Mother Earth important as unborn child: Aussie Bishops

Fresh from debunking Intelligent Design, Australian Catholic leaders are striking another blow for common sense:

Australia's 5 million Catholics were as morally bound to combat the loss of biodiversity as they were to protect the rights of the unborn child, according to a landmark statement by the church's bishops that calls for Australia to cap greenhouse emissions.

The nation's 30 Catholic bishops said ratifying the Kyoto Protocol was the least that Australia could do to continue to "support international structures that help reduce global warming".

Their extraordinary statement on climate change points to a converging partnership between church leaders, environmentalists and scientists, giving moral force to public campaigns to win environmental safeguards. It forms part of a national church strategy to mobilise Australian Catholics to face the changes required to tackle global climate change.

As always the Anglicans are taking things one step further.

In July, a key international body of the Anglican Church declared the wilful destruction of the environment to be a sin.

Getting back to the Catholic Bishops, these guys have a plan as well as a prayer.

A critical part of the solution was in the development of alternatives to fossil fuels.

"As pastors of more than a quarter of the Australian population, we urge Catholics as a matter of conscience to co-operate in facing global warming as one of the major issues of our time, and take roles of responsibility proper to them."

The scientist and author Tim Flannery applauded the bishops' statement, saying it was immensely helpful to furthering the debate on climate change and mobilising individuals to change their lifestyle.

"The debate about climate change is not a debate between left and right, religious and non-religious. It's about holding onto the old economy, on one hand, or moving forward to better our future."

The church's position paper was presented by Bishop Christopher Toohey last night at a climate change conference hosted by Catholic Earthcare Australia.

Copies will be sent to more than 4000 parishes, schools, religious congregations and church agencies.

It will be followed by an updated audit which urges them to switch to more sustainable practices, including use of gas or solar heating and green electricity, grey water recycling systems, car pooling and ethical investment policy for savings.

Global Warning, Climate Change, Environment, Catholic, Christian, Religion, Church, Australia