The following quotes may be useful for initiating faith-based reflection and action on the environment.

Peace With God, Peace with All of Creation
Pope John Paul II’s, Message for The World Day of Peace, 1990

... the proper ecological balance will not be found without directly addressing the structural forms of poverty that exist throughout the world. Rural poverty and unjust land distribution in many countries, for example, have led to subsistence farming and to the exhaustion of the soil... Likewise, some heavily indebted countries are destroying their natural heritage, at the price of irreparable ecological imbalances, in order to develop new products for export. In the face of such situations it would be wrong to assign responsibility to the poor alone for the negative environmental consequences of their actions.

Modern society will find no solution to the ecological problem unless it takes a serious look at its life style. In many parts of the world society is given to instant gratification and consumerism while remaining indifferent to the damage which these cause... If an appreciation of the value of the human person and of human life is lacking, we will also lose interest in others and in the earth itself. Simplicity, moderation and discipline, as well as a spirit of sacrifice, must become a part of everyday life, lest all suffer the negative consequences of the careless habits of a few.

An education in ecological responsibility is urgent: responsibility for oneself, for others, and for the earth... Its purpose cannot be ideological or political... a true education in responsibility entails a genuine conversion in ways of thought and behavior. Churches and religious bodies, non-governmental and governmental organizations, indeed all members of society, have a precise role to play in such education. The first educator, however, is the family, where the child learns to respect his neighbour and to love nature.

Today the ecological crisis has assumed such proportions as to be the responsibility of everyone. As I have pointed out, its various aspects demonstrate the need for concerted efforts aimed at establishing the duties and obligations that belong to individuals, peoples, States and the international community. This not only goes hand in hand with efforts to build true peace, but also confirms and reinforces those efforts in a concrete way... I wish to repeat that the ecological crisis is a moral issue...

Even men and women without any particular religious conviction, but with an acute sense of their responsibilities for the common good, recognize their obligation to contribute to the restoration of a healthy environment. All the more should men and women who believe in God the Creator, and who are thus convinced that there is a well-defined unity and order in the world, feel called to address the problem. Christians, in particular, realize that their responsibility within creation and their duty towards nature and the Creator are an essential part of their faith. As a result, they are conscious of a vast field of ecumenical and interreligious cooperation opening up before them.

At the conclusion of this Message, I should like to address directly my brothers and sisters in the Catholic Church, in order to remind them of their serious obligation to care for all of creation. The commitment of believers to a healthy environment for everyone stems directly from their belief in God the Creator, from their recognition of the effects of original and personal sin, and from the certainty of having been redeemed by Christ. Respect for life and for the dignity of the human person extends also to the rest of creation, which is called to join man in praising God (cf. Ps 148:96)

To view or download the text of the complete message:
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/messages/peace/documents/hf_jp-ii_mes_19891208_xxiii-world-day-for-peace_en.html

“Christians believe that God created the universe and delights in all the creatures of the Earth. Because we are part of God's creation, made in the image and likeness of God, were are responsible for the care of all creation. We are called to examine our lives and seek ways in which we can faithfully undertake our responsibility of stewardship and care for God's gifts.

God's gifts of creation, such as clean air and water, the diversity of plants and animals, forests, wetlands, and farmland are necessary for human welfare. Not only does creation have value for human life, it has value as God's creation. The Earth belongs to the Lord, and we are mandated by God to be stewards of creation in holiness and wisdom.”

From
Ten Steps towards Environmental Responsibility, Australian Catholic Social Justice Council, 2002

“… we are all responsible for each other and must work for social conditions which ensure that all people and groups in society are able to meet their needs and realize their potential. Every group in society should take into account the rights and aspirations of other groups, and the well-being of the whole human family.

Our personal choices - recycling, waste avoidance, composting, tree planting, car-pooling, prudent water and energy use - are important, but to achieve authentic sustainability, our personal actions must be reflected in the way in which economic and political systems are structured. As Christians we are challenged to analyze the social structures that force millions to live in squalor, burdened by crippling debt, while a tiny minority accumulate vast wealth from exploiting earth's resources.”

From
Social Justice Sunday Statement by the Australian Catholic Bishops’ Conference, September 29, 2002, A New Earth: The Environmental Challenge

Full Text

“Affirming the ethical significance of global interdependence and the common good, recent ecological concerns have heightened our awareness of just how interdependent our world is. According to John Paul II, "Today the ecological crisis has assumed such proportions as to be the responsibility of everyone.... Its various aspects demonstrate the need for concerted efforts aimed at establishing duties and obligations that belong to individuals, peoples, states, and the international community."

There is an ethics of solidarity promoting cooperation and a just structure of sharing in the world community as we are all part of one human family -- whatever our national, racial, religious, economic or ideological differences. Solidarity is a firm and preserving determination to commit oneself to the common good, and a willingness to lose oneself for the sake of others. "The ecological crisis," John Paul II has written, "reveals the urgent moral need for a new solidarity, especially in relations between the developing nations and those that are highly industrialized."

An option for the poor, which gives passion to the quest for an equitable and sustainable world: The ecological problem is intimately connected to justice for the poor. "The goods of the earth, which in the divine plan should be a common patrimony," said John Paul II, "often risk becoming the monopoly of a few who often spoil it and, sometimes, destroy it, thereby creating a loss for all humanity." According to the U.S. Bishops, "The option for the poor embedded in the Gospel and the Church's teachings makes us aware that the poor suffer most directly from environmental decline and have the least access to relief from their suffering." Populations of poor people are never the cause of ecological destruction; rather, they are its victims.

A conception of authentic development, which offers a direction for progress that respects human dignity and the limits of material growth: Much of the destruction of creation is caused by the sins of arrogance and greed for power and possessions. These sins lead to rampant consumerism, haphazard development, and the indiscriminant application of technology, as well as to a lack of democracy, freedom, and social justice for poor and oppressed people throughout the world. John Paul II has said, "In his desire to have and to enjoy rather than to be and to grow, man consumes the resources of the earth and his own life in an excessive and disordered way.... The mere accumulation of goods and services, even for the benefit of the majority, is not enough for the realization of human happiness." Numerous social conditions -- spiritual, cultural, ecological, economic, political, and material -- impact our ability to realize our human dignity and reach our full potential.”

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