Another Background Description of NRPE

http://www.discoverthenetworks.org/groupProfile.asp?grpid=7572
Yet another description of the NRPE and the operatives of the USCCB who have pushed the Catholic Coalition on Climate Change. Of course, that is why reusable shopping bags are such a big catechesis project in the Diocese of San Jose. Of course, those deanery meetings trying to populate those ridiculous ideas continue to happen.

Religion, Bad Science, and Environmentalism

Coming out of Mass today I noticed a flyer: Deanery 5 Social Justice Series on Environmental Justice and it had the following bullet point:

• Near unanimous consensus among climate scientists that the earth is warming due to man-made emissions of Green House Gases.

Maybe the words near unanimous consensus were typos, or someone is not aware of the 31,486 American scientists who have signed this petition, including 9,029 with PhDs.  Now I am sure that the presenter at the Deanery event is a very smart scientist, but scientists do not have "near unanimous consensus" on the subject.  Actually, as the petition webpage points out many of them believe:

 that the claim of “settled science” and an overwhelming “consensus” in favor of the hypothesis of human-caused global warming and consequent climatological damage is wrong. No such consensus or settled science exists. As indicated by the petition text and signatory list, a very large number of American scientists reject this hypothesis.

The flyer put out by the deanery is not accurate.

More on the Catholic Coalition on Climate Change

Demonstrating that the liberation theology attitude is very much alive (the type that ACORN and our local PACT group demonstrate) is this reference from CNS News article entitled Catholic coalition seeks to influence outcome of climate-change bill, by Dennis Sadowski , that states:

While noting that the effort revolves around prayer and reflection, John Carr, executive director of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Department of Justice, Peace and Human Development and coalition chairman, acknowledged that working within the political arena will be a necessary part of the campaign's work.

"For us, the moral message on climate-change legislation is how it treats the least of these," he explained. "We're making that case on Capitol Hill and now we're making that case across the country.

"There is going to be a huge debate, in fact a struggle ... and our voice is going to be that voice that puts the poor first."

How does the USCCB reconcile conflicting principals regarding population control exhibitied by NRPE the funding group of the Catholic Coalition on Climate Change? Here are the following links:
The Catholic http://www.nrpe.org/issues/c_economies/economies_catholic02.htm
The Evangelical Perspective: http://www.nrpe.org/issues/c_economies/economies_evangelical01.htmThe Mainline Protestant: http://www.nrpe.org/issues/c_economies/economies_mainline01.htm
The Jewish Perspective: http://www.nrpe.org/issues/c_economies/economies_jewish01.htm

How can the USCCB go and lobby congress with a coalition that does not have the clear message of the dignity of human life? How can we promote such a venture in light of the newest encyclical from the Pope?
For an interesting account of how NRPE came into existence read the article Green religion on the defensive by Henry Lamb The article shows the role Gaia worshipers, politicians including Al Gore and many other new age sorts were instrumental in its formation, most especially the Temple of Understanding.
Isn't the USCCB concerned what kind of harmful catechesis would come from literature that crosses such wide boundaries? Shouldn't the USCCB be requested to use resources in a more effective and faithful way to teach the faith?

Diocese of San Jose, Catholic Coalition of Climate Change and NRPE

After reading Bishop McGrath's letter ( http://www.dsj.org/about-us/bishops/bishops-statements/statement-on-the-st-francis-pledge)stating the following:

The Diocese of San Jose in partnership with Catholic Charities, Santa Clara University and the Presentation Retreat and Conference Center has formed the Catholic Green Initiative of Santa Clara County. In this effort, we will identify and encourage "green initiatives" here in our own valley of St. Clare and we will ask all Catholics of Santa Clara County to make a difference in an organized sustainable way.

one is very interested in understanding just who is the Catholic Coalition on Climate Change http://www.catholicsandclimatechange.org/ and who are they connected with. The word coalition can be very scary as it usually means some sort of community organizing that will be used to lobby lawmakers giving them cover or making them intimidated by the notion that it is incredibly big and influential. Naturally, one should be alarmed if the mere fact they attend mass and belong to a parish, they would be represented to signing onto some sort of campaign. Naturally, California Catholics have just passed through a very difficult time with the issue of Prop. 8 and many were appalled at the control of how the message supporting Prop. 8 was managed, and thus would expect the same amount of prudence shown with regard to controversial issues such as climate change and government takeover of health care and insurance.
Catholics should really explore the funder of the Catholic Coalition of Climate Change and realize that the coalition partners are not on the same page as the Catholic Church regarding population control. They definitely are not in line with the newest encyclical of Pope Benedict XVI Caritas in Veritate
So is it the plan that our catechism classes will remind us we should confess to using plastic instead of cloth?
Just in case you want to hear why the science on global warming is not firmly there read this report from the Marshall C. Marshall Institute.