There is no doubt that global warming is a real threat to the planet Earth and its inhabitants, said the Vatican's ambassador to the United Nations. Archbishop Celestino Migliore speaking Wednesday evening at St. Hilary Catholic Church called on those in attendance to simplify their lives by adopting a life of ''voluntary simplicity'' to reduce the impact of each human on the environment.
Everyone has a responsibility to care for the environment and part of the solution is to consume less, want less and spend less, he told a crowd of about 250.
Small lifestyle changes, when taken together, can have big impacts in reducing the levels of carbon dioxide gas, a key global warming contributor, he said. It also can affect overall environmental quality, he said.
''Our Earth speaks to us and we must listen if we want to survive . . . obedience to the voice of the Earth is necessary,'' he said.
Americans need to help the poor around the world because they are the ones who will suffer most from climate change, he said.
The deterioration of the planet calls for increased stewardship, Migliore said in a program sponsored by St. Hilary's Journey Together for Justice Committee in conjunction with the Diocese of Cleveland's Catholic Commission.
The 55-year-old Italian native, named apostolic nuncio and permanent Vatican observer to the United Nations in 2002, had addressed 400 high school students earlier Wednesday to promote environmental stewardship.
Pope Benedict XVI has taken steps to reduce the Vatican's carbon emissions with the installation of solar panels and to offset those emissions by tree plantings in Hungary.
Earlier this year, the pope, who directs 1.1 billion Catholics, made polluting the Earth a sin and has issued strong statements on global warming.
Good stewardship has a theological basis in the Bible, said the pope and other church leaders.
Sustainable or environmentally friendly development is the key to the future, Migliore said in a February statement.+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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