法王、気候変動阻止目指し「ライフスタイルの変更」呼び掛け

【バチカン市国ＡＦＰ＝時事】ローマ・カトリック教会のフランシスコ法王（82）は、「被造物を大切にする世界祈願日」を迎えた1日、気候変動をテーマに世界中の人々に向けたメッセージを発信し、気候変動の進行を阻止するため各人が日々の習慣を改め、「手遅れになる前に」各国首脳に圧力をかけるよう呼び掛けた。（写真はバチカンで、サンピエトロ広場を望む窓から手を振るフランシスコ法王）
　このメッセージで法王は「われわれは、自らをも含む自然と生命を深刻に脅かす気候非常事態を生み出してしまった」と指摘。
　「自身のライフスタイルや、食べ物や消費、移動、水やエネルギー、その他多くの物の使い方に関するわれわれの日々の選択が、いかに無謀で有害かということを真剣に考えるべき時が来た」という見方を示した。
　長きにわたり環境保護を訴えてきた法王は、今回の呼び掛けは「人類家族の全員」に向けたものだと語り、「変わること、そしてよりシンプルで思いやりのあるライフスタイルに切り替えることを選ぼう」と記した。
　アルゼンチン出身の法王は、世界の気温を危険なレベルにまで押し上げている、恒常的な環境汚染、化石燃料の絶え間ない使用、集約農業による搾取、森林伐採を批判。また、氷河の融解、水不足、貯水池の放置や海洋に相当数存在するプラスチック・マイクロプラスチックは、等しく懸念すべき問題であり、早急な対応が求められると述べた。
　さらに、米ニューヨークで２３日に開催される国連気候行動サミットに世界中が注目するだろうと述べた法王は、各国政府に対し、地球温暖化対策の国際枠組み「パリ協定」にのっとり、「温室効果ガス排出ゼロを達成し、気温上昇を１．５度までに制限するための措置の適用速度を劇的に速めようとする政治的意志」を示すよう促した。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2019/09/03-08:31）

Pope Francis called Sunday on individuals across the world to make changes to their daily habits to stop climate change in its tracks, and to put pressure on their leaders before it's too late.
We have created a climate emergency, which seriously threatens nature and life, including our own, he said in a message to mark this year's World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation.
This is the time to reflect on our lifestyles and how our daily choices in terms of food, consumption, travel, use of water, energy and many other material goods are often reckless and harmful, the Argentine pontiff wrote.
Francis, a long-time environmental campaigner, said his plea went out to every member of the human family.
Let us choose to change, to take on simpler and more respectful lifestyles!
The pontiff slammed constant pollution, the incessant use of fossil fuels, intensive agricultural use and the practice of razing forests to the ground which were raising global temperatures to dangerous levels.
The increasing intensity and frequency of extreme weather events and soil desertification were putting the world's most vulnerable peoples to the test, and fuelling mass migration as desperate families seek safe havens elsewhere.
The melting of glaciers, water scarcity, neglect of reservoirs and the considerable presence of plastics and microplastics in the oceans were equally worrying and confirmed the urgent need for action that can no longer be postponed, he said.
Francis praised young climate activists who have been upping pressure on institutions and saying they deserved action rather than commitments made and neglected for partisan interests and convenience.
Our prayers and appeals are aimed above all at raising the awareness of political and civil leaders, he said.
The 82-year-old said all eyes would be on the UN Climate Action Summit on September 23 in New York.
He called on governments to show the political will to drastically speed up measures to achieve zero net greenhouse gas emissions as soon as possible and to limit the increase in global temperature to 1.5 degrees Celsius in line with the Paris Agreement.
May God... give us the courage to do good without waiting for others to begin, without waiting for it to be too late.