presenters offered stark reminders that climate change is a global problem with serious impacts while raising awareness to the fact that the United States’ emissions and consumption have far-reaching consequences.
Yet presenters also reminded listeners that we have much hope, especially if we all work together.
Morales has lobbied all levels of government in Colombia and has spoken or testified on climate change at many events.
She and other activists around the country have been pushing for climate action, including her 11-year-old colleague Francisco who has become a well-known face in the local climate movement.
Thanks to these efforts, a recent victory that Morales and fellow activists achieved was pushing Bogotá to declare a climate emergency, which was passed unanimously by the city council in December 2020.
Now activists are working to make sure the city backs up this declaration with follow-up actions.
For Solemi Hernandez, climate advocacy is a full-time job. Based in Florida, Hernandez is the Southeast U.S. regional coordinator for the international group Citizen’s Climate Lobby (CCL).
After talking about climate impacts in Florida including being personally impacted by Hurricane Irma in 2017, Hernandez offered a whole slew of climate solutions via climate advocacy.
CCL’s mission is to build the political will for a stable climate, which is carried out by building relationships with politicians on both sides of the aisle.
Each presenter urged listeners that we do have the power, and responsibility, to act on climate change: Through political advocacy, through having conversations about climate change, through personal choices such as supporting local, small-scale producers, and by coming together with others to create positive change.
In her presentation, Morales shared a quote that sums it up well: “If not us, who? If not now, when?”
If your parish or group is interested in hosting a “Climate Change in the Americas” event, contact the Catholic Multicultural Center by emailing laura@cmcmadison.org to arrange for a one-hour presentation showing followed by Q&A.
This presentation is available in English or Spanish.
Laura Green is the grants and volunteer coordinator at the Catholic Multicultural Center in Madison.