Let's heed Pope letter on environment

As we await the visit by Pope Francis, we should reflect on his encyclical on environment released in June.

The encyclical is entitled “Laudato si” Latin for “Praise be to you”.

Reading through the document, you might think the Pope had his eyes on our country when he says “the earth, our home, is beginning to look more and more like an immense pile of filth”.

In many parts of the planet, the elderly lament that once beautiful landscapes are now covered with rubbish.

The pace of consumption, waste and environmental change has so stretched the planet’s capacity that our contemporary lifestyle, unsustainable as it is, can only precipitate catastrophes, such as those which even now periodically occur in different areas of the world.

The encyclical is a clarion call to all humanity to reassess its engagement with creation – we can no longer be bystanders.