The Heartland Institute announced that they will be sending a delegation to the Vatican today and tomorrow to explain to Pope Francis "why climate science does not justify the Holy See putting its faith in the work of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)."
That's right. They would like the Pope to reject the findings of the international body which merely assesses all of the world's peer-reviewed scientific literature—which is in overwhelming agreement that climate change is happening and humans are causing it—and then makes recommendations based off of that literature.
The Heartland Institute is sending the delegation as a "prebuttal" to the Vatican’s “Climate Summit,” which will take place on Tuesday. The reason they are bringing "real scientists," as they claim, is to "dissuade Pope Francis from lending his moral authority to the politicized and unscientific climate agenda of the United Nations," said the Heartland Institute.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon and Harvard economist Jeffrey Sachs, both of whom will speak at the Pope's climate summit, "refuse to acknowledge the abundant data showing human greenhouse gas emissions are not causing a climate crisis and there is no need for a radical reordering of global economies that will cause massive reductions in human freedom and prosperity," says the Heartland Institute.
“The Holy Father is being misled by ‘experts’ at the United Nations who have proven unworthy of his trust,” said Heartland Institute President Joseph Bast. “Humans are not causing a climate crisis on God’s Green Earth—in fact, they are fulfilling their Biblical duty to protect and use it for the benefit of humanity. Though Pope Francis’s heart is surely in the right place, he would do his flock and the world a disservice by putting his moral authority behind the United Nations’ unscientific agenda on the climate," said Bast.
One of those who will speak at the "prebuttal" is Dr. E. Calvin Beisner, founder and national spokesman for
the Cornwall Alliance for the Stewardship of Creation. He will expound on the declaration, Protect the Poor: Ten Reasons to Oppose Harmful Climate Change Policies, which the Cornwall Alliance issued last year.
Beisner admits that carbon dioxide emissions are warming the planet, but says the impact is "so tiny as to be insignificant. "Trying to reduce our emissions will neither protect the earth nor dignify humanity." Beisner believes simulations by computer climate models are simply wrong and "the grave danger to the world, and especially to the poor, isn't global warming, but the poverty that would be induced or prolonged by policies meant to fight it," says Beisner.
Beisner, a seminary professor of historical theology and social ethics when he founded the Cornwall Alliance in 2005, received the "Outstanding Spokesman on Faith, Science, and Stewardship Award" from the Heritage Foundation at the Ninth International Conference on Climate Change last year. Beisner believes "Christian ethics requires protecting the poor from harm, since they lack the means to protect themselves."
"Requiring the world to abandon the abundant, reliable, affordable energy provided by fossil fuels in the name of fighting global warming oppresses the poor," says Beisner. "They desperately need that energy, and for now and the foreseeable future no other energy source can give it to them."
It will be very interesting to see what the Pope has to say about all of this. Pope Francis has consistently taken a strong stance on the need for immediate action on climate change, and at the same time, has been an ardent defender of the poor and marginalized. He evenly personally witnessed those on the front lines of climate change when he met with survivors of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines.
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Here are three new films to watch this Earth Week that will transport you from pole to pole and introduce you to the scientists and activists working to save our shared home.
1. The Year Earth Changed
Where to Watch: Apple TV+
When to Watch: From April 16
The coronavirus pandemic has brought home the stakes of humanity's impact on the environment. But the lockdowns also proved how quickly nature can recover when humans give it the space. Birds sang in empty cities, whales surfaced in Glacier Bay and capybara roamed the South American suburbs.
The Year Earth Changed captures this unique year with footage from more than 30 lockdowned cities between May 2020 to January 2021. Narrated by renowned wildlife broadcaster David Attenborough, the film explores what positive lessons we can take from the experience of a quieter, less trafficked world.
"What the film shows is that the natural world can bounce back remarkably quickly when we take a step back and reduce our impact as we did during lockdown," executive producer Alice Keens-Soper of BBC Studios Natural History Unit told EcoWatch. "If we are willing to make even small changes to our habits, the natural world can flourish. We need to learn how to co-exist with nature and understand that we are not separate from it- for example if we closed some of our beaches at for a few weeks during the turtle breeding we see that it can make a huge difference to their success. There are many ways that we can adapt our behavior to allow the natural world to thrive as it did in lockdown."
2. After Antarctica
Where to Watch: San Francisco International Film Festival
When to Watch: 12 a.m. PST April 9 to 11:59 p.m. April 18
In 1989, Will Steger led an international team of six scientists and explorers to be the first humans to cross Antarctica by dogsled. Steger and his team weren't just in it for the adventure. They also wanted to draw attention to the ways in which the climate crisis was already transforming the icy continent and to rally support for the renewal of the Antarctic Treaty, which would keep the continent safe from extractive industries.
In After Antarctica, award-winning filmmaker Tasha Van Zandt follows Steger 30 years later as he travels the Arctic this time, reflecting on his original journey and once again bringing awareness to changes in a polar landscape. The film intersperses this contemporary journey with footage from the original expedition, some of which has never been seen before.
"Will's life journey as an explorer and climate activist has led him not only to see more of the polar world than anyone else alive today, but to being an eyewitness to the changes occurring across both poles," Van Zandt told EcoWatch. "But now, these changes are happening in all of our own backyards and we have all become eyewitnesses. Through my journey with Will, I have learned that although we cannot always control change, we can change our response. I feel strongly that this is a message that resonates when we look at the current state of the world, as we each have power and control over how we choose to respond to hardships, and we all have the power to unite with others through collective action around a common goal."
After Antarctica is available to stream once you purchase a ticket to the San Francisco International Film Festival. If you miss it this weekend, it will screen again at the Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival from May 13 to May 23.
Tasha Van Zandt
3. The Race to Save the World
Where to Watch: Virtual Cinema
When to Watch: From Earth Day, April 22
While many films about the climate crisis seek to raise awareness about the extent of the problem, The Race to Save the World focuses on the people who are trying to stop it. The film tells the story of climate activists ranging from 15-year-old Aji to 72-year-old Miriam who are working to create a sustainable future. It follows them from the streets to the courtroom to their homes, and explores the impact of their advocacy on their personal lives and relationships.
Emmy award-winning documentary filmmaker Joe Gantz told EcoWatch that he wanted to make a film about climate change, but did not want to depress viewers with overwhelming statistics. Instead, he chose to inspire them by sharing the stories of people trying to make a difference.
"Unless millions of people take to the streets and make their voices heard for a livable future, the politicians are not going to get on board to help make the changes needed for a sustainable future," Gantz told Ecowatch. "I think that The Race To Save The World will energize and inspire people to take action so that future generations, as well as the plants, animals and ecosystems, can survive and thrive on this planet."
Check back with EcoWatch on the morning of Earth Day for a special preview of this inspiring film!