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The Season of Creation is a month-long observance (1 September - 4 October) that calls on Christians to reflect on our lifestyles and the impact these have on the environment and to take action for our world. In his message for the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation which marks the commencement of the season, Pope Francis reminds us of "the call to conversion in lifestyles, to resist human degradation of the environment...leaving behind the arrogance of those who want to exercise dominion over others and nature itself,. He calls us to seek to live "a life that becomes a song of love for God, for humanity, with and for creation, and that finds its fullness in holiness." For further resources on this site, click here For additional resources, click here  Starting Monday (Sept. 2), Pope Francis will begin the longest trip of his papacy, traveling to Asia and Oceania. As NCR Vatican correspondent Christopher White reports this week, the grueling 12-day journey through four countries — Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Singapore — will push the pope's physical abilities but provide him an opportunity to spotlight some of the signature themes of his pontificate. One of them being concern for the environment, including threats posed by climate change... Source: Earthbeat/NCR Read the complete article here  More than half of people on Earth — approximately 4 billion— lack access to safe drinking water, which is double the number estimated in 2020, a new study by REACH global research program has found... “According to the Human Rights to Water and Sanitation resolution declared by the United Nations, water services must ensure sufficient quantity, safety, reliability, physical proximity, affordability, and nondiscrimination. These goals are challenging in rural areas of Africa and Asia and in sparsely populated regions where safe drinking water services on premises are costly and complicated to maintain. Read the complete article here Source: EcoWatch  UN Secretary-General António Guterres issued a “global SOS” from Tonga in the Pacific on Tuesday, 27 August,, urging governments to step up climate action to “Save Our Seas” as two new reports revealed how rising sea levels are threatening the vulnerable region and beyond. Speaking during a press conference in the capital, Nuku’alofa, Mr. Guterres called for world leaders to drastically slash global emissions, quickly phase out fossil fuels, and massively boost climate adaptation investments to protect people from current and future risks. “This is a crazy situation: rising seas are a crisis entirely of humanity’s making. A crisis that will soon swell to an almost unimaginable scale, with no lifeboat to take us back to safety,” he warned. “But if we save the Pacific, we also save ourselves. The world must act and answer the SOS before it is too late.” Read the Complete article here Source: UN  "Antarctic ecosystems could be disrupted by animals, diseases and rubbish floating from Africa and Australia as rising temperatures melt sea ice buffers, new research suggests... Simulations showed objects from Australia, South Africa, South America and New Zealand reached Antarctica every year, while objects from islands in the Southern Ocean made landfall even more frequently. Read the complete article here Source: The Guardian 
Video message by UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, on the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples.
"Indigenous Peoples represent about 6% of the world's population, yet their stewardship signifies an outsized contribution to our global community. They are the keepers of knowledge and traditions that help safeguard some of the most biodiverse areas of our planet. As guardians of the environment, their survival is our survival. Their unique way of life is a testament to the rich tapestry of humanity..." Source: UN "Sea surface temperatures in waters surrounding the Great Barrier Reef this year reached their warmest levels in more than 400 years, new research has found. The findings of the long-term study suggest human-caused climate change is the driving factor behind increasingly high summer temperatures in the Coral Sea, which puts corals under stress and can spur mass bleaching..." Read the rest of the article here Source: ABC News  |