President Obama on Thursday heaped praise on Pope Francis’ dire warnings about climate change and his open embrace of the view that humans are largely to blame.
The pontiff’s broad environmental manifesto came in the form of a encyclical, a letter he released Thursday that is traditionally addressed from St. Peter’s Square to the more than 1 billion Catholics across the globe.
“I welcome His Holiness Pope Francis’s encyclical, and deeply admire the Pope’s decision to make the case — clearly, powerfully, and with the full moral authority of his position — for action on global climate change,” Obama said in a statement.
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The president said he agreed with Francis’ assessment and said he looked forward to discussing the topic with him further when he visits the White House in September as the U.S. and other countries prepare for global negotiations in Paris this December.
“We have a profound responsibility to protect our children, and our children’s children, from the damaging impacts of climate change,” Obama said. “I believe the United States must be a leader in this effort, which is why I am committed to taking bold actions at home and abroad to cut carbon pollution, to increase clean energy and energy efficiency, to build resilience in vulnerable communities, and to encourage responsible stewardship of our natural resources.”
“We must also protect the world’s poor, who have done the least to contribute to this looming crisis and stand to lose the most if we fail to avert it,” he added.
