Our Planet Earth
Our journey to care for our planet earth!
Featured Articles
Spirituality Gives Joy, Peace, and Love
“Do you know that joy and peace come from when we spiritually care for and love others besides ourselves? Our greatest joys are when we help people, and by doing so, we help ourselves. One definition of spirituality is: “a process of making the mind face our fears, worries, and non-stop thinking, and experiencing inner peace and bliss in one’s everyday life”. Spirituality is about making peace with the universe, and accepting facts as they are and trying to live in harmony. Great examples of spirituality are Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Dalai Lama, and Nelson Mandela.
See Full Article· 5 min readCry of the Poor
“Have you ever been without water or food? Have you ever been homeless? Have you ever had little to no money? Well, many people have －which makes them vulnerable, anxious, and in dire need of help. Many poor people even need to migrate to new countries and find new places to live.
See Full Article· 4 min readNew Year Resolution: Register in Laudato Si’ Action Platform, a Global Community
Did you know that you can register in the Laudato Si’ Action Platform (LSAP) and announce your proposed action(s) to help our planet earth? This is a pro-active, and very much needed response that follows the seven goals of Pope Francis for his assigned seven commitment groups
See Full Article· 5 min readRecent Articles
Climate Migrants
The International Catholic Migration Commission (ICMC) said, “Climate refugees also referred to as climate change refugees and climate migrants are individuals who have been displaced from their homes due to natural disasters and climate change. This includes floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, desertification, droughts, rising sea levels, and more. These events not only affect the safety of individuals, but can also cause food, water, and other long-term resource shortages that push people from their homes”. They also said, the term “climate migrant” is more accurate than climate change refugee because, much like internally displaced persons, climate migrants are not recognized as refugees under international refugee law. This means they do not have the same protections and rights when seeking asylum as people who have fled their home country to escape persecution based on religion, race, nationality, or political opinion.
See Full Article· 5 min readTen Eco-Commandments for Earth Citizens
For nearly three years, this column in The Message has consistently given good reasons to be less consumer- driven and more eco-friendly. It has promoted “Laudato Si’” to all people and to all religions in the world, as requested by Pope Francis - including through his “Ten Commandments for Climate Change” (See What can we do section).
See Full Article· 4 min readThe Sun
Rhett Herman, Ph.D., physics professor at Radford University in Virginia (Scientific American, 10/26/1998, How fast is the Earth moving) says, the Earth revolves around the sun in 365 days at a speed of nearly 67,000 mph, and rotates on its axis, at the equator at 1,000 mph. In addition, the sun is a yellow star made of hydrogen and helium, 93 million miles from earth, and its volume would need 1.3 million earths to fill it (National Aeronautics and Space Administration).
See Full Article· 5 min readEarth Day and the Catholic Church
Gaylord Nelson, who founded Earth Day, saw, in the 1960’s, a deteriorating environment and Anti-Vietnam War protests. Both gave him the idea for a “teach-in” about environmental issues on April 22, 1970, the first Earth Day. It’s estimated that 20 million people participated in this event, according to “The History of Earth Day, Adirondack Council.” The first two websites under “What can we do!” give ideas for Earth Day on April 22, 2023.
See Full Article· 5 min readRighting Wrongs Through Legislation
Historically, we’ve learned much about righting wrongs to promote environmental protection. Two notable authors are Aldo Leopold (“A Sand County Almanac”) and Rachel Carson (“Silent Spring”). Both were helpful in passing legislation like:
See Full Article· 4 min readRethink, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Restore
There are simple and economic ways to live an environmentally sensitive and thoughtful lifestyle. For instance, we could rethink, reduce, reuse, recycle and restore. Applying these five R’s will reduce our carbon footprint, promote healthy environments, increase soil fertility, and improve Earth’s air, water, and land.
See Full Article· 4 min read