April 29, 2015

By Sister Bethany Fitzgerald
Diocesan Faith and Ecology Group

Watertown - Dr. Gerry Gacioch, chief of cardiology at Rochester General hospital Heart Institute and NYS Climate Ambassador for Catholic Coalition on Climate Change, spoke to more than 50 people at the Sisters of St. Joseph Motherhouse April 19 on how our Catholic social teachings can shed light on one’s response to  climate change.

Dr. Gacioch combines his medical profession as a doctor with his appreciation for the beauty of the earth and the needs of people affected by climate change. The Adirondacks are among his family’s favorite places to vacation. As a medical doctor he has volunteered seven times in Haiti as well as in Belize and El Salvador. 

Dr.Gacioch stated that 98% of scientists today affirm the reality of global climate change and that human activity has contributed to it, while 2% still debate it.

To illustrate the situation, he posed a question: “Suppose you were very sick and consulted 100 doctors for their diagnosis and treatment. The results were 98 of them agreed on the cause and a treatment. However, two were not sure about the cause and advised more tests to see what might develop over time. What would you choose to do?”

Many facts regarding the effects of global warming both on the natural world and on the human community were presented. The rising temperatures from greenhouse gases are happening more rapidly than predicted and we are seeing the effects, i.e., melting glaciers, extreme flooding, drought, hurricanes, tornadoes, and wildfires throughout the world. Most global warming that has occurred in the last fifty years is attributed to human activity.

A three-minute film on “Who is Under Our Carbon Footprint?” revealed that the poor are most affected by global warming and are least able to bear the burdens. Loss of homes, destruction of productive land and loss of jobs weigh heavy on those who already live on the edge of poverty.

Popes from Pope John XXIII to our present Pope Francis as well as the bishops have been consistent with their call for care for creation and preferential option for the poor.

In 2009, Ten Commandments of the Environment was written by Pope Benedict, and “Global Climate Change: Plea for Dialogue Prudence and the Common Good” was issued by US Catholic Bishops in 2001. The Vatican installed solar panels on the audience hall in 2008 and pledged to become the first “carbon-neutral” state in Europe. (Bishop Terry installed solar panels to power his residence last August). Pope Francis’ encyclical on the environment will be coming out soon.

We must tread more lightly and understand the consequences of every step, consuming less, advocating for the responsible stewardship of God’s Creation and for those who come after us.

Dr. Gerry Gacioch, center, chief of cardiology at Rochester General hospital Heart Institute and NYS Climate Ambassador for Catholic Coalition on Climate Change, speaks with some of the participants of the April 19 “Faith Communities and Climate” presentation he made at the Sisters of St. Joseph Motherhouse in  Watertown.